Polycaena minor Forster, 1951

Huang, Hao & Li, Yu-Fei, 2016, Notes on the genus Polycaena Staudinger (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) with descriptions of two new species from China, Zootaxa 4105 (6), pp. 575-590 : 585-586

Polycaena minor Forster, 1951 , new status

( Figs. 23–24 , 49 , 54 , 63 , 72 , 79 , 87 )

Polycaena lua minor Forster, 1951: 63 , pl. 4, fig. 3 for ♂ holotype, TL: Batang.

? Polycaena matuta shii Huang, 2014: 154 , figs. 31–32 for ♀♀, TL: E of Mila, Linzhi, SE Tibet.

Material. CHINA: Sichuan province: 1♂, on road from Batang to Litang, Haizi-shan, 4680 m, 10.VII.2012, H.-L. Shi & Y. Liu leg.; Qinghai province: 1♂, Yushu Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Jiegu, 3700 m, 16.VII.2011, K. Song leg.

Identification. The photos of the holotype were published in the original description (Forester, 1951). The male specimen collected from the type locality ( Fig. 23 ) has all details of wing-pattern in common with the holotype. The male specimen from Yushu, Qinghai possesses the same genital characters as the one from Batang.

Wing-pattern. This species has its wing-pattern generally similar to that of P. l u a, but differs from the latter in having an additional spot at anal half in the discocellular cell of hindwing underside.

Male genitalia. Uncus in dorsal view has no branch. Fenestrula is not present at middle. Valva is elongate, and has no ventral branch found in P. l a m a. Ampulla of valva is slightly overlapped by harpe. Harpe of valva has no inner process rising from sacculus. Posterior branches of central plate are more slender than in all other species in dorsal view, and are depressed in lateral view. Juxta has dorsal part extending both anteriorly and posteriorly in lateral view. Phallus in lateral view has a dorsal corner. Coecum penis in dorsal view is not expanded laterally.

Remarks. This taxon is no doubt an independent species from P. l u a, with significant differences from the latter in male genitalic morphology. Since it is allopatric with P. l ua and has never been collected from NE Qinghai, the type locality of P. lua , there is no confusion in identification of these two species yet.

The holotype and the sole paratype of P. matuta shii Huang, 2014 may represent the females of P. minor , and in that case P. matuta shii should be treated as a junior synonym of P. minor . P. minor has been known only on the male specimens whilst P. matuta shii has been known only on the female specimens; both taxa are very similar to each other in the wing-patterns on the underside.

Distribution. Extreme west of Sichuan and SE Qinghai.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 24. Habitus of Polycaena taxa at same scale. 1 – 8 — Polycaena kansuensis; 1 – 2 — syntype ♂ and its labels; 3 – 6 — ♂♂ from Xiahe, S Gansu; 7 – 8 — ♂ from Xining, NE Qinghai. 9 – 13 — P. lama; 9 — syntype ♂ (after Leech [1893]); 10 — syntype ♀ (after Leech [1893]); 11 — ♂ from Litang; 12 — ♀ from Kangding; 13 — ♂ from Yajiang. 14 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype ♂. 15 – 18 — P. sejila; 15 – 16 — holotype ♂; 17 – 18 — paratype ♂. 19 – 20 — P. lua taibaiensis, ♂♂ from Chang-an, Shaanxi. 21 – 22 — P. lua lua; 21 — ♂ from Huangyuan, NE Qinghai; 22 — ♂ from Guoluo, Qinghai. 23 – 24 — P. m i no r; 23 — ♂ from Batang, W Sichuan; 24 — ♂ from Yushu, SE Qinghai. 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, 17 — upper side; 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 18 — underside; 9 – 14, 19 – 24 — upper side (left half) and underside (right half).

FIGURES 41 – 49. ♂ genitalia in lateral view at same scale. 41 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 42 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 43 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 5); 44 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 45 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 46 — P. lua lua (Fig. 21); 47 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19); 48 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 20); 49 — P. minor (Fig. 23).

FIGURES 50 – 58. Tegumen and scaphium in dorsal view (50 – 52, 55 – 58 at same scale; 53 – 54 at an enlarged scale). 50 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 51 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 52 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 7); 53 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 54 — P. m i no r (Fig. 23); 55 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 56 — P. lua lua (Fig. 21); 57 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19); 58 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 20).

FIGURES 59 – 65. Inner lateral view of left valva (left half) and outer lateral view of left valva (right half) (59 – 61 at same scale; 62 – 65 at an enlarged scale). 59 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 60 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 61 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 7); 62 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 63 — P. minor (Fig. 23); 64 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 65 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19).

FIGURES 66 – 72. Inner lateral view of right valva, central plate, juxta and phallus and dorsal view of juxta (at left bottom) (66 – 68 at same scale; 69 – 72 at an enlarged scale). 66 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 67 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 68 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 7); 69 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 70 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 71 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19); 72 — P. minor (Fig. 23).

FIGURES 73 – 79. Lateral view of central plate (at top), dorsal view of central plate (at center) and lateral or ventral view of phallus (at bottom) (73 – 75 at same scale; 76 – 79 at an enlarged scale). 73 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 74 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 7); 75 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 76 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 77 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 78 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19); 79 — P. minor (Fig. 23).

FIGURES 80 – 88. Upper (left half) and under (right half) sides of antennal club. 80 — Polycaena carmelita; 81 — P. matuta shii; 82 — P. chauchowensis chauchowensis; 83 — P. princeps minensis; 84 — P. lama; 85 — P. kansuensis; 86 — P. sejila; 87 — P. minor; 88 — P. lua lua.