Euthalia yunnanica Koiwaya, 1996

Euthalia yunnanica Koiwaya, 1996

Figs. 11–14 View FIGURES 8–14 , 54, 55 View FIGURES 50–55

Euthalia insulae yunnanica Koiwaya, 1996: 244 , figs. 1055–1057, 1068, 1069, 1363

Euthalia alpherakyi yunnanica : Lang 2012: 236, plate XXII, fig. 16

Euthalia yunnanica : Yokochi 2012: 17, figs. 114, 469, 470.

Material examined. Holotype of Euthalia insulae yunnanica : male, printed label “2008830IR0019” / printed red label “ Holotype ” / printed label “[ China] | Zhongdian | N. Yunnan | vi. 1995.” / handwritten yellow label “Eu. 73” / printed yellow label “ ×ギタニイナK̚ | Euthalia insulae yunnanica ” / printed yellow label “ Koiwaya S. | Collection | KMNH 2005 | 0308355” / handwritten label “95.6 中¤ ȊOE ” ( KMNH) ; 1 male, altitude 3000 m, VI-VII. 2021, Weideng Town, Weixi County, Yunnan Province, China, leg. native collector, genitalia dissection No. YNEU1 ( CHSY, ex coll. CLD); 1 male, 20.VII.2018, Tacheng , Weixi County , Yunnan, China, genitalia dissection No. YNEU2 ( SCAU).

Discussion. Taxon yunnanica was originally described as a subspecies of E. insulae Hall, 1930 from Taiwan Island and subsequently transferred under E. alpherakyi Oberthür, 1907 as a subspecies ( Lang 2012). Shortly afterwards this taxon was raised to species rank by Yokochi (2012). In the current study, we found that the wing pattern and the male genitalia of E. yunnanica are very similar to those of E. monbeigi , suggesting a close relationship between them. Geographically, E. monbeigi is only known from a restricted area around its type locality, Tsekou (near Cizhong Village in Deqin County), while typical E. yunnanica is currently known more southwards and eastwards in Zhongdian, Lijiang and Weixi, and no sympatric record was ever reported. It is possible that the two taxa are conspecific and E. yunnanica should be downgraded as a subspecies of E. monbeigi or even synonymized with it. However due to the rarity of E. monbeigi , we leave the formal treatment to the future when more material of E. monbeigi becomes available. It is also worth noting that the male, illustrated in plate XXII, figure 16 in Lang (2012) as E. alpherakyi yunnanica , is the misidentification of E. staudingeri yunnana Oberthür, 1907 .

Distribution. Northwest and North Yunnan (Zhongdian, Lijiang & Weixi), Southwest China ( Fig. 66 View FIGURES 66–68 ).