Melittia proxima Le Cerf, 1917

Kallies, Axel, Arita, Yutaka & Min, Wang, 2016, A new species and new records of Melittiini from China and Vietnam (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae), Zootaxa 4205 (2), pp. 162-170 : 164

Melittia proxima Le Cerf, 1917

( Fig. 1 )

Material examined. 1 ♀, Guangxi Prov., Jingxi county , 14.ix.2006, leg. Xiong Wei ( Fig. 1 , SCAU).

M. proxima was originally described from Darjeeling, north-eastern India ( Arita & Gorbunov 1996). It also occurs in Vietnam ( Arita & Gorbunov 2000) and is here recorded from China for the first time. It can be recognized by its wide discal spot of the forewing with its short projection into the anterior transparent area, the broad apical area, the blue-metallic hue of the anal area of the hindwing and bright yellow hairs on the hind leg dorsally and the patches of white and blue hairs ventrally, which give the hind leg a chequered appearance.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Melittiini from China. 1. Melittia proxima, ♀, Guangxi Prov. (SCAU). 2. Melittia fulvipes, ♂, Guangxi Prov. (SCAU). 3. Melittia inouei, ♂, Guangdong Prov. (CAK). 4. Macroscelesia perlucida sp. nov., holotype ♂, Guangxi Prov. (SCAU). 5. Macroscelesia vietnamica, ♂, Guangdong Prov. (CAK). 6. M. vietnamica, ♀, same locality (SCAU). 7. M. perlucida sp. nov., holotype ♂, ventral view (SCAU). 8. M. vietnamica, ♂, ventral view (SCAU).