Corresponding author: Sadahisa Yagi (
Academic editor: E. van Nieukerken
A new species of long-legged clearwing moth
Yagi S, Hirowatari T, Arita Y (2016) A remarkable new species of the genus
Clearwing moths,
In this paper, we describe this new species and illustrate the genitalia, comparing them with those of related species. We also briefly discuss why this species might have acquired such unique characters from the view point of mimicry.
Only one specimen of the new species was collected on 30 May 2015 in Okinawa-jima, the Ryukyus, Japan (
Map showing the type locality of
Male holotype of
Entomological laboratory, Faculty of Agriculture, Kyushu University
External transparent area of forewing
Anterior transparent area of forewing
Posterior transparent area of forewing
Holotype male (
Male (Figs
Head: frons black, with orange scales laterally; vertex black; pericephalic scales orange; collar with black hair-like scales, anteriorly with some orange hair-like scales; labial palps orange; scape orange; antenna dorsally covered with black scales in basal half, orange scales in apical half, ventrally naked, reddish brown, densely ciliate with yellow short sensory hairs; apical tuft yellow mixed with brown; proboscis yellowish orange.
Thorax: black; patagia black; tegula black, with orange scales anteriorly and long black hairs posteriorly; mesothorax black, with some orange scales laterally; metathorax black, with a tuft of orange hairs laterally.
Legs: fore coxa black with some orange scales basally; femur orange with black basally; fore tibia orange with black dorsally; fore tarsus yellowish orange; mid coxa, femur and tibia black with some orange scales distally; mid tarsus yellowish orange; hind coxa black with some orange scales distally; hind femur black; hind tibia in basal half with black fluffy hairs, in distal half basally black with dark violet-purple sheen, distally with black fluffy hairs and apical orange hairs; hind tarsus black in basal half, with yellowish orange hairs dorsally in distal half.
Abdomen: dorsally black with dark violet-purple sheen; tergite 5 with orange scales anteriorly, tergites 6-7 with narrow orange posterior margin; ventrally yellowish orange with dark violet-purple sheen. Sternite 3 with narrow orange anterior margin, sternite 4 with wide orange anterior margin, sternite 5 almost orange, sternites 6-7 orange with mixture of orange and black scales posteriorly; anal tuft short, orange mixed with black hair-like scales.
Forewing: basally transparent, other parts semitransparent with brownish sheen; costal and anal margins, CuA-stem black with dark violet-purple sheen, scattered with orange scales; discal spot yellow-orange; apical area narrow with yellowish orange scales; projections of dark brown scales from distal margin of forewing into cells of
Hindwing: basally transparent, other parts semitransparent with brownish sheen; veins and outer margin dark brown with orange scales; discal spot undeveloped; apical area with orange scales; outer margin narrow, about two-three times as narrow as cilia; cilia dark brown.
Male genitalia (Fig.
Body parts of
Male genitalia of
Female. Unknown.
The species name “
Unknown. The male holotype was collected on the roadside in a subtropical forest park “Shinrin Koen” (Fig.
Habitat of
Unknown.
Okinawa-jima, Japan. Only known from the type locality.
The new species can be separated from
The family
The genus
According to
In addition, on Okinawa-jima, species of the the sesiid moth genus
As for the other morphological characters, the male genitalia resemble closely those of
We are grateful to Dr. Seiya Kudo (Faculty of Agriculture and Life Science, Hirosaki University) and Mr. Taisuke Kawano (