Halpe hsuyufengi Xue & M Li, 2025

Xue, Guo-Xi, Li, Meng, Liu, Zhi-Fa, Li, Jia-Ling & Wang, Hong-Min, 2025, Description of two new cryptic species related to Halpe gamma Evans, 1937 from China (Hesperiidae, Hesperiinae), Zootaxa 5660 (2), pp. 279-289 : 285-288

Halpe hsuyufengi Xue & M Li , sp. nov.

( Fig. 2 : C–F, Fig. 3 : C–H, Fig. 6 , Fig. 7 : C–F, Fig. 8 : C–H)

Type material. HOLOTYPE ♂: Shengtangshan , Jinxiu, Guangxi, China, 29.VI.2016, leg. Xue Guo-Xi [Specimen ID A 34, Genitalia No. GXST1 ].

PARATYPES. The same locality as the holotype, leg. Wang Chun-Hao: 1♂, 14.VI.2015 [Specimen ID A33 , Genitalia No. GXST4 ] ; 1♀, 13.VI.2015 [Specimen ID B6 , Genitalia No. GXST5 ]. Nanling National Nature Reserve , 1000 m, Ruyuan, Guangdong, China, leg. Xue Guo-Xi & Li Fang : 4♂♂, 26.VI.2024 [Specimen ID E30 , Genitalia No. GD63 ], 27.VI.2024 [Specimen ID E29 , Genitalia No. GD62 ], 15.VII.2023 [Specimen ID B87 , Genitalia No. GD35 ] , 15.VII.2023 [Specimen ID B103 , Genitalia No. GD36 ] ; 5♀♀, 18.VII.2023 [Specimen ID B81 , Genitalia No. GD22 ] , 14.VII.2023 [Specimen ID B82 , Genitalia No. GD21 ] , 14.VII.2023 [Specimen ID B83 , Genitalia No. GD20 ] , 14.VII.2023 [Specimen ID B84 , Genitalia No. GD19 ] , 16.VII.2023 [Specimen ID B100 , Genitalia No. GD18 ] .

Diagnosis. In the male of this new species, on the dorsal side of the forewing there is a tiny dot in space R 3, and the spot in space CuA 1 is close to the lower cell spot and partly overlapped with the spot in space M 3. These characters make Halpe hsuyufengi sp. nov. easily distinguishable from H. gamma but externally similar to H. inayoshii sp. nov. However, the lower cell spot in H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. is elongated toward wing base, nearly twice as long as the upper one, while in H. inayoshii sp. nov. the lower cell spot is a little longer than the upper one.

In the female of Halpe hsuyufengi sp. nov., the following individual variability on the dorsal side of the forewing can be noticed: in some specimens the spot in space R 3 is absent, the upper cell spot maybe normal or elongated, the lower cell spot is sometimes vestigial but in some individuals it is well developed, the spot in space CuA 1 maybe away from the lower cell spot or close to the latter, the spot in the lower half of space CuA 2 is sometimes present. Therefore, it is hard to distinguish the females of Halpe gamma , H. inayoshii sp. nov. and H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. by wing patterns alone.

In the male genitalia of this new species, the direction of the distal branch of the valva ( Fig. 6 : B), the thickness of the lateral processes of the tegumen ( Fig. 6 : G) and the shape of the aedeagus in lateral view ( Fig. 6 : I, K) are similar to those of Halpe inayoshii sp. nov., differing to those of H. gamma in the same way. However, H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. can be distinguished from H. inayoshii sp. nov. by the smaller proximal branch of the valva and the more prominently serrated edges of the footstalks ( Fig. 6 : D, E; Fig. 5 : E, F).

In the female genitalia of H. hsuyufengi sp. nov., the two inner branches of the lamella antevaginalis are variable in thickness and shape ( Fig. 8 : C–H), but they are obviously longer than those of H. inayoshii sp. nov. and H. gamma . In addition, the lamella postvaginalis of H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. is almost twice the length of those of H. inayoshii sp. nov. and H. gamma .

Distribution. Jinxiu (central-eastern Guangxi), Ruyuan (northern Guangdong).

Etymology. The new species is named after Prof. Hsu Yu-Feng (National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei) for his kind help in the first author’s study on Hesperiidae .

Figures

FIGURE 2. Male adults of Halpe. A. H. gamma [Specimen ID E108, Genitalia No. TW2]. B. Holotype of H. inayoshii sp. nov. [Specimen ID B98, Genitalia No. WZS41]. C–E. Paratypes of H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. C. Specimen ID E30, Genitalia No. GD63. D. Specimen ID B87, Genitalia No. GD35. E. Specimen ID A33, Genitalia No. GXST4. F. Holotype of H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. [Specimen ID A34, Genitalia No. GXST1]. d. dorsal side. v. ventral side. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURE 3. Female adults of Halpe. A. H. gamma (from Hsu et al. 2019: pl. 9, fig. 71). B. Paratype of H. inayoshii sp. nov. [Specimen ID A80, Genitalia No. WZS11]. C–H. Paratypes of H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. C. Specimen ID B6, Genitalia No. GXST5. D. Specimen ID B84, Genitalia No. GD19. E. Specimen ID B81, Genitalia No. GD22. F. Specimen ID B100, Genitalia No. GD18. G. Specimen ID B82, Genitalia No. GD21. H. Specimen ID B83, Genitalia No. GD20. d. dorsal side. v. ventral side. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURE 5. Male genitalia of Halpe inayoshii sp. nov. [Holotype] A. genital capsule, dorsal view. B. ditto, ventral view. C. ditto, lateral view. D. ditto, dorsal view, ring removed. E. right valva, dorsal view. F. left valva, dorsal view. G. ring, lateral view. H. lateral process of tegumen, oblique view. I. uncus and tegumen, dorsal view. J. ditto, ventral view. K. aedeagus, left side. L. ditto, dorsal view. M. ditto, right side. N. ditto, ventral side. O. juxta.

FIGURE 6. Male genitalia of Halpe hsuyufengi sp. nov. [Holotype] A. genital capsule, dorsal view. B. ditto, lateral view. C. ditto, dorsal view, ring removed. D. ditto, left side, oblique view. E. ditto, right side, oblique view. F. uncus and tegumen, ventral view. G. lateral process of tegumen, oblique view. H. juxta. I. aedeagus, left side. J. ditto, dorsal view. K. ditto, right side. L. left side of distal aedeagus, enlarged.

FIGURE 7. Female genitalia of Halpe in ventral view. A. H. gamma (from Hsu et al. 2019: pl. 45, fig. 254). B. H. inayoshii sp. nov. [Paratype]. C–F. H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. C. Specimen ID B81, Genitalia No. GD22. D. Specimen ID B84, Genitalia No. GD19. E. Specimen ID B83, Genitalia No. GD20. F. Specimen ID B6, Genitalia No. GXST5.

FIGURE 8. Lamella antevaginalis and lamella postvaginalis of the female genitalia of Halpe in ventral view, enlarged. A. H. gamma (from Hsu et al. 2019: pl. 45, fig. 254). B. H. inayoshii sp. nov. [Paratype]. C–H. H. hsuyufengi sp. nov. C. Specimen ID B83, Genitalia No. GD20. D. Specimen ID B81, Genitalia No. GD22. E. Specimen ID B84, Genitalia No. GD19. F. Specimen ID B100, Genitalia No. GD18. G. Specimen ID B82, Genitalia No. GD21. H. Specimen ID B6, Genitalia No. GXST5. la. lamella antevaginalis. lp. lamella postvaginalis.