Acosmeryx formosana arunachalensis Haxaire & Melichar, 2023

Jiang, Zhuo-Heng, Xu, Zhen-Bang, Lin, Yi-Ting, Liu, Chang-Qiu, Wang, Xin & Hu, Shao-Ji, 2025, New records and notes of hawkmoths from China (Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea), Zootaxa 5673 (2), pp. 151-188 : 183-186

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5673.2.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:84AF8247-44F6-4E45-A290-C820777A082B
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.16982208
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03B087D9-FF83-FF9E-FF1A-F95AFE4AFE4D
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Acosmeryx formosana arunachalensis Haxaire & Melichar, 2023
status

Treatment

Acosmeryx formosana arunachalensis Haxaire & Melichar, 2023 [台ŝess天ẽø南亚Ñ]

( Figures 47–50 View FIGURE 47 View FIGURE 48 View FIGURE 49 View FIGURE 50 )

Acosmeryx formosana arunachalensis Haxaire & Melichar, 2023 ; European Entomologist, 13 (3): 118; TL: S. Xizang, China.

Material examined. CHINA: 2♂♂, Bapo (1312 m), Dulongjiang , Yunnan, 6-VI-2024, Yi-Ting Lin leg. [ YUC] ; 2♂♂, Maku (1248 m), Dulongjiang , Yunnan, 8-VI-2024, Yi-Ting Lin leg. [ YUC] ; ♂, Maku (1270 m), Dulongjiang , Yunnan, 25-VI-2024, Zheng-Yi Miao leg. [ JZHC] .

Diagnosis. Male ( Figures 47A–B View FIGURE 47 , 49D View FIGURE 49 , 50 View FIGURE 50 ): Morphologically very similar to the nominotypical subspecies, but larger and with a paler, more grayish coloration. The transverse black-brown band crossing the forewing distal to the discal cell is less prominent.

Female: Similar to the male, with broader wings and a slightly darker and more extensive ground pattern; antennae noticeably slenderer.

Male genitalia ( Figures 48A–D View FIGURE 48 , 49E–F View FIGURE 49 ): Very similar to those of the nominotypical subspecies, but distinguished by a sharper and more slender harpe. Additionally, the right process of the transverse apical phallus is noticeably longer and more tapered.

Distribution. China (S Xizang, NW Yunnan).

Biological notes. This subspecies was collected in middle elevation evergreen broad-leaf forest, attracted to light at night ( Figure 50 View FIGURE 50 ).

Remarks. This species occurs in E, SE and SW China, north Vietnam and the Himalaya, generally inhabiting montane forest at middle elevations. DNA barcode analysis was used to justify splitting this species into three subspecies ( Haxaire & Melichar, 2023). These show little difference in habitus but can be separated by small characters of the male genitalia ( Figure 49 View FIGURE 49 ). The paler and more grayish color and slender size of ssp. sinjaevi compared to the nominotypical subspecies, and, in ssp. arunachalensis , the sharp and slender harpe of the male genitalia are also very conspicuous. In this study, we recorded A. f. arunachalensis from NW Yunnan and confirmed its identification by DNA barcoding and male genitalia structure, thus extending its known range beyond the type locality in S. Xizang.