Polycaena sejila Huang & Li

Huang, Hao & Li, Yu-Fei, 2016, Notes on the genus Polycaena Staudinger (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae) with descriptions of two new species from China, Zootaxa 4105 (6), pp. 575-590 : 586-587

Polycaena sejila Huang & Li , sp. n.

( Figs. 15–18 , 44 , 53 , 62 , 69 , 76 , 86 )

Type material. Holotype ( Figs. 15–16 ): CHINA: ♂, Tibet Autonomous Region, Linzhi division, Linzhi County, Lulang, eastern slope of Mt. Sejila , 3600–3700 m, 5.VIII.2009, Y.-F. Li & Z.-D. Li leg., deposited in SNUC. Paratypes (31♂♂ in total): CHINA: 16♂♂, same data as holotype (1♂ in coll. Hao Huang, 7♂♂ in coll. Y.-F. Li, 1♂ in coll. C.-H. Wang, 6♂♂ in coll. Z-D. Li, 1♂ in coll. L.-P. Zhou); 15♂♂, same locality as holotype but 6.VIII.2009, Y.-F. Li & Z.-D. Li leg. (9♂♂ in coll. Y.-F. Li, 6♂♂ in coll. Z.-D. Li).

Male holotype description. Length of forewing: 14.0 mm. Eye hairy. Antennal club with pale patch at base. Both wings more elongate than in other species of Polycaena , with a smaller ratio of termen-length to costa-length. Forewing apex more pointed than in other species of Polycaena .

Wing-pattern ( Figs. 15–16 ). Both wings upper side generally like in P. kansuensis , with a submarginal series of small reddish spots, a postdiscal series of white spots and a white cell spot of forewing. Both wings underside with all black and fulvous markings placed like in P. l a m a and P. kansuensis , but with all spots near costa markedly smaller and with submarginal and postdiscal spots different in size and shape. Discocellular cell of hindwing underside bearing a black streak in anal half more or less extending to wing-base.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 44 , 53 , 62 , 69 , 76 ). Uncus in dorsal without branches. Fenestrula not present at middle. Valva elongate, without the ventral branch found in P. lama . Ampulla of valva slightly overlapped by harpe. Harpe of valva without inner process rising from sacculus. Central plate of valvae with posterior branches longer and wider than those of P. minor in dorsal view and depressed in lateral view. Juxta with dorsal part extending both anteriorly and posteriorly in lateral view but with such processes shorter than those of P. minor . Phallus in lateral view with a dorsal corner. Coecum penis in dorsal view not expanded laterally.

Description of male paratypes. Individual variations found in the following points. Length of forewing: 13.5–14.8mm. Hindwing a little broader than that of holotype, with a larger ratio of termen-length to costa-length. White postdiscal spots on forewing upper side clearly defined in spaces 1–2. Reddish submarginal spots on both wings upper side markedly wider and more clearly defined than in holotype. Male genitalia not variable (3♂♂ dissected).

Etymology. The specific name, sejila is a noun, derived from the type locality of this new species.

Diagnosis. This new species is similar to P. lama and P. kansuensis in external features, but can be distinguished from both of them by the following combination of male characters: 1) both wings are more elongate; 2) size is smaller (length of forewing 13.5–14.8mm); 3) both wings on underside have fulvous submarginal markings more extensive; 4) size of male genitalia is markedly smaller; 5) valva is more elongate, with ampulla less overlapped by harpe, and with no ventral branch and additional projection rising from sacculus; 6) central plate between valvae is depressed dorsoventrally; 7) juxta is different in shape; 8) phallus has a dorsal corner at tip.

This new species is closer to P. minor in male genitalic morphology, but can be distinguished from the latter by the following combination of characters: 1) forewing apex is more sharply pointed; 2) forewing upper side has white instead of fulvous cell spot and postdiscal spots; 3) hindwing upper side has white spots; 4) discocellular cell of hindwing underside has the spot in anal half more or less extending to wing-base; 5) both wings underside have broader fulvous submarginal markings which makes their inner black markings remoter from termen; 6) forewing underside has black basal dusting in anal half of wing more clearly defined and almost merging the black discal spot at base of space 2; 7) central plate of male genitalia has branches longer and wider; 8) phallus has tip of ventral branch not down-curved in lateral view; 9) juxta has both anterior and posterior processes shorter; 10) ampulla of valva is wider.

The new species can be distinguished from all other species of the genus as in the key below.

Remarks. The new species may be closer to P. m i n or phylogenetically than to any other species because of the similarities in male genitalic morphology, though it shares the peculiar wing-pattern in the discocellular cell of the hindwing underside with P. lama and P. kansuensis .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 24. Habitus of Polycaena taxa at same scale. 1 – 8 — Polycaena kansuensis; 1 – 2 — syntype ♂ and its labels; 3 – 6 — ♂♂ from Xiahe, S Gansu; 7 – 8 — ♂ from Xining, NE Qinghai. 9 – 13 — P. lama; 9 — syntype ♂ (after Leech [1893]); 10 — syntype ♀ (after Leech [1893]); 11 — ♂ from Litang; 12 — ♀ from Kangding; 13 — ♂ from Yajiang. 14 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype ♂. 15 – 18 — P. sejila; 15 – 16 — holotype ♂; 17 – 18 — paratype ♂. 19 – 20 — P. lua taibaiensis, ♂♂ from Chang-an, Shaanxi. 21 – 22 — P. lua lua; 21 — ♂ from Huangyuan, NE Qinghai; 22 — ♂ from Guoluo, Qinghai. 23 – 24 — P. m i no r; 23 — ♂ from Batang, W Sichuan; 24 — ♂ from Yushu, SE Qinghai. 1, 3, 5, 7, 15, 17 — upper side; 2, 4, 6, 8, 16, 18 — underside; 9 – 14, 19 – 24 — upper side (left half) and underside (right half).

FIGURES 41 – 49. ♂ genitalia in lateral view at same scale. 41 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 42 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 43 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 5); 44 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 45 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 46 — P. lua lua (Fig. 21); 47 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19); 48 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 20); 49 — P. minor (Fig. 23).

FIGURES 50 – 58. Tegumen and scaphium in dorsal view (50 – 52, 55 – 58 at same scale; 53 – 54 at an enlarged scale). 50 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 51 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 52 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 7); 53 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 54 — P. m i no r (Fig. 23); 55 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 56 — P. lua lua (Fig. 21); 57 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19); 58 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 20).

FIGURES 59 – 65. Inner lateral view of left valva (left half) and outer lateral view of left valva (right half) (59 – 61 at same scale; 62 – 65 at an enlarged scale). 59 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 60 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 61 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 7); 62 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 63 — P. minor (Fig. 23); 64 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 65 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19).

FIGURES 66 – 72. Inner lateral view of right valva, central plate, juxta and phallus and dorsal view of juxta (at left bottom) (66 – 68 at same scale; 69 – 72 at an enlarged scale). 66 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 67 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 68 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 7); 69 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 70 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 71 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19); 72 — P. minor (Fig. 23).

FIGURES 73 – 79. Lateral view of central plate (at top), dorsal view of central plate (at center) and lateral or ventral view of phallus (at bottom) (73 – 75 at same scale; 76 – 79 at an enlarged scale). 73 — Polycaena lama (specimen shown in Fig. 11); 74 — P. kansuensis (Fig. 7); 75 — P. wangjiaqii, holotype (Fig. 14); 76 — P. sejila, holotype (Fig. 15); 77 — P. lua lua (Fig. 22); 78 — P. lua taibaiensis (Fig. 19); 79 — P. minor (Fig. 23).

FIGURES 80 – 88. Upper (left half) and under (right half) sides of antennal club. 80 — Polycaena carmelita; 81 — P. matuta shii; 82 — P. chauchowensis chauchowensis; 83 — P. princeps minensis; 84 — P. lama; 85 — P. kansuensis; 86 — P. sejila; 87 — P. minor; 88 — P. lua lua.