Chelura pica (Wileman, 1910) Huang & Horie & Fan & Wang & Espeland, 2023

Huang, Si-Yao, Horie, Kiyoshi, Fan, Xiao-Ling, Wang, Min & Espeland, Marianne, 2023, A review of the genus Agalope Walker (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae) with taxonomic notes and descriptions of three new genera and three new species, Zootaxa 5284 (2), pp. 291-321 : 304-305

The pica species-group

Diagnosis. The pica species-group can be distinguished from glacialis and dejeani species-groups by the combination of the following characters: 1) The transverse bands are double and slender, the posterior part of the medial band on forewing is situated more or less outwards aligned with the anterior part, while the transverse bands are replaced by a large and broad blackish band in the glacialis species-group and the posterior part of the medial band on the forewing is clearly bent inwards in the dejeani species-group. 2) Blackish marking absent at the distal end of the discal cell on hindwing, similar to the dejeani species-group, while in the glacialis species-group a prominent blackish dot is present. 3) In male genitalia, the posterior tegumenal projection is broader, while narrower in the glacialis and dejeani species-groups.

Remarks. 1) The adults of both sexes and male genitalia of P. basiflava ( Fig. 29, 30 , 79 , 101 ) are illustrated for the first time. Judging from the structure of the posterior tegumenal projection this species should be placed in the P. pica species-group for bearing broad posterior tegumenal projection. 2) When describing Paragalope haoi (S.-Y. Huang, 2022) comb. nov. ( Figs 31, 32 , 80 , 102 , 116 ), Huang et al. (2022) mainly compared the new species with the Taiwanese P. wangi ( Owada, 1992) comb. nov. rather than with P. bieti ( Oberthür, 1886) comb. nov. ( Figs 33–38 , 59 , 81–83 , 103 , 117 ), which is superficially more similar to P. haoi . No material was available at that time and the comparison was only made based on the description of the juxta in Yen et al. (2005) and the picture of the holotype male. In the present study, the male and female genitalia of P. bieti are illustrated for the first time and compared with those of P. haoi in detail. Externally, P. haoi can be distinguished from P. bieti by the smaller size, the somewhat less elongated forewing, the cubital vein on hindwing less dusted with black in both sexes and both wings more whitish in male. In the abdomen and male genitalia, P. haoi can be distinguished from P. bieti by the 8 th abdominal tergite being more trapezoid (nearly oval-shaped in P. bieti ), longer basal branches of the uncus, the narrower and smaller juxta and the somewhat shorter phallus. In the female genitalia, P. haoi can be distinguished from P. bieti by the broader lamella postvaginalis and the signa much strongly sclerotized and covered by somewhat larger spinules. Hence, considering the evidence listed above, we consider P. haoi distinct from P. bieti .

Figures

FIGURES 25–34. Adults of Paragalope gen. n. 25, P. pica, HT, male, Arizan, Taiwan, China, NHMUK014199928 (NHMUK, ©The Trustees of NHMUK); 26, ditto, male, Taroko, Taiwan, China, NHMUK014199926 (NHMUK, ©The Trustees of NHMUK); 27, ditto, female, Taroko, Taiwan, China (TFRI); 28, ditto, female, Wulai, Taiwan, China, ZFMK Lep153363 (ZFMK); 29, P. basiflava, ST, male, Darjiling (Darjeeling), West Bengal, India, NHMUK014200120 (NHMUK, ©The Trustees of NHMUK); 30, ditto, female, Cherrapunji, Meghalaya, India, NHMUK014200171 (NHMUK, ©The Trustees of NHMUK); 31, P. haoi, HT, male, Weixi, China, ZSY220 (CHSY); 32, ditto, PT, female, Weixi, China, ZSY221 (CHSY); 33, P. bieti, HT, male, Ta-Tsien-Lou, Sichuan, China, NHMUK014200119 (NHMUK, ©The Trustees of NHMUK); 34, ditto, female, Menia, Sichuan, China, NHMUK014199951 (NHMUK, ©The Trustees of NHMUK).

FIGURES 76–81. Male genitalia of Paragalope gen. n. spp. Depository: 76: ZFMK; 77: SCAU; 78: ZMH; 79, 81: NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 80: CHSY.

FIGURES 93–107. Eighth tergite of Agalope/Elcysma-related genera. Depository: 93, 94, 100: ZMH; 95, 96, 107: ZFMK; 97, 101, 103: NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 98: SCAU; 99, 102, 105: CHSY; 104: CJF; 106: CSYSU.

FIGURES 115–119. Female genitalia of Paragalope gen. n. and Elcysma spp. Depository: 115, 118, 119: ZFMK; 116: CHSY; 117: NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK).

FIGURES 51–63. Lateral view of the male genitalia of Agalope/Elcysma-related genera. Depository: 51, 52, 58: ZMH; 53, 55, 63: ZFMK; 54, 57, 61: CHSY; 56: SCAU; 59, 60: NHMUK (©The Trustees of NHMUK); 62: CSYSU.