Oberthueria lunwan Zolotuhin & Xing Wang

Zolotuhin, Vadim V. & Wang, Xing, 2013, A taxonomic review of Oberthueria Kirby, 1892 (Lepidoptera, Bombycidae: Oberthuerinae) with description of three new species, Zootaxa 3693 (4), pp. 465-478 : 475-476

Oberthueria lunwan Zolotuhin & Xing Wang , sp. nov.

Type material. Holotype: ♂, “ China / Yunnan prov. (NW) | Dali Bai autonom pref., Yunlong | county, Fengshuining –Mts., 2460 m | ---- 13 km N of Coajian---- | 10. - 20. V. 1999, 25 ˚46’N/99˚06’E | leg./ex. coll. Dr. R. Brechlin” (MWM); Genital-slide MWM Nr 18.279. Paratypes: ♂, same data (MWM); ♂, China, NW Yunnan, Gaoligong Mt, Tenchong, ca 3.000 m, VI 1999, leg. Wang & Li (MWM); ♂, China, NW Yunnan, Lijiang/ Zhongdian, near Tuguancun, N2729.700’, E9953.700’, 24–25.v.2012, 3200 m, leg. Floriani (coll. Floriani, Milan, Italy). ♂, Myanmar (NE), Kachin state, Chinese borderline, Kanphant village, N26˚8’51,2”, E98˚34’58,2”, 1642 m, 24.V 2006, at village lights, leg. S. Naumann, S. Löffler & M. Lander (SMFL).

Description. Another large species (Figs 18–20) being the western equivalent of O. formosibia . These species are very similar externally, with distinct contrasted pattern, strongly serrate wing margin, and falcate part of the fore wing. Ground colour of the new species has dominant dark yellow colours more than pinkish or chestnut. Postmedian in the fore wing distinct. Females unknown so far.

Male genitalia (Fig. 27). Very atypical for the genus because valvae are almost symmetrical and right harpe is not developed (from three preparations examined). Uncus lobes curved apically, lyre-shaped; valvae short and broad with narrow apical spur robust. Aedeagus longer than in other species, with larger brush of cornuti.

Diagnosis. This is probably the sister-species of O. formosibia , strongly resembling it in general appearance, the new species is more yellowish, with less contrasting pattern; there is a distinct bifurcate tail (absent in taiwanese species) in the hind wing. Concave postmedial fascia of the fore wing also distinguishes the species fom allopatric O. yandu and O. jiatongae . The species is quite unique judging by male genitalia characters.

Bionomics. High montane species known from the altitudes of 1600–3200 m, and collected only in May and June. Most probably, it produces a second generation in?August. Moths were collected in deep mountain valley in severely destroyed and therefore sparse secondary forest (Figs 32–33).

Distribution ( Fig. 34 ). The species is known so far only from Yunnan and neighboring territory of NE Myanmar.

Comments. Lunwan (Chinese) —the mystic King of Dragos.

Discussion

The five species of the genus were analyzed for the 5’terminus of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxydase I (COI) gene including the standard 648 bp ( Fig. 35 ), and specific status of all is confirmed by morphometrical analysis. Intrapopulational variation is smaller than 0.2%, distances to the closest related species is here about 1.2– 1.5%,which is usually interpreted as typical for young species pairs. The most strongly supported genetic species, falcigera and formosibia , are both insular endemics. It can be supposed, that a centre of origin for the genus was mountains of South China, from there ancestral form(s) evolved eastwards and northwards reaching broad-leaved forest of Manchuria on the north and coastal line of the Chinese plain on the east. In the Pleistocene they penetrated Japanese and Taiwanese peninsulars via land bridges, and their further evolution, with forthcoming increase of ocean level, took place under insular isolation. Such zoogeographic boundaries were not so strong on the continent, except mountain regions, therefore here, especially in lowland territories, species are more closely related and their separation is still sometimes problematic. The status of lowland and lower altitudinal populations of Guangdong still need more detailed and finer examination using molecular data and will be hopefully defined later.

Figures

FIGURE 34. Maps of distributions.

FIGURE 35. Dendrogramm of the genus based on 5 ’ terminus of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxydase I (COI) gene with distance model Kimura 2 Parameter.