The genus Ptilophora (Lepidoptera, Notodontidae) in China, with description of a new species

Wang Min,Guohua Huang,Liusheng Chen

doi:10.3897/zookeys.61.494

Abstract

The genus Ptilophora Stephens in China is briefly reviewed, with the description of Ptilophora nanlingensis sp. n. The new species is most similar to Ptilophora horieaurea in wing pattern and to Ptilophora jezoensis in male genitalia, but they can be distinguished from each other by the following characters: forewing bright reddish brown in Ptilophora nanlingensis, chestnut brown in Ptilophora horieaurea; costa of male genitalia pointed, with a rounded subapical process ventrally in Ptilophora jezoensis, costa rounded, with apex inflated, and with pointed subapical process ventrally in Ptilophora nanlingensis. A key to the Ptilophora species from China and adjacent areas is presented and a distribution map is given. The holotype of the new species is deposited in the Department of Entomology, South China Agricultural University, P. R. China.

Highlights

The notodontid genus Ptilophora was established by Stephens in 1828 with Phalaena variegata Villers, 1789 as its type species
Three species of the genus are restricted to China, P. rufula from Taiwan, and P. ala and P. horieaurea from mainland China
Schintlmeister and Fang (2001) described P. jezoensis ala as a new subspecies of P. jezoensis in Shaanxi Province; later, Kishida and Kobayashi (2002) revised the genus Ptilophora, divided the species into two species-groups: plumigera group and jezoensis group, and described two new species belonging to the jezoensis group from South West China: P. horieaurea Kishida and Kobayashi, 2002 and P. fuscior Kishida & Kobayashi, 2002

Summary

Introduction

The notodontid genus Ptilophora was established by Stephens in 1828 with Phalaena variegata Villers, 1789 as its type species. Adults of Ptilophora species emerge in late autumn. Schintlmeister and Fang (2001) described P. jezoensis ala as a new subspecies of P. jezoensis in Shaanxi Province; later, Kishida and Kobayashi (2002) revised the genus Ptilophora, divided the species into two species-groups: plumigera group and jezoensis group, and described two new species belonging to the jezoensis group from South West China: P. horieaurea Kishida and Kobayashi, 2002 and P. fuscior Kishida & Kobayashi, 2002.

Results

Conclusion