Rhotana formosana Matsumura, 1914

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 68

Rhotana formosana Matsumura, 1914

Rhotana formosana Matsumura, 1914: 295

( Fig. 196)

Redescription. Forewings 2.0 times longer than wide, length about 5.2 mm. Colour stramineous to light brown; abdomen slightly darker. Forewings light brown in basal two-thirds, clear in apical third and in the following areas: a small elongated patch in first costal cell, a large rounded area above base of Ms2, a larger triangular area from costal margin to M just before base of Ms3, two small areas before and after clavus tip, and a very small patch near base of Cu1; two dark brown stripes accompanying the anterior apical cross-veins up to Ms2; veins stramineous to yellowish, some parts may be orange or red (not in lectotype). Hindwings slightly infuscated except for the clavus, the apical fifth, and some patches around M; a black-brown rounded mark around base of Ms2 divided by the lighter veins; veins stramineous to light brown; the hindmargin is sometimes red (not in lectotype). Facial carinae contiguous up to level of antennae; rostrum reaching hind coxae; subantennal processes short; lateral carinae of pronotum poorly developed. Male genitalia with pygofer narrow. Genital styles elongated, proximal dorsal process short, with a hump at its base; distal dorsal process elongated. Aedeagus short and simple, apical part with a longitudinal, dorsal impression, ending in a short, membranous lobe.

Etymology. The species name is a latinized adjective (formosanus, -a, -um = Formosan).

Type material. Lectotype ♀ (here designated) (forewing 5.2mm, body 3.3 mm), TAIWAN; labels: 1) Formosa / Kanshirei / 7 X '09/ Matsumura ( EIHU).

Note. The Matsumura collection contains two females under Rhotana formosana (S. Tagaki pers. com.), which are apparently the two syntypes described by Matsumura from " Formosa (Kanshirei)". The specimen designated here as lectotype agrees fully with Matsumura's description and data. The other specimen differs from Matsumura's description in the colour of some of the forewing veins and in the locality stated by Matsumura .

Other material examined. TAIWAN, 1 ♀ (paralectotype of R. formosana, EIHU ) ; VIETNAM, Fyan , 900– 1000 m, 11. VII – 9. VII. 61, 1 ♀, N. R . Spencer ( BPBM) .

Distribution. Taiwan, Vietnam.

Diagnosis. It is concluded that Rhotana formosana Matsumura shows some variation in the coloration of the forewing veins. It has close similarities to R. obaerata Yang & Wu from Taiwan, R. transversolinea Melichar from western Indonesia and Malaysia, R. satsumana Matsumura with a similar distribution, and R. jacobsoni sp. nov. from Sumatra and West Malaysia. It differs from these by the infuscations accompanying the apical cross-veins of the forewings, which reach only until Ms2. It further appears to differ from R. obaerata by the smaller mark on the hindwings and the shape of the veins near this mark. It can be distinguished from R. transversolinea by the forewings showing clear areas around the tip of the clavus; and it can be further separated from the last two species by the hindwings bearing only one small rounded mark.