Macroscelesia japona ( Hampson, 1919 )

Kallies, Axel, Arita, Yutaka & Min, Wang, 2016, A new species and new records of Melittiini from China and Vietnam (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae), Zootaxa 4205 (2), pp. 162-170 : 165

Macroscelesia japona ( Hampson, 1919)

( Fig. 11 )

Material examined. 1 ♀, [South China, Gao fung, 9.vi.1917, leg. Mell], gen. prep. AK184 ( Fig. 11 , MNHB).

M. japona is well-known from Japan ( Arita et al. 2016), but has also been recorded from Korea (Arita et al., 2004). Recently, three species closely related to M. japona were described from the southern islands of Japan ( Arita et al. 2016), M. amamiana Arita & Yata, 2016 , M. okinawana Arita & Kimura, 2016 , and M. yaeyamana Arita & Nagase, 2016 .

It is currently unclear whether M. japona occurs on the East Asian mainland. So far only one specimen has been recorded from China ( Kallies 2007). However, neither the precise collecting locality nor its identity could be fully established. Based on Zukowsky (1929) (as M. eurytion sensu Bartel, 1912 [= japona Hampson, 1919 ]), the specimen was collected on the 9.vi. 1917 in “Gao fung” (South China). It was assigned to M. japona based on the external appearance ( Kallies 2007). However, the genitalia morphology in this Chinese specimen differs somewhat from that of typical Japanese specimens, leaving open the possibility that it may represent another species of the M. japona group. Differences include the shape of the sclerotized area around the ostium, in particular its significantly longer plate-like distal extension ( Fig. 11 ) and the longer ductus bursae (cf. Arita et al. 2016). Therefore, more material is needed to firmly establish the identity of the mainland populations of M. japona . This would also be critical for the material from Korea, which has not been examined in detail (Arita et al. 2004).

Figures

FIGURES 11, 12. Female genitalia of Melittiini from China. 11. Macroscelesia japona (Gen. prep. AK 184, MNHB). 12. Macroscelesia vietnamica (Gen. Prep. AK 770, SCAU).