Semia majuscula (Distant, 1917), new recording to China (Figures 1 – 3)

Terpnosia majuscula Distant, 1917; Metcalf, 1963; Lee, 2008: 9.

Semia majuscula, Lee, 2012b: 429 .

Material examined

1♂ (NWAFU), China: Yunnan Province, Malutang, 12 June 2009, 1000 m, light trap, coll. Zhang Lei ; 1♂ (NWAFU), China: Yunnan Province, Malutang, 12 June 2009, 1000 m, light trap, coll. Ma Libin ; 1♀ (NWAFU), China: Yunnan Province, Daluo, 23 May 2009, 800m, light trap, coll. Ma Libin.

Description of male

Head (Figures 1A – B, 2A) mostly greenish, with irregular dark brown markings on vertex; ocellus reddish, eye castaneous, distance between lateral ocellus and corresponding eye much longer than that between lateral ocelli; gena and lorum mostly dark brown; postclypeus moderately prominent, with black stripes along transverse grooves mid-anteriorly and large black mark mid-posteriorly; anteclypeus mostly brown, with large median blackish marking; rostrum yellowish green with blackish tip, almost extending to hind margin of sternite II.

Pronotum (Figure 1A – B) mostly brown, with pair of central longitudinal reddish brown fasciae broadened at both anterior and posterior parts; anterolateral margin of pronotal collar dentate and posterolateral angle developed. Mesonotum (Figure 1A – B) yellowish to dark brown, indistinctly with several short to long brown fasciae; cruciform elevation greenish yellow with short golden hairs. Ventral surface of thorax (Figure 1B) most yellowish green, without distinct markings.

Wings (Figure 1A – B) hyaline, with veins brown or yellowish green; forewing with infuscations along crossveins r, m, r-m and m-cu, vein CuA 2, bases and apices of veins RA 1, RA 2, RP, M 1 – 4, CuA 1, and outer margins of apical cells 1 – 7; hind wing tinged with continuous infuscations along basal veins of apical cells 1 – 3 and outer margins of apical cells 1 – 6.

Legs (Figure 1B) yellowish to brown, without distinct markings; fore femur with primary spine long, digitate and prostrate; secondary spine long, digitate and erect; subapical spine very short and erect.

Abdomen (Figure 1A – B) yellowish to reddish brown; timbal cover (Figure 2B) pale brown, small and somewhat semicircular; timbal (Figure 2B) mostly exposed with seven ribs and three intercalary ribs. Operculum (Figure 1B) pale yellowish green, not beyond posterior margin of sternite II, transverse but both opercula widely separated from each other. Ventral surface of abdomen (Figure 1B) pale brown, somewhat translucent.

Genitalia (Figure 2C – D). Pygofer somewhat barrel-shaped in ventral view; dorsal beak long with obtuse tip, protruding upwards in lateral view; distal shoulder acute, remarkably curved laterally and almost prostrate; uncal lobe of pygofer long, with inner margins subparallel and apex rounded, separated from the other one from base to apex; basal lobe of pygofer stout and curved inward in ventral view. Sternite VII short, with posterior margin rounded.

Description of female

Head and thorax (Figure 3A – B) mostly black, sparsely covered with short golden hairs. Abdomen (Figure 3A – B) short, obconical, mostly black with irregular reddish brown spots dorsally, and mostly yellowish brown except for black sternites VI – VII. Operculum (Figure 3B) mostly dark brown with lateral margin black, almost rectangular with lateral margin sinuate basally; posterior margin truncated, reaching to posterior margin of sternite II. Pygofer (Figure 3C – D) with dorsal beak short and acute; ovipositor short, not extending beyond the end of abdomen; sternite VII with median incision very narrow and shallow.

Measurement (2 ♂♂, 1 ♀)

Length of body (excluding wings): ♂ 39.0 – 40.0, ♀ 35.0; length of forewing: ♂ 45.5 – 46.0, ♀ 47.5; width of forewing: ♂ 14.0 – 15.0, ♀ 15.0; width of head (including eyes): ♂ 9.0 – 9.0, ♀ 9.5; width of pronotum (including pronotal collar): ♂ 12.0, ♀ 13.5; width of mesonotum: ♂ 10.0, ♀ 11.0.

Distribution

China (Yunnan), Vietnam and Laos.

Remarks

This species is recorded from China for the first time. It can be easily distinguished from other species of Semia by the uncal lobes of the pygofer, which are tapering to the subapex, with apex roundly expanded and slightly twisted longitudinally. In addition, we recognise the basal lobe of the pygofer for this species in the present study, which was considered to be absent in species of Semia when Lee (2012b) reviewed this genus.