Loepa peggyae bolovena Spitsyn & Spitsyna, 2025

Loepa peggyae bolovena Spitsyn & Spitsyna , ssp. nov.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A34F6A08-1E1D-4F1E-8EE4-DEC70D88411C

Figs 15G–J View Figure 15 , 23E–F View Figure 23

Remarks. Isolated populations of Loepa peggyae Brechlin, 2010 from Bolaven Plateau is described here as a new subspecies, Loepa peggyae bolovena ssp. nov. It represents a highly divergent lineage, which has a minimum COI p -distance of 0.94% from the nominate one. Meanwhile, COI p -distance between the latter and Loepa peggyae hainanensis Brechlin, 2010 is 0.74%. It should be noted that L. peggyae bolovena ssp. nov. and L. peggyae hainanensis occur at higher altitudes (the holotype of L. peggyae hainanensis was collected at an altitude of 1,500 m, whereas the holotype of L. peggyae bolovena ssp. nov. — at an altitude of 1,300 m) compared to the nominate subspecies (150–200 m altitude in Attopu Province). L. peggyae bolovena ssp. nov. has a COI p -distance of 0.94–1.5% from both L. peggyae peggyae and L. peggyae hainanensis .

Type material. Holotype male RMBH Sph 1086 LAOS: Bolaven Plateau, Sekong Province, Thateng town , mountain tropical forest, 15°24'16"N, 106°22'58"E, 21– 25.07.2023, E. Spitsyna & V. Spitsyn leg. GoogleMaps Paratypes RMBH Sph 1085, Sph 1446–1453 LAOS: Bolaven Plateau , Sekong Province, Thateng town , mountain tropical forest, 15°24'16"N, 106°22'58"E, 21– 25.07.2023, E. Spitsyna GoogleMaps & V. Spitsyn leg. – 1♂ ; Bolaven Plateau, Champasak Province, Paksong town , mountain tropical forest and pine plantations, 15°10'54"N, 106°14'25"E, 26– 28.07.2023, E. Spitsyna GoogleMaps & V. Spitsyn leg. – 8♂, 1♀ .

Diagnosis. The new subspecies can easily be distinguished by its restricted range. It differs from the nominate one in the straight saccular margin of the apical part of the valva and the larger bifurcated apex of the uncus. The new subspecies has a COI p -distance of 0.94–1.5% from both L. peggyae peggyae and L. peggyae hainanensis .

Description. Male morphology ( Fig. 15G–I View Figure 15 ): Wingspan 64–74 mm, forewing length 41–45 mm (n = 9). Head yellow with black-brown scales around eyes. Eye black. Antenna quadripectinate, brown. Labial palp short (its length less than one of eye diameter), purple-brown or brown. Thorax yellow. Patagium grey. Tegula yellow, grey basally. Outer surface of legs deep pink-purple, inner surface of ones yellow. Wing colouration typical for Loepa katinka species-group. Abdomen yellow, with one row of brown-purple spots dorsally, two rows of brown-purple spots laterally (two from each side), and two rows of grey spots ventrally. Male genitalia ( Fig. 23E–F View Figure 23 ): Typical for Loepa katinka species-group. Tegumen broad, short. Uncus straight with bifurcated apex. Saccus elongated, U-shaped. Juxta Ushaped. Valva wide with rounded apex; saccular process large. Aedeagus long, straight, with large spine in apical part. Female morphology ( Fig. 15J View Figure 15 ): Wingspan 76 mm, forewing length 41 mm (n = 1). Similar to male, but having significantly wider wings and shorter rami of antennae.

Reference COI barcode sequences. GenBank acc. no. PV069492, PV069493.

Distribution. Endemic to Bolaven Plateau ( Laos).

Etymology. The name of the new subspecies is derived from its type locality, Bolaven Plateau.