Dahira klaudiae Brechlin, Melichar & Haxaire, 2006

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 : 179-180

Dahira klaudiae Brechlin, Melichar & Haxaire, 2006 [ḛāöṣ天ẽ]

( Figures 41–43 )

Dahira klaudiae Brechlin, Melichar & Haxaire, 2006 ; In: Brechlin & Melichar, Nachr. ent. Ver. Apollo (N.F.), 27 (4): 210; TL: ‘Songluohe, Daba Shan, Hubei, China’.

Material examined. CHINA: ♂, Qinling Mts , Shaanxi, 24-V-2024, Local collector leg. [ XZBC] ; ♀, Hanzhong , Shaanxi, 10-V-2024, Yu-Fei Li leg. [ JZHC] .

Diagnosis. Male ( Figure 41A–B ): Similar to the D. yunnanfuana , but body color ochraceous and the upperside of the forewing is variegated with ochreous and brown scales, rather than the grey scales of D. yunnanfuana . The discal spot is yellow and the orange patch near the apex is more conspicuous than in D. yunnanfuana . Hindwings more ochraceous.

Female ( Figure 41C–D , 43 ): Similar to male, but wings broader and ground pattern slightly paler, antennae much slenderer.

Female genitalia ( Figure 42 ): Anal papillae rounded. Lamella antevaginalis and lamella postvaginalis slender and weakly sclerotized; antrum long, funnel-shaped. Ductus bursae tubular, membranous and slender. Corpus bursae ellipsoidal, signum elongated and covered in tiny spinules.

Distribution. China ( Shaanxi, Hubei) ( Figure 1 ).

Biological notes. This species was collected in middle to high elevation evergreen broad-leaf forest, attracted to light at night ( Figure 43 ).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Geographic distribution of Smerinthinae and Sphinginae species included in this study.

FIGURE 41. Habitus of Dahira klaudiae. (A–B), male, Qinling Mts, Shaanxi, China; (C–D) female, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China. Scale bar = 10 mm.

FIGURE 42. Female genitalia of Dahira klaudiae, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China.

FIGURE 43. Habitat and living adult (female) of Dahira klaudiae in Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China.