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Vol. 47 No. 2, 2008
On the Discovery of Hasora mixta limata ssp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Coeliadinae) from Lanyu, Taiwan, with Observations of Its Unusual Immature Biology
Yu-Feng Hsu1,* and Hang-Chi Huang2
1Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei 116, Taiwan
2Butterfly
Conservation Society of Taiwan, N. 19, Lane 103, Wancyuan St., Datong
District, Taipei 103, Taiwan. Tel: 886-2-28263321.
E-mail:maraho@sotac.com.tw
Yu-Feng Hsu and Hang-Chi Huang (2008) A fairly large skipper, Hasora mixta,
was discovered on Lanyu (Orchid I.), off the southeastern coast of
Taiwan. Samples of this species from Lanyu were compared with
those from other regions, revealing that the wing pattern and male
genitalia consistently differ from those of other subspecies, and this
is herein described as H. mixta limata,
ssp. nov. This skipper is crepuscular or on the wing under cloudy
conditions. An investigation of the immature biology of H. mixta limata revealed
that it demonstrates an oviposition behavior unusual in skippers, in
that it conceals its ova between leaflets of its larval host with
spumaline. The papillae anales of the female genitalia are
modified so that they can insert ova into tightly attached leaflets of
young buds. The specific larval host of H. mixta limata is a legume that requires taxonomic clarification.
Key words: New subspecies, Immature biology, Ovum concealment, Philippines.
*Correspondence: Tel: 886-2-29326234 ext. 338. Fax: 886-2-29312904. E-mail:t43018@ntnu.edu.tw
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