Research Article |
Corresponding author: Hui-Lin Han ( hanhuilin@aliyun.com ) Academic editor: Andrew Mitchell
© 2022 Jun Wu, Ting-Ting Zhao, Hui-Lin Han.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
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Wu J, Zhao T-T, Han H-L (2022) Two new species of the subgenus Reticularisus (Lepidoptera, Limacodidae, Rhamnosa) from China, with a checklist of the genus Rhamnosa Fixsen, 1887. ZooKeys 1099: 111-121. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1099.76163
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Two new species of the subgenus Reticularisus Wu, Wu & Han, 2022 of the genus Rhamnosa Fixsen, 1887, Rhamnosa (Reticularisus) chenjuni sp. nov. and Rh. (R.) mangshanensis sp. nov., are described from the provinces of Hunan and Guangdong, China. The adults and genital structures of the new species and similar examined species are illustrated. A checklist of the genus is provided.
Guangdong, Hunan, slug caterpillar moths, taxonomy, Zygaenoidea
The genus Rhamnosa Fixsen, 1887 was erected based on the type species Rh. angulata Fixsen, 1887 from “Korea”. Since then, approximately ten new species have been described and reported (
In this study, two new species of the subgenus Reticularisus, Rh. (R.) chenjuni sp. nov. and Rh. (R.) mangshanensis sp. nov., collected from the Hunan and Guangdong provinces of China, are described.
The specimens were collected with a 220V/450W mercury vapour lamp and DC black light lamps at Mangshan National Nature Reserve and Nanling National Forest Park, respectively in the Hunan and Guangdong provinces of China. Standard methods for dissection and preparation of the genitalia slides were used (
Rhamnosa Fixsen, 1887: 339. Type species: Rhamnosa angulata Fixsen, 1887, by monotypy. Type locality: “Korea”.
Caniodes Matsumura, 1927: 91. Type species: Caniodes takamukui Matsumura, 1927. Type locality: “Formosa” (Horisha).
Rnamnopsis Matsumura, 1931: 101. Type species: Rhamnopsis arizanella Matsumura, 1931. Type locality: “Formosa” (Arisan).
Reticularisus Wu, Wu & Han, 2022: 138. Type species: Rhamnosa henanensis Wu, 2008, by original designation. Type locality: Henan Province, China.
The subgenus is characterized by the forewing being pale yellow in ground colour and covered with reddish-brown scales. The antemedial and postmedial lines are entire, not parallel, straight or slightly curved, darkish, running from the wing margin near the apex to the inner margin. The venation of the forewing is usually of an obvious dark brownish red colour. The species are not sexually dimorphic; the females are usually slightly larger, with filiform or slightly bipectinated antennae.
The male genitalia are diagnostic: apical part of juxta with massive numbers of tiny spines; basal part flat, with a pair of lateral processes that can be strongly sclerotized or not; saccus visible or simply present; valva without basal processes; aedeagus slender and always more or less spiral-shaped near the coecum.
♂, China, Hunan Province, Chenzhou City, Yizhang County, Mangshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangjunzhai scenic spot, 30.VII–7.VIII.2021, leg. J. Wu and Q. Lin, genit. prep. WuJ-583-1 (NEFU).
17♂, 4♀, same date as for holotype, genit. prep. WuJ-582-1, WuJ-584-2, WuJ-585-2 (NEFU). 2♂, China, Guangdong Province, Shaoguan City, Ruyuan County, Nanling National Forest Park, 24–27.V.2021, leg. MR. Li and G. Fu, genit. prep. WuJ-594-1, WuJ-595-1 (NEFU).
The new species Rh. chenjuni sp. nov. (Figs
In the male genitalia, Rh. chenjuni sp. nov. (Fig.
In the female genitalia, Rh. chenjuni sp. nov. (Fig.
Adults of Rhamnosa (Reticularisus) spp. 1 Rh. chenjuni sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU) 2 Rh. chenjuni sp. nov., female, paratype (NEFU) 3 Rh. mangshanensis sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU) 4 Rh. mangshanensis sp. nov., female, paratype (NEFU) 5 Rh. shierbeihoua Wu, Wu & Han, 2022, male, holotype, Guizhou, China (NEFU) 6 Rh. henanensis Wu, 2008, male, holotype, Henan, China (
Adult (Figs
Male genitalia (Fig.
Female genitalia (Fig.
(Fig.
The species name is dedicated to Mr. Jun Chen, who works in the Mangshan State-owned Forestry Administration in Hunan Province, China. He was of great assistance to us when we were collecting in Mangshan National Nature Reserve.
This new species differs clearly in appearance from the other three species in the subgenus Reticularisus, mainly in having antemedial line not visible near the apical region and forewing lacking distinctive marks other than the antemedial and submarginal lines. It shares some similarities with Rh. (Rhamnosa) hatita (Druce, 1896); however, because it highly matches the characters of the subgenus Reticularisus for the male genitalia, i.e., valva without a basal process, juxta with a pair of distinct lateral processes, saccus visible, and aedeagus spiraled near coecum, it is provisionally placed in this subgenus.
These moths fly from late May to August. The specimens were collected by 220V/450W mercury light and DC black light at 570–1,265 m a.s.l.; the collecting site in Hunan province is located close to mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests (Figs
Genitalia of Rhamnosa (Reticularisus) spp. 7 Rh. chenjuni sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU) 8 Rh. mangshanensis sp. nov., male, holotype (NEFU) 9 Rh. shierbeihoua Wu, Wu & Han, 2022, male, holotype, genit. slide WuJ-301-1 (NEFU) 10 Rh. henanensis Wu, 2008, male, holotype (
♂, China, Hunan Province, Chenzhou City, Yizhang County, Mangshan National Nature Reserve, Jiangjunzhai scenic spot, 30.VII–7.VIII.2021, leg. J. Wu and Q. Lin, genit. prep. WuJ-581-1 (NEFU).
27♂, same date as for holotype, genit. prep. WuJ-579-1, WuJ-580-1 (NEFU); 1♂, 1♀, China, Guangdong Province, Shaoguan City, Ruyuan County, Nanling National Forest Park, 24–27.V.2021, leg. MR. Li and G. Fu, genit. prep. WuJ-592-1, WuJ-593-2 (NEFU).
Three of the species in the subgenus Reticularisus, Rh. mangshanensis sp. nov. (Figs
The male genitalia of Rh. mangshanensis sp. nov. (Fig.
Adult (Figs
Male genitalia (Fig.
Female genitalia (Fig.
(Fig.
The new species is named after its type locality, the Mangshan National Nature Reserve of Hunan Province, China.
These moths fly from late May to August. The specimens were collected by 220V/450W mercury light and DC black light at 570–1,265 m a.s.l.; the collecting site in Hunan province is close to mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forests (Figs
Subgenus Rhamnosa Fixsen, 1887
Rh. (R.) angulata Fixsen, 1887
Rh. (R.) hatita (Druce, 1896)
= Rh. angulate kwangtungensis Hering, 1931
= Rh. (R.) kwangtungensis Hering, 1931
Rh. (R.) dentifera Hering & Hopp, 1927
Rh. (R.) convergens Hering, 1931
Subgenus Caniodes Matsumura, 1927
Rh. (C.) uniformis (Swinhoe, 1895)
= Cania notodonta Hampson, 1897
= Caniodes takamukui Matsumura, 1927
= Rh. uniformis rufina Hering, 1931
Rh. (C.) uniformoides Wu & Fang, 2009
Subgenus Rhamnopsis Matsumura, 1931
Rh. (R.) arizanella (Matsumura, 1931)
= Rhamnopsis arizanella Matsumura, 1931
= Rh. arizanella (Matsumura, 1931)
Subgenus Reticularisus Wu, Wu & Han, 2022
Rh. (R.) henanensis Wu, 2008
Rh. (R.) chenjuni sp. nov.
Rh. (R.) mangshanensis sp. nov.
Rh. (R.) shierbeihoua Wu, Wu & Han, 2022
13 collecting sites of the two new species: Hunan Province, Mangshan National Nature Reserve (red dot a); Guangdong Province, Nanling National Forest Park (red dot b) 14, 15 adult male, living habitus: 14 Rh. chenjuni sp. nov. 15 Rh. mangshanensis sp. nov. 16 the biotope of these two new species in Hunan is close to a mixed coniferous and broad-leaved forest.
The genus Rhamnosa includes four subgenera with a total of eleven species, all 11 species are recorded in China based on the literature. The subgenus Reticularisus was established for its unique characteristics of the forewing and male genitalia. In the four known species of the subgenus, the antemedial and subterminal lines of the forewing always intersect near the apex (the antemedial line of Rh. (R.) chenjuni sp. nov. is not visible anteriorly so the two lines do not intersect, but the two lines would cross if both visible), and the aedeagus is always more or less spiral-shaped near the coecum, so these two characters may be considered as apomorphies of the subgenus.
The present study was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31872261) and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2572021DJ08, 2572019CP11). We sincerely thank Mr. Jun Chen, who works at the Mangshan State-owned Forestry Administration in Hunan Province, for his great assistance during collecting in Mangshan National Nature Reserve; and the colleagues from our laboratory for collecting a part of the material of these two new species.