Rhotana venosa Distant, 1906

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 105

Rhotana venosa Distant, 1906

Rhotana venosa Distant, 1906: 314

( Figs. 32, 78, 79, 253)

Redescription. Forewings 2.0 times longer than wide, length: male 4.0– 5.5 mm (mean = 4.9, n= 29), female 4.5– 5.1 mm (mean = 4.8, n= 4). Colour stramineous, clypeus, rostrum, mesonotum, tibiae, tarsi, and a lateral mark on pygofer light to dark brown. Forewings glassy, not powdered, lightly infuscated along most veins, especially in the anterior half of wing; slightly darker bands crossing first and second subcostal sector; a bright red mark (sometimes faint or even missing) around apex of Sc and last subcostal sector; veins red (lectotype) to orange, but near hind margin and in basal third stramineous to light brown. Hindwings faintly infuscated around median sectors; veins stramineous, in apical third reddish. Facial carinae contiguous up to lower margin of eyes; rostrum short, usually not quite reaching hind coxae; subantennal processes well -, lateral carinae of pronotum poorly developed. Forewings with apical part of Sc strongly sinuate; Sc+R fork before middle of wing; a small triangle at base of Ms1, Ms1 branched at the end of its basal third, Ms1b connected to apical part of Cu1 by a cross-vein. Pygofer of male genitalia with prominent, pointed, lateral projections. Genital styles elongated, slightly truncate at the end; a small, flat hump between both dorsal processes. Aedeagus with stem short; apical part large, ending in two rounded, contiguous lobes; on the inner side a long, narrow, and pointed process (lectotype), which, however, varies in shape and may be much reduced in size (in a few specimens only a small hump).

Etymology. The species name is a Latin adjective (venosus, -a, -um = with veins).

Type material. Lectotype ♂ (here designated) (forewing 5.5 mm), MYANMAR; labels: 1) Type / H. T. 2) Tenass Vall / Myitta / (Doherty) 3) Distant Coll./ 1911-383 4) Rhotana / venosa/ type Dist.( BMNH).

Note. Distant's description was based on two specimens from "Tenasserim; Myitta" and contains no designation of a holotype. The BMNH only contains one specimen with corresponding data. This specimen also bears a type label and is here designated as lectotype .

Other material examined. WEST MALAYSIA: Pahang, F.M. S., Tahanriven, c. 500, 30.XI.1921, 1 ♂, H.M. Pendlebury, at light, Jahore, Kota Tinggi , VIII.1917, 1 ♂, ex F.M. S. (all BMNH) ; LAOS: Vientiane Prov., Ban Van Eue , X.1965, 15.X.1965, 15.X.1967, 7 ♂, native collector, light trap ( BPBM) ; VIETNAM: Chapa, V – VI .1916, 1 ♀, R . V . de Salvaza ( BMNH) ; NORTH BORNEO: Tawau , Quoin Hill, Cocoa Res. Sta. , 3. VII –20.IX.1962, 9 ♂ 1 ♀, Y. Hirashima, H. Holtmann, light and Malaise trap; W. Coast Residency, Ranau , 500 m, 22–25.I.1959, 1 ♂, T . C. Maa; Forest Camp, 19 km N. of Kalabakan , 60 m, 18.X.1962, 1 ♂, K.J. Kuncheria; Kalabakan , 10–19.XI.1958, 2 ♀, T . C. Maa, primary forest (all BPBM); Bettotan, nr. Sandakan , 23+ 25. VII .1927, 2 ♂ ( BMNH) ; SARAWAK: Gunong Matang , 120 m, 15.IX.1958, 1 ♂ 1 ♀, J.L. Gressitt and T . C. Maa ( BPBM); Gunong Mulu Nat. Park, Site 7, Long Pala ( Base ), 50 m, I.1978, 1 ♂, J.D. Holloway, alluvial, secondary forest, acl. - understo., RGS Mulu exped.; Gunong Mula Nat. Park , W. Melinau Gorge, 150 m, III –IV.1978, 2 ♂, J. V . Holloway; foot of Mt. Dulit, junction of river Tinjar & Lejok , 31.VIII + 1.X.1932, 2 ♂, B.M. Hobby and A.W. Moore, light traps (all BMNH); INDONE- SIA : Verlaten Isl. (off Sumatra ), 1920, 1 ♂ ( RMNH) .

Distribution. Myanmar, W. Malaysia, Vietnam, Laos, Borneo, Verlaten Isl. ( Indonesia, off Sumatra).

Diagnosis. It is concluded that Rhotana venosa is a variable species with a wide distribution. It shows similarities to R. suttoni sp. nov. from Borneo, but has fewer orange veins, and usually an infuscated mesonotum, rostrum and legs. Since the coloration varies in R. venosa , the shape of the male aedeagus, which has only one (sometimes inconspicuous) process, should be used to differentiate it from R. suttoni .