Andraca bipunctata Walker

Wang, Xing, Wang, Min, Zolotuhin, Vadim V., Hirowatari, Toshiya, Wu, Shipher & Huang, Guo-Hua, 2015, The fauna of the family Bombycidae sensu lato (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Bombycoidea) from Mainland China, Taiwan and Hainan Islands, Zootaxa 3989 (1), pp. 1-138 : 65-66

38. Andraca bipunctata Walker , l865 ( FIGURES 23 A–C, 25A)

Andraca bipunctata Walker, 1865 , List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus. 32: 582. TL: “Hindostan” [ India]. Lectotype: male (ZMHU).

Andraca bipunctata Walker, 1862 : Chu & Wang, 1993, Sinozoologia 10: 241.

Diagnosis. This dark-coloured species can be identified by the serrate outer margins of the fore- and hindwings, more strongly developed in the male than the female.

Specimens examined. [SICHUAN] Panzhihua City: 1 male, Mt. Daheishan, 2500 m, September 2002, Ying et al. leg. via P. Kautt, IB 02+ Jan. 03, W.A. Nässig collection (MWM); [GUIZHOU] Jiangkou County: 1 male, Mt. Fanjingshan, 1600 m, August 2002, Li et al. leg. via Peter Kautt (MWM); [YUNNAN] Yunxian County: 1 male, Mt. Dabingshan, 1800 m, May 2000, native collector leg. (MWM); 6 males, N-Changyuan village, Guokandashan, September 1999, Wang & Li leg. (MWM); Lancang County: 2 males and 6 females, Mt. Fuli, 2900 m, September 1999, Wang & Li leg. (MWM); Baoshan County: 1 male, Mt. Gaoligongshan, 4000 m, February 2001, local collector leg. via P. Kautt, IB 02 + Jan. 03, W.A. Nässig collection (MWM); Yunlong County: 1 female, Mt. Wubaoshan, 3500 m, May to June 2000, native collector leg. (MWM).

Bionomics. Adults appear from late August to February in China and Thailand, and from June to July or October to December in Nepal and India. Pupation takes place in a thin cocoon of brown silk spun among leaves (Holloway, 1987).

Distribution. Mainland China (Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan), Myanmar, northern Thailand, northern India, Nepal.

Remarks. The species is apparently endemic to the southern Himalaya. Robinson et al. (2010) reported the host plant as Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Ktze., 1887 ( Theaceae ) and Symplocos spp. ( Symplocaceae ) in India.

39. Andraca theae (Matsumura, 1909) (FIGURES 24C, 25B)

Oreta theae Matsumura, 1909 , Thousand Insects of Japan 1: 134, pl. 13, fig. 10. TL: Formosa (= Taiwan).

Diagnosis. Characterized by the dark red ochre wings with simple pattern, triangular uncus with a narrowly spatulate apex, an apically bifurcate valva, and a curved aedeagus with dense apical spines.

Specimens examined. [ TAIWAN] Taipei City: 2 males, 15.VIII.2009, Shipher Wu leg. (HUNAU); Nantou County: 3 males, Mt. Shishan, 2450 m, 13.V.2011, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); 3 males, Meifeng, 2100 m, 14.II.2012, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); 1 female, Shishan, 2450 m, 7.VII.2011, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); 1 male, Tatajia, 2610 m, 12.V.2011, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); 1 male, Meifeng, 2100 m, 6.II.2013, Shipher Wu leg. (TFRI); Hualien County (Guanyuan, 2400 m): 1 male, 18.VII.2012, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); 1 male, 13.VIII.2012, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); 1 male, 16.IV.2013, Shipher Wu leg. (TFRI); Miaoli County: 2 males, Guanwu, 2000 m, 29.IV.2011, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); Chiayi County: 1 male, Alishan, 2200 m, 7.VII.2011, Shipher Wu & Wei-Chun Chang leg. (TFRI); 88 males and 8 females from different counties of Taiwan (Taitung, Kaoshiung, Nantou, Hualien, Miaoli, Taipei, Chia) (MWM); [ANHUI] Huangshan City: 3 males, Houxi Town, 28.VI.2010, larvae collected in the field and reared to adults by Dr. Guo-Hua Huang (HUNAU); [HUNAN] Taoyuan County (Wuyunjie National NR): 10 males, 2.VII.2010, larvae collected in the field by Hong-Chun Zhou and reared to adults the Entomological Laboratory of HUNAU by Dr. Guo-Hua Huang (HUNAU); [GUANGDONG] Ruyuan County (Nanling National NR): 1 male, 29.III.2003, Guo-Hua Huang leg. (SCAU); 1 male, 12.VIII.2003, Guo-Hua Huang & De-Yu Xin leg. (HUNAU).

Bionomics. The larval host plants consist of Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Ktze., 1887= Thea sinensis Linn., 1753 , Camellia spp., Cleyera ochnacea DC., Eurya japonica Thunb. 1783 (all Theaceae ) and Melastoma candidum D. Don, 1823 (Melastomataceae) (Sonan, 1937). Adults appear from February to August in lower or upper montane forests at elevations of 400–2900 m in Taiwan (Lin, 2005) (Plate 8D–8E), although it is most common between 1850 and 2700 m. The eggs are laid on the surfaces of the leaves of the hosts, and the larvae live gregariously (Plate 8F–8G).

Distribution. Mainland China (Anhui, Hunan, Guangdong) and Taiwan, Nepal.

Remarks. Caterpillars in Taiwan were photographed by Wang (1995) and Lin (2005), and on Mainland China by Wang et al. (2011). More details are given by Zolotuhin (2012) & Wang et al. (2012).

Figures

FIGURE 23. Adults and labels of Andraca spp. A. A. bipunctata, male (Thailand); B. A. bipunctata, female (Nepal); C. A. bipunctata, male (Yunnan); D – E. A. olivacea, male (Taiwan), type; F. A. olivacea, male (Guangxi); G. A. olivacea olivacens, male (Fujian), lectotype; H. A. olivacea olivacens, female (Fujian), paralectotype.