Pseudodolbina fo fo ( Walker, 1856 )

Jiang, Zhuo-Heng, Yan, Ming, Wang, Jia-Xin & Hu, Shao-Ji, 2024, Review of the genus Pseudodolbina Rothschild, 1894, with the description of a new species from Yunnan, China (Lepidoptera: Sphingidae), Zootaxa 5523 (4), pp. 423-436 : 426-429

Pseudodolbina fo fo ( Walker, 1856) [ma天ḙDz名亚ª]

( Figures 2–6 )

Zonilia fo Walker, 1856; List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln. Br. Mus., 8: 195; TL: ‘North India’.

Pseudodolbina veloxina Rothschild, 1894 ; Novit. Zool., 1 (1): 91; TL: “Khasia Hills, Assam ” [Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India].

Material examined. CHINA: ♂, Motuo County (1840 m), Xizang, 16-V-2017, Zhen Li leg. [ JZHC] .

Diagnosis. Male ( Figures 2A–B , 6A–B ): Head brownish green; thorax brownish green, mesothoracic tegula with short black vitta dorsally; abdomen upperside brownish yellow and with grey stripe on each segment, laterally with yellow spots, underside yellow. Forewing long, triangular with a pointed apex, outer margin even, with brownish yellow spots, distal portion of inner margin slightly concave; upperside ground colour dark green scattered with blue-grey scales, basal to middle area with six black zigzag lines and black patch in submarginal area, discal spot yellowish white, discal spot near large black patch; underside brownish and with yellow scales in basal area. Hindwing upperside brownish, outer margin with deep brownish spots, tornus with yellow hair and black patch; underside brownish.

Female ( Figure 3A–B ): Similar to the male, but wings broader and ground pattern slightly darker, antenna much more slender than in the male.

Male genitalia ( Figure 4A–D ): Uncus and gnathos forming a typical Sphinginae “bird-beak” structure. Uncus slightly curved, with a tiny apical hook. Gnathos thicker and shorter than uncus, apex blunt. Valva tongue shaped, with basal part slightly narrower than the terminal part, apex rounded. Sacculus slightly constricted and with a single strong dorso-apically long and upcurved harpe. Phallus slender and straight, with anterior lobe of process ending in transverse curved hook.

Female genitalia ( Figure 5 ): Anal papillae rounded. Lamella antevaginalis sclerotized and broad; lamella postvaginalis narrower; ostial lobe short and broad. Ductus bursae tubular, membranous and slender.

Distribution. China (S. and S.E. Xizang), N.E. India, Nepal, Bhutan ( Figure 16 ).

Biological notes. This species was collected in high elevation broad-leaf evergreen forest and was attracted to light at night ( Figure 17 ).

Figures

FIGURE 2. SYNTYPE of of Pseudodolbina fo fo, male, North India. Photo by Alessandro Giusti, NHMUK. (A) Upperside; (B) underside; (C) labels. Scale bar = 10 mm. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, UK.

FIGURE 3. SYNTYPE of Pseudodolbina fo fo, female, North India. Photo by Alessandro Giusti, NHMUK. (A) Upperside; (B) underside; (C) labels. Scale bar = 10 mm. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, UK.

FIGURE 4. Male genitalia of Pseudodolbina fo fo, Meghalaya, India. (A) Lateral view; (B) Left valve; (C) Phallus; (D) Anterior lobe of the process. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, UK (downloaded from Kitching, I.J., Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory. https://sphingidae.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/2371/media. Available online: (accessed on 3 June 2024)).

FIGURE 5. Female genitalia of Pseudodolbina fo fo, Assam, India. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, UK (downloaded from Kitching, I.J. Sphingidae Taxonomic Inventory. https://sphingidae.myspecies.info/taxonomy/term/2372/ media. Available online: (accessed on 3 June 2024)).

FIGURE 6. SYNTYPE of Pseudodolbina veloxina, male, Khasi Hills, Meghalaya, India.Photo by Alessandro Giusti, NHMUK. (A) Upperside; (B) underside; (C) labels. Scale bar = 10 mm. © The Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London, UK.

FIGURE 16. Distribution of species of genus Pseudodolbina. The blue dots indicate records of P. f. fo, the red dots indicate records of P. f. celator, the orange dots indicate records of P. aequalis, and the green dot indicates the type locality of P. yunnana sp. nov..

FIGURE 17. Habitats of Pseudodolbina species from China. A. Motuo County, Xizang, China; B. Maguan County, Yunnan, China.