Aemene taprobanis Walker 1854
Creators: name: Volynkin, Anton V.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Erebidae
Aemene
Aemene taprobanis

description: Aemene taprobanis Walker, 1854
(Figs 9–11, 20, 21, 28)
Aemene taprobanis Walker, 1854, List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum, 2: 542 (Type locality: [Sri Lanka] “Ceylon”).
= Panassa cingalesa Walker, 1865, List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum, 32: 607 (Type locality: [Sri Lanka] “Ceylon”).
= Autoceras grammophora Felder, in Felder & Rogenhofer, 1874, Reise der österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857, 1858, 1859 unter den Behilfen des Commodore B. von Wüllerstorf-Urbair. Zoologischer Theil, 2 (2): pl. 106, fig. 24; 1875, Erklärung der Taf. LXXV–CVII: 2 (Type locality: [Sri Lanka] “Ceylon”).
Type material examined. Lectotype of Aemene taprobanis (hereby designated) (Figs 9, 20): male, “ Ceylon, R. Templeton, 52-62” / “1. Aemene taprobanis.” / green ring “Type” label / blue label “ Arctiidae genitalia slide No. 5249 ♂ ” / QR-code label with unique number: “ NHMUK 010598056” (NHMUK); lectotype of Panassa cingalesa (hereby designated) (Fig. 10): female, “Genus Panassa ” / “ Panassa cingalesa ” / green ring “Type” label / “63-37” / QR-code label with unique number: “ NHMUK 010598057” (NHMUK); lectotype of Autoceras grammophora (hereby designated) (Fig. 11): female, “327 Nudaria Ceylon ” / “Nudaria bxi muronia Ceylon ” / “ Autoceras gramophora N. i. l.” / “ grammophora n.” / “Felder Colln.” / red ring “Type” label / “Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1” / QR-code label with unique number: “ NHMUK 010598058” (NHMUK).
Additional material examined. SRI LANKA: 1 male, 1 female, Sri Lanka centralis, Candy env., 7°13´16.86´´N 80°15´45.42´´E, female 7–22.II.1998, leg. K. Černý, gen. prep. Nos.: AV5380 (male), AV5381 (female) (prepared by Volynkin) (CKC); 1 male, Punduloya, Ceylon, V. [18]97 / Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1, unique number: NHMUK010606114 (NHMUK); 1 female, Maskeliya, Ceylon, IX. / 1907-374, unique number: NHMUK010606115 (NHMUK).
Diagnosis. The forewing length is 9.5–10.5 mm in males and 12–13 mm in females. The detailed comparison with A. sinuata and A. likiangensis is provided below in the diagnoses of these species.
Distribution. The species is known from Sri Lanka. The record from western and southern India (Maharashtra, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu) (Kirti & Singh 2016) may belong to A. sinuata and require confirmation by examination of genitalia structures. The records from North and Northeast India (Hampson 1900; Kirti & Singh 2016) belong to A. sinuata. The record from Nepal (Kishida 1994) belongs to A. sordida. The records from Sichuan and Xizang (Fang 2000) probably belong to A. sinuata or A. likiangensis and require further clarification.
description: Published as part of Volynkin, Anton V., 2021, Three new species of the genus Aemene Walker (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae) from the Himalayas, pp. 533-546 in Zootaxa 5068 (4) on page 539, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5068.4.4, http://zenodo.org/record/5709584