Euthalia bellula uedai Yokochi, 2009

Euthalia bellula uedai Yokochi, 2009 stat. rev.

Figs. 1–5 View FIGURES 1–7 , 50–52 View FIGURES 50–55 , 67 View FIGURES 66–68

Euthalia (Limbusa) bellula uedai Yokochi, 2009: 20 , figs. 1–4, 8.

Material examined. Holotype of Euthalia (Limbusa) bellula uedai : male, printed label “ 20. Jul. 2006 | Chudu Razi | (Mt. Range) | 30miles west of | Kawanglangpu | E. Kachin | MYANMAR | Coll. T. Yokochi.” / printed red label “HOLOTYPE | uedai | Yokochi, 2009 ” ( KMNH) . CHINA: 1 male, 6.VIII.2021, Gongshan County, Yunnan Province, leg. Si-yao Huang, genitalia dissection No. NJEU1 ( CHSY); 1 male, 1 female, same data, but 4.VIII.2021, genitalia dissection No. NJEU2 (male) ( CHSY); 1 male, same data, but 5.VIII.2021, genitalia dissection No. NJEU3 ( CHSY); 1 female, 2.VIII.2021, Bingzhongluo, Gongshan County , Yunnan Province, leg. Si-yao Huang ( CHSY).

Discussion. Taxon uedai was originally described as a subspecies of E. bellula Yokochi, 2005 from Kachin State, NE Myanmar ( Yokochi 2009). Later, Yokochi (2012) synonymized this taxon with E. monbeigi . In 2021, a series of specimens of both sexes of this taxon were collected by the first author in his field survey in Nujiang valley, and the exmination of the wing pattern as well as the male genitalia reveals that uedai is in fact a bona taxon, differing from its related congeners, e.g. E. bellula , E. monbeigi and E. yunnanica by the combination of the following characters: 1) the patches in spaces 4–6 in the medial band on forewing upperside are distinctly longer, especially in male; 2) the patch in space 6 in the medial band on forewing upperside is more oval-shaped, while in its congeners such patch is more rectangular; 3) the discal band on hindwing is much broader than E. bellula and 4) in male genitalia, the valva is distinctly longer (the male genitalia of the true E. bellula is unknown, see below). Since the male genitalia of the true E. bellula from North Laos is unknown, we temporarily still treated the taxon uedai as a valid subspecies of it, viz. E. bellula uedai stat. rev.

Remarks. It is worth noting that the status of E. bellula is unclear. This taxon was originally described as a subspecies of E. duda based upon a series of specimens from Laos and Vietnam, and later raised to specific rank by Yokochi (2009). The type locality of E. bellula is Xam Neua, North Laos, but the male genitalia illustrated by Yokochi (2009, 2012) were from Vietnamese population, while those of the Laotian population are still unknown. Superficially, the Vietnamese population differs from Laotian population by the broader hindwing discal band, suggesting the possiblity that Vietnamese population represents a different species. For exactly the same reason, it is possible that the taxon uedai, which also bears a broader hindwing discal band, should be treated as a distinct species. To clarify both issues, the examination of the male genitalia of E. bellula from its type locality is necessary.

Biology. In China, Euthalia bellula uedai is observed on wing from July to August, and can be found puddling on wet soil ( Fig. 67 View FIGURES 66–68 ) in dense forest at the altitude around 2700 m ( Fig. 68 View FIGURES 66–68 ).

Distribution. Southwest China (West Yunnan, along Nujiang valley from Gongshan to Fugong), and Northeast Myanmar (Kachin State) ( Fig. 66 View FIGURES 66–68 )