Here, the taxonomy of the genus Rhagastis Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae, Macroglossinae, Macroglossini) from China is revised based on differences in wing morphology, male and female genitalia, and the phylogenetic relationship of the DNA barcodes. Subspecies of Rhagastis albomarginatus (Rothschild, 1894) and R. castor (Walker, 1856) are treated as “good” species, namely Rhagastis dichroae Mell, 1922 stat. nov.; R. everetti Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 stat. nov.; R. aurifera (Butler, 1875) stat. rev.; R. chinensis Mell, 1922 stat. nov.; R. formosana Clark, 1925 stat. nov.; and R. jordani Oberthür, 1904 stat. rev. The distribution maps, biological notes, and ecological records of the genus Rhagastis Rothschild & Jordan, 1903 from China are given, and a species inventory of genus Rhagastis in the world is also included.
Pierid species of the Aporia agathon group are among the largest Sino-Himalayan members of genus Aporia, with four conventionally recognised species, namely A. agathon, A. largeteaui, A. gigantea, and A. lemoulti. Recent publications indicated that some of these species may contain more than one species despite their similar morphological characters. The present research analysed this group of butterflies using mitogenomic data, and proved that A. japfuensis stat. nov., A. bifurcata stat. nov., A. moltrechti reinst. stat., A. kuangtungensis stat. nov. and A. omotoi stat. nov. should be recognised as distinct species, while lemoultistat. rev., gigantea stat. nov. and fanjinensis stat. rev. should be subspecies of A. largeteaui. Two new subspecies, namely A. kuangtungensis yufeii ssp. nov. and A. kuangtungensis josephi ssp. nov. were described. Illustrations of specimens and male and female genitalia of each taxon were provided in this article with an updated classification system. Variable melanism and yellow tinge are two major factors causing historical taxonomic confusion; thus, such characters should be less crucial for this species group. Future research is still necessary to elucidate the evolutionary history of these species along with other Aporia taxa, as well as the mechanism of variable melanism and yellow coloration.
The two species currently included in the genus Pseudodolbina Rothschild, 1894, Pseudodolbina fo (Walker, 1856) and Pseudodolbina aequalis Rothschild & Jordan, 1903, were studied and a new species, Pseudodolbina yunnana sp. nov., was described from Yunnan, China. The diagnostic features and a distribution map of three species are provided, with a phylogenetic analysis based on DNA barcodes.
A new species of the genus Lemaireia Nassig & Holloway, 1988 (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae: Saturniinae: Saturniini), L. daparo sp. n., is described from evergreen broad-leaf forests in Panzhihua (Sichuan), Qujing (Yunnan) and Dali (Yunnan) of China. The new species resembles L. luteopeplus aureopeplus Nassig & Holloway, 1988 and L. hainana Nassig & Wang, 2006 from China, but can be easily separated from them by the male genitalia. In addition, the genus Lemaireia is reported here for the first time from Sichuan Province, and now its distribution range reached the northeastern extreme point. The habitus, diagnostic characters and distribution map of the three species of the genus Lemaireia from China are provided. A list of all Lemaireia species presently known worldwide is also given.
The taxonomy of genus Ambulyx Westwood, 1847 from China is reviewed based on analysis of wing morphology, male and female genitalia and phylogenetic relationships derived from DNA barcodes. A new species, Ambulyx wukong sp. nov. is described from NW Yunnan, China. A male of the rare species, A. zhejiangensis from Yintiaoling Nature Reserve, Chongqing, China is examined and its male genitalia illustrated for the first time. Two taxa are newly recorded from China, A. tattina tattina from Xishuangbanna, Yunnan, and A. semiplacida montana from Pingbian, Yunnan. Distribution maps, biological notes, and ecological records are also given.
The two species of the genus Eurypteryx C. Felder & R. Felder, 1874 known from China, E. bhaga and E. dianae (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae, Macroglossinae, Macroglossini) were examined and compared with E. geoffreyi from Thailand. The male E. dianae is described for the first time based on a single specimen from an evergreen broad-leaf forest in Maolan Nature Reserve, Libo, Guizhou, China. The diagnostic features and a distribution map of the species of Eurypteryx in China are provided. A list of all Eurypteryx species presently known worldwide is also given.