Nokona semidiaphana Zukowsky 1929
Creators: name: Kallies, Axel
name: Arita, Yutaka
name: Owada, Mamoru
name: Wu, Guo-Yi
name: Wang, Min
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2014
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Sesiidae
Nokona
Nokona semidiaphana

description: Nokona semidiaphana (Zukowsky, 1929)
(Figs 19, 20, 35)
Material examined. Holotype. ♂ “24. P. semidiaphana ” / “24” [Mahn tsi shan [sic] 25.VII.1915] (Prov. Guangdon, E Nanling, between rivers Si Kiang and Yangste) (Gen. Prep. AK157) (MNHB). Additional Material. 1♂, Prov. Guandong, Shaoguang, Nanling, 600 m, 2–6.VII.2012 (Fig. 19, CAK); 1♀, same locality, 24.VII.2004 (Fig. 20, NSMT).
This species was known only from the type material and was redescribed in detail by Kallies (2007). We here only give a diagnosis and figure a female, which may belong to this species.
Diagnosis. This species is similar to and appears to be closely related to N. actinidiae. N. semidiaphana differs from this species by the somewhat smaller size (alar expanse 29–30 mm; 32–37 mm in N. actinidiae), the slimmer body, the thinner antennae, the shape and color of the anal tuft (longer, without the yellow tipped scales laterally; shorter, some of the black scales with yellow tips in N. actinidiae), the color of the frons (black, bright white laterally; dark grey, light grey laterally N. actinidiae), the color of the abdomen (tergite 1 velvet black, somewhat rough scaled, other tergites smooth black, if present pale yellow posterior border of tergite 4 narrow and of equal width as the one of tergite 1, sternite 4 with distinct yellow border; in N. actinidiae with tergite 1 smooth, black, yellow posterior border of tergite 4 typically broader than the one at tergite 1, sternite 4 usually without yellow border), the broader outer margin of the hindwing. Both species also differ in the male genitalia (without the subapical teeth of the phallus in N. semidiaphana).
N. semidiaphana is also similar to some forms of the N. pernix species complex, including N. chrysoidea. It differs by the larger size (alar expanse 29–30 mm; alar expanse 26–29 mm in N. chrysoidea), the heavier built, the structure and color of the anal tuft (long, with yellow scales that divide it into two parts which appear triangular from lateral view; shorter, not divided by yellow scales, appearing fan-like or triangular from dorsal view, most scales with a white tip in N. chrysoidea). Importantly, species of the N. pernix complex have distinctly different genitalia (valva broad, not distinctly tapering toward apex, without medial row of hand-shaped setae in N. semidiaphana; valva narrow, tapering toward apex, with medial row of hand-shaped setae in species of the N. pernix complex).
Remarks. Arita (2011) figured a specimen under N. semidiaphana; however, this record related to a representative of the N. chrysoidea species complex. A female (Fig. 20) is here tentatively assigned to N. semidiaphana; however, with 42 mm alar expanse it is exceptionally large and more material is required to strengthen this association.
description: Published as part of Kallies, Axel, Arita, Yutaka, Owada, Mamoru, Wu, Guo-Yi & Wang, Min, 2014, The Paranthrenini of Mainland China (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae), pp. 185-206 in Zootaxa 3811 (2) on page 194, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3811.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/229506