Zoological Studies

Nomenclatural and Systematic Problems Surrounding Eterusia aedea (Linnaeus, 1763) (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae: Chalcosiinae)

Shen-Horn Yen (2004) Nomenclatural and systematic problems surrounding Eterusia aedea (Linnaeus, 1763), a polytypic species comprising 13 subspecies in the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions, were investigated. Until recently, the nominotypical “aedea” was interpreted as representative of populations from temperate China. However, Linnaeus had stated that India was the“type locality”. Examination of Clerck's illustration on which Linnaeus, description was based reveals that true aedea is the color form lepcha Jordan, 1907, of aedea edocla (Doubleday, 1847), which ranges throughout North India to South China. I therefore suggest synonymizing edocla and its synonyms to aedea and redefining the concept of the latter. Eterusia sinica Ménétriés, 1857, long treated as a synonym of aedea aedea, is revived, newly combined with aedea and applied to populations from temperate China. The research histories and perspectives of this species are also discussed.