Ypthima persimilis Elwes & Edwards, 1893

Ding, Cui-Zhen & Lang, Song-Yun, 2025, Notes on Ypthima persimilis Elwes & Edwards and its closely related species (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), Zootaxa 5659 (1), pp. 117-126 : 118

Ypthima persimilis Elwes & Edwards, 1893

( Figs. 1 , 7 , 9A , 10A )

Ypthima persimilis Elwes & Edwards, 1893 , Trans. ent. Soc. Lond. 1893 (1): 3. Type locality (TL): Mao, Manipur.

Material examined. 1 ♂, CHINA, Yunnan, Menghai, Mengsong, Huazhuliangzi , 1700 m, 5.V.2017, leg. Song-yun Lang ( LSY) ; 24 ♂♂ 6 ♀♀, CHINA, Yunnan, Lüchun , 2198–2278 m, 9–25.VIII.2023, legs. Lang Yi & Song-yun Lang ( LSY) ; 1 ♂, CHINA, Yunnan, Yuanjiang, Yangjie , 2000 m, 29.VIII.2023, leg. Song-yun Lang ( LSY) ; 4 ♂♂, CHINA, Yunnan, Jingdong, Lomeshu , 2000 m, 3.IX.2023, legs. Hou Jiang & Song-yun Lang ( LSY) ; 1 ♂ 2 ♀♀, CHINA, Yunnan, Fengqing, Yongxin , 1500–1800 m, 7.IX.2023, legs. Hou Jiang & Song-yun Lang ( LSY) ; 2 ♂♂, CHINA, Yunnan, Lushui, Gutanhe , 2150 m, 10.IX.2023, leg. Song-yun Lang ( LSY) ; 2 ♂♂, CHINA, Yunnan, Lushui , 2100 m, 12.IX.2023, leg. Song-yun Lang ( LSY) .

Diagnosis. Ypthima persimilis can be distinguished from the sympatric Y. atra by the combination of the following characters: 1) on the underside, the striation is more yellowish brown, whereas it is less yellowish but more darkish brown in Y. atra ; 2) the laminae of androconia ( Fig. 10A ) are elongated and bottle-shape, whereas those are obviously shorter and nearly triangular in Y. atra ( Fig. 10B ); 3) in the male genitalia, the dorsal lobe of valva ( Fig. 9A ) is acute, whereas it is broad and round in Y. atra ( Fig. 9B ).

Remarks. 1) Cantlie & Norman (1959) already pointed out that the clasp (= valva) of Ypthima persimilis (Cantlie & Norman, 1959: text-fig. 10) has a right-angled shoulder (= the dorsal lobe of valva) whereas the shoulder of Y. atra is round (Cantlie & Norman, 1959: text-fig. 9), and therefore they described the latter as a distinct species. 2) Eliot (1967) said that androconia are with bottle-shaped bases in Y. persimilis and with triangular bases in Y. atra . A more accurate description of their androconia should be that the lamina of Y. persimilis is more elongated alike a bottle, whereas the lamina of Y. atra is short and nearly triangular. 3) In the key in Uémura (2023b), Y. atra (together with Y. atra taiwana ) was distinguished from Y. persimilis and other similar congeners in sakra -group by the rounded forewing termen, whereas the forewing termen is nearly straight in its congeners. However, after examining more individuals of both species, the shape of the forewing termen is found to be an unstable character, as shown in figs 1 & 2.

Distribution. China (Yunnan), N. Vietnam, N. Laos, Myanmar, N. Thailand, N.E. India.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Male genitalia of Ypthima spp. A. Y. persimilis: a1. Yunnan, Menghai, SATY0620, LSY; a2. Yunnan, Lüchun, SATY1304, LSY; a3. Yunnan, Nanjian, SATY1305, LSY; a4. Yunnan, Lushui, SATY1307, LSY; a5. INDIA, Manipur, after Eliot (1967: f. 8); a6. BHUTAN, after Eliot (1967: f. 13); B. Y. atra: b1. Yunnan, Ximeng, SATY1071, LSY; b2. Hainan, Lingshui, SATY0623, LSY; b3. Guangxi, Jinxiu, SATY1303, LSY; b4. MYANMAR, N’mai Valley, after Eliot (1967: f. 18); b5. INDIA, Manipur, after Eliot (1967: f. 19); b6. Hainan, after Eliot (1967: f. 20); b7. “N.E. BURMA/Yunnan Exped.”, after Eliot (1967: f. 21); C. Y. taiwana stat. rev.: c1. “Y. formosana”, Taiwan, after Takáhashi (2000: f. 54); c2. “Y. formosana”, Taiwan, after Shirôzu & Shima (1979: Pl. 18: f. 2c); c3. “Y. atra taiwana”, Taiwan, Taidong, traced from Hsu et al. (2021: f. 488); c4. “Y. formosana”, Taiwan, after Eliot (1967: f. 16); c5. “Y. formosana”, Taiwan, after Eliot (1967: f. 17); D. Y. luxurians, Zhejiang, Qingyuan, SATY1187, LSY; E. Y. angustipennis: e1. Taiwan, after Takáhashi (2000: f. 55); e2. Taiwan, Taidong, traced from Hsu et al. (2021: f. 490); F. Y. microconjuncta, holotype, Guizhou, Shibing, SATY1308, CMNH.

FIGURE 10. Male androconia of Ypthima spp. A. Y. persimilis: a1. Yunnan, Menghai, ANDR0092, LSY; a2. Yunnan, Lüchun, ANDR0374, LSY; a3. ditto, ANDR0375, LSY; a4. ditto, ANDR0376, LSY; a5. ditto, ANDR0377, LSY; a6. MYANMAR, Kachin, after Uémura (2023b: f. 1m); B. Y. atra: b1. Guangxi, Jinxiu, ANDR0378, LSY; b2. Hainan, Lingshui, ANDR0102, LSY; b3. Hainan, after Uémura (2023b: f. 1k); b4. Yunnan, Ximeng, ANDR0263, LSY; b5. ditto, ANDR0379, LSY; b6. ditto, ANDR0380, LSY; b7. MYANMAR, Kachin, after Uémura (2023b: f. 1l); C. Y. taiwana stat. rev.: c1. “Y. atra taiwana”, Taiwan, after Uémura (2023b: f. 1j); c2. “Y. formosana”, Taiwan, after Takáhashi (2000: f. 51); c3. “Y. formosana”, Taiwan, after Shirôzu & Shima (1979: Pl. 52: f. 2); D. Y. luxurians: d1. Jiangxi, Mt. Wuyi, after Uémura (2023b: f. 1o); d2. Zhejiang, Qingyuan, ANDR0334, LSY; E. Y. angustipennis: e1. Taiwan, after Takáhashi (2000: f. 52); e2. Taiwan, after Uémura (2023b: f. 1p); F. Y. microconjuncta: f1. holotype, Guizhou, Shibing, ANDR0383, CMNH; f2. paratype, ditto, ANDR0384, LSY.

FIGURES 1–6. Ypthima spp., ♂, upperside (left), underside (right). 1. Y. persimilis, Yunnan, Lüchun, ANDR0376, LSY; 2. Y. atra, Yunnan, Ximeng, LSY; 3. Y. taiwana stat. rev., Taiwan, Nantou, ©ZMHU; 4. Y. luxurians, Zhejiang, Qingyuan, ANDR0334, SATY1187, LSY; 5. Y. angustipennis, Taiwan, Nantou, ©ZMHU; 6. Y. microconjuncta, paratype, Guizhou, Shibing, ANDR0384, SATY1312, LSY.

FIGURES7–8.Ypthima spp.,♂,upperside (left), underside (right).7. Y.persimilis:a. Yunnan,Menghai,ANDR0092,SATY0620, LSY; b. Yunnan, Lüchun, ANDR0375, LSY; c. ditto, ANDR0374, SATY1304, LSY; d. Yunnan, Jingdong, SATY1305, LSY; 8. Y. atra: a. Yunnan, Ximeng, LSY; b. ditto, ANDR0379, LSY; c. Guangxi, Jinxiu, ANDR0378, SATY1303, LSY; d. Guangxi, Jinxiu, LSY.