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A new species of the genus Phthorarcha Meyrick, 1892 is described from Gansu of China: Phthorarcha pallidia Xian & Jiang, sp. nov. Diagnosis of the new species is provided; illustrations of external features and male genitalia of the new species are also presented.

Pan, Zhaohui, Xian, Chunlan, Han, Hongxiang (2022): Two new species of the genus Comibaena Hübner, 1823 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from China. Zootaxa 5190 (1): 147-150, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5190.1.8

Chinese Larentiinae is exceptionally rich in species since it spans the Palearctic realm and the Oriental realm, comprising 715 species belonging to 130 genera. Among them, nearly half species are endemic. This taxon is considered an ideal object for the study of endemic patterns. In this study, parsimony analysis of endemicity was used to delineate areas of endemisms (AOEs), and track compatibility analysis (TCA) was used to perform the TCA. Eight AOEs were supported. Except for five AOEs around the Qinghai-Tibet plateau (QTP), two AOEs from northern China and Taiwan islands were found. Twenty-two generalized tracks were obtained from the combination of the track analysis and the AOEs. The uplift of the QTP was assumed to greatly influence these endemic patterns, presented an appearance of highly centralized endemism and diversity in the eastern and southern edges of the QTP. And the AOE of Mt. Hengduan was considered as a major center of development through recent geological history, where strong evolutionary radiation might have taken place, resulting in the migration routes described by the generalized tracks from this center to various regions in various directions.

The Himalaya, Hengduan, and Qinling mountains are very important mountain systems in China. Because they are geographically adjacent, species distributed in these three mountains usually have close relationships, but species/populations distributed in the first two mountain systems have higher genetic diversity and more complex phylogenetic structures than those found in the Qinling Mountains. In this study, we used molecular and morphological methods to explore the phylogeographical structure, species differentiation, and evolutionary history of the Biston falcata species group, which is widely distributed in the Himalaya, Hengduan, and Qinling mountains. Five species were identified; B. quercii is distributed in the Qinling Mountains and its adjacent areas, and the other four species are mainly distributed in the Himalaya and Hengduan Mountains. Four gradual species differentiation events occurred at approximately 3.07, 1.75, 1.50, and 1.30 Ma, corresponding to the stage with strong geological movements of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau. The low land between the Qinling and the northern Hengduan Mountains, the Sichuan Basin, the low land between the eastern and central Himalaya Mountains and the Mekong‐Salween Divide are four geographical barriers that resulted in multiple speciations. In addition, long‐range dispersal as another mechanism for speciation is non‐negligible. In spite of failing to confirm the ancestral area, our study provided direct evidence of the speciation induced by the geographical barriers and adaptation to the plateau.

The traditional vast marine environment data acquisition and processing are usually independent and presented in a numerical way, which is not good for the intuitive and quick use of the ordinary end-users. Due to this, based on the point data of the environmental data field of marine 3D space, we carry out 3D visualization to the complex and changeable marine environment, and key feature information, to turn the complex and single marine environment data into easily understandable 3D graphics. Combining with different task-assistant decision algorithms, end-users can abandon the traditional decision-making methods of checking forms and reading data, which realized the assistant decision in terms of underwater navigation safety assessment, navigation path planning and trail control, and effectively improved the global analysis and judgment and scientific decision-making ability of end-users in complex dynamic environment, forming the optimal behavioral decision-making scheme that matches with the specific task.

In some cases, the phylogenetic analysis based on the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) and the nuclear DNA (ncDNA) are discordant. There are three major causes of the discordance within insects, including hybridization, incomplete lineage sorting (ILS) and infection by Wolbachia. In this study, we used a combination of multilocus and coalescent analyses to explore these processes occurred during the evolutionary history of Limbatochlamys rosthorni Rothschild, 1894 and Limbatochlamys pararosthorni Han and Xue, 2005. The ncDNA phylogenetic tree supported two reciprocally monophyletic species, whereas the mtDNA results failed to reveal such a structure and revealed an extensive level of admixture between two species. Because of very low Wolbachia infection rates (20%), we firstly excluded this reason for the discordance. The fixed nucleotide differences and large genetic distances (1.5-2.5%) at the ncDNA genes suggested that the lineage sorting process between these two species is nearly complete and two species have experienced a prolonged period of independent evolution. Thus, we secondly excluded ILS. Sharing haplotypes, mtDNA gene flow occurring and the transitional samples with morphological features supported hybridization. The distribution contraction during glaciations and postglacial distribution expansion might have facilitated hybridization. Taken together, our study indicates that the current genetic structure of L. rosthorni and L. pararosthorni is the results of contraction and fragmentation into separated refugia during glaciations, followed by postglacial expansion and admixture.

The origin and evolution of biodiversity in the Shennongjia and Wushan Mountains, located in central China, are little known. In this study, we used Ourapteryx szechuana, which is widely distributed in China and northern Nepal, to explore whether these mountains acted as glacial refugia during climate oscillations of the Quaternary. In total, 192 samples of O. szechuana were collected throughout much of the distribution range. Phylogenetic analysis, molecular dating, demographic history reconstructions, and MAXENT were used to investigate the evolutionary history and differentiation mechanisms and predict the potential species distributions during four different periods. The phylogenetic tree and the star‐like median‐joining network strongly supported two reciprocally monophyletic and allopatric lineages. Lineage I was restricted to the Shennongjia and Wushan Mountains. The divergence time of O. szechuana from its sister species O. thibetaria was approximately 1.94 Ma. The differentiation processes of the two intraspecific lineages occurred at approximately 0.47 Ma. The demographic history reconstruction and the ecological niche model suggested that Lineage II experienced an expansion after the LGM (Last Glacial Maximum), whereas Lineage I did not experience any expansion. Our results suggested the Naynayxungla glaciation promoted the divergence of the two lineages by restricting them to different refugia. The valleys of the Shennongjia–Wushan Mountains may have kept stable and warm (thus ice‐free) environments during Quaternary glaciations, allowing this region to act as a glacial refugia. Our studies show that the Shennongjia and Wushan Mountains are likely to be important but little studied glacial refugia for the insect and thus worthy of more attention., The Naynayxungla Glaciation promoted the divergence of the two lineages by restricting them to different refugia. The Shennongjia and Wushan Mountains are one important and easily neglected refugia for the insect groups and are worthy of more attention.

The subgenus Epicterodes Wehrli, 1933 of Arichanna Moore, 1868 is reviewed. Six species are recognized, of which, A. (E). denticularia sp. nov. is described as new to science from China. One new synonym is established based on morphological and genetic similarity: A. (E.) flavomacularia Leech, 1897 (=A. (E.) perimelaina Wehrli, 1933 syn. nov.). Results of DNA barcoding for Epicterodes are briefly discussed. Diagnoses for all the species are provided and illustrations of adults, genitalia and distribution map are presented.

Understanding how and why some groups have become more species-rich than others, and how past biogeography may have shaped their current distribution, are questions that evolutionary biologists have long attempted to answer. We investigated diversification patterns and historical biogeography of a hyperdiverse lineage of Lepidoptera, the geometrid moths, by studying its most species-rich tribe Boarmiini, which comprises ca. 200 genera and ca. known 3000 species. We inferred the evolutionary relationships of Boarmiini based on a dataset of 346 taxa, with up to eight genetic markers under a maximum likelihood approach. The monophyly of Boarmiiniis strongly supported. However, the phylogenetic position of many taxa does not agree with current taxonomy, although the monophyly of most major genera within the tribe is supported after minor adjustments. Three genera are synonymized, one new combination is proposed, and four species are placed in incertae sedis within Boarmiini. Our results support the idea of a rapid initial diversification of Boarmiini, which also implies that no major taxonomic subdivisions of the group can currently be proposed. A time-calibrated tree and biogeographical analyses suggest that boarmiines appeared in Laurasia ca. 52 Mya, followed by dispersal events throughout the Australasian, African and Neotropical regions. Most of the transcontinental dispersal events occurred in the Eocene, a period of intense geological activity and rapid climate change. Diversification analyses showed a relatively constant diversification rate for all Boarmiini, except in one clade containing the species-rich genus Cleora. The present work represents a substantial contribution towards understanding the evolutionary origin of Boarmiini moths. Our results, inevitably biased by taxon sampling, highlight the difficulties with working on species-rich groups that have not received much attention outside of Europe. Specifically, poor knowledge of the natural history of geometrids (particularly in tropical clades) limits our ability to identify key innovations underlying the diversification of boarmiines.

Mountain systems, especially at high altitudes, are an excellent model for determining the mechanisms underlying high species diversity and endemism. Herein, we elucidate the evolutionary history of the alpine moth Arichanna perimelaina (Wehrli), which is endemic to the Hengduan Mountains (HM) region in southwest China, based on three mitochondrial genes and two nuclear genes. Our results revealed six deeply divergent clades that corresponded to populations in different mountain systems in the HM region. Bayesian divergence time estimations suggested a mid- to late Pleistocene genetic divergence. The results also showed that the Mt Yulong (YL) region was a refugium and valley corridors established by glaciation during the Pleistocene allowed populations on the separate mountains to migrate. The reproductive isolation among the different clades on contact zone in the YL region may be associated with the asynchronous mating rhythms and/or the divergent mate recognition caused by the ecological source of divergent selection. Allopatric divergence associated with complex topographies and climatic oscillations, regional dispersal via valley corridors and the suitable refugium of the YL region shaped the genetic divergence and distribution pattern of A. perimelaina in the HM region. These findings highlight the essential role of complex terrain and climatic fluctuations in shaping the unique phylogeographic history of a narrow alpine moth, and provide insights into the mechanisms underlying high species richness and endemism in the HM region.

In order to improve the attitude calculation accuracy of Strapdown inertial navigation system based on MIMU, this paper introduces the common methods of Strapdown inertial navigation and compares and analyzes them. The experimental results show that, under the condition of low dynamic, through the comparison and analysis of three attitude update algorithms of Euler angle method, quaternion with the Runge-Kuta method and equivalent rotation vector method., it is found that the quaternion with the Runge-Kuta method and the two-way equivalent rotational vector method are equivalent to the calculation accuracy, which is better than Euler angle method, and the calculation amount of the two-child-like equivalent rotational vector method is less than quaternion numbers algorithm.

The genus Eucyclodes was originally established by Warren (1894) on the basis of Phorodesma buprestaria Guenée, 1858. Eucyclodes is a large genus, which contains more than 90 species (Scoble 1999; Scoble & Hausmann 2007), mainly distributed in the Indo-Australian tropics, and more than 50% of all species are found in New Guinea. More than 90% of all Eucyclodes species were described before the 1950s. The most recent additions were made by Inoue (1978, 1986), Holloway & Sommerer (1984), Holloway (1996), and Tautel (2016), who each erected one new species per publication. The tribal position of Eucyclodes is still uncertain, for example, Pitkin (1996), Holloway (1996) and Ban et al. (2018) placed it in the tribe Nemoriini (or Nemoriiti), and the most recent research by Murillo-Ramos et al. (2019) found that Eucyclodes is sister to other Nemoriini and the authors did not assign it to any tribe.

Neochloroglyphica gen. nov. and its type species N. perbella sp. nov. are described from Yunnan, China. Morphological characters and molecular phylogenetic analysis, based on one mitochondrial and three nuclear genes, support the hypothesis that Neochloroglyphica is a member of the tribe Neohipparchini, and that it is a sister genus to Chloroglyphica. Morphological characters, including those of the genitalia, are figured and compared with related genera, especially Chloroglyphica, Neohipparchus and Chlororithra. Diagnoses for the genus and the species are provided and illustrations of external features and genitalia are presented.

Biston panterinaria, Biston thibetaria and Biston perclara are very closely related species in the genus Biston, judged on the basis of both morphological and molecular evidence. The distribution area and altitudes, and host plants of these three species also show both consistency and differences. However, the exact relationship between the three species is unclear. In this study, we used the ‘distance-based method’, the ‘tree-based method’ and Bayesian phylogenetics and phylogeography to elucidate the relationship between the three species. Phylogenetic trees based on mitogenomes, COI+CYTB+16S and three nuDNA genes were constructed. The results of the phylogenetic trees revealed that B. thibetaria and B. perclara were derived from B. panterinaria and render the latter paraphyletic. The budding process of speciation is therefore presumed to be the main factor causing a phylogenetic relationship of this pattern. A host shift from broad-leaved plants living at low altitudes to gymnosperms living at relatively high altitudes provides evidence of budding speciation in these three species. The divergence time suggests that the budding speciation occurred at approximately 1.38 Ma, which is consistent with the Kunlun-Yellow River Movement. Tectonic movements occurring around the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau may be the driver of the budding speciation.

The Mountains of Southwest China (MSC) – the most important mountain system in East Asia – creates physical barriers to migration and isolates organisms in different regions. In this study, we explored the genetic structure and phylogeography of Biston suppressaria, a moth species widely distributed in MSC and south China, based on three mtDNA and three ncDNA loci. MtDNA revealed high genetic differentiation among the geographical populations and divided B. suppressaria into five phylogroups (A–E). With the exception of phylogroups B and E which are sympatric, the other three phylogroups have their own distinct distribution areas. Four population differentiations occurred, and the divergence time was consistent with the three phases of the Qinghai–Tibet Movement and Kunhuang Movement, respectively. In contrast, ncDNA did not reveal any phylogeographical structure. Incomplete lineage sorting is considered the most plausible cause of the discordance between mtDNA and ncDNA genes, after excluding secondary admixture and Wolbachia infection. A complex combination of topography and geological movements of south China and MSC contributes to the complex evolutionary history of B. suppressaria.

The subfamily Cyclidiinae from China is reviewed: two genera and seven species are reported from China. One new subspecies, Cyclidia fractifasciata indistincta subsp. n., is described. Two new synonyms are established: Cyclidia substigmaria (Hübner, 1831) (= Cyclidia substigmaria brunna Chu & Wang, 1987, syn. n. = Cyclidia tetraspota Chu & Wang, 1987, syn. n.). One misidentification in Chu & Wang (1987) is corrected. Identification keys and diagnoses for all discussed Chinese species are provided. External features and genitalia are depicted. In addition, results of DNA barcoding for five taxa of Cyclidia are briefly discussed.

The alterations in the phylogeographical structures of insects in response to the uplift of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the Quaternary glaciations in eastern Asia, particularly in northern China, remain largely unknown. In this study, we selected Apocheima cinerarius, a moth with flightless females, using molecular data (complete mitochondrial genomes and nuclear data) and ecological niche modelling (ENM) to investigate the effects of paleoclimatic changes on the evolutionary history of insects in the area of northern China. The phylogenetic tree of complete mitochondrial genomes indicated that there were two lineages, the western and eastern lineages. The nuclear gene analyses also detected unique haplotypes in each lineage. Time of the most recent common ancestor (TMRCA) of the two lineages was approximately in Early–Middle Pleistocene. Bayesian skyline plots revealed that the western lineage underwent a population expansion event after the Last Glacial Maximum, whereas the eastern lineage underwent expansion between the Last Interglacial and the Last Glacial Maximum. Our results suggest that A. cinerarius expanded eastward from western sites until the moth was distributed across the entire region of northern China. Then, A. cinerarius underwent contraction into isolated glacial refugia followed by subsequent expansion driven by Pleistocene climate changes, which established a narrow sympatric area. Our results indicate that the Quaternary environmental fluctuations had profound influences on the diversification and demography of an insect in northern China, and the same species in north-western China and north-eastern China have different demographic histories.

A phylogenetic hypothesis for the lepidopteran superfamily Noctuoidea was inferred based on the complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes of 12 species (six newly sequenced). The monophyly of each noctuoid family in the latest classification was well supported. Novel and robust relationships were recovered at the family level, in contrast to previous analyses using nuclear genes. Erebidae was recovered as sister to (Nolidae+(Euteliidae+Noctuidae)), while Notodontidae was sister to all these taxa (the putatively basalmost lineage Oenosandridae was not included). In order to improve phylogenetic resolution using mt genomes, various analytical approaches were tested: Bayesian inference (BI) vs. maximum likelihood (ML), excluding vs. including RNA genes (rRNA or tRNA), and Gblocks treatment. The evolutionary signal within mt genomes had low sensitivity to analytical changes. Inference methods had the most significant influence. Inclusion of tRNAs positively increased the congruence of topologies, while inclusion of rRNAs resulted in a range of phylogenetic relationships varying depending on other analytical factors. The two Gblocks parameter settings had opposite effects on nodal support between the two inference methods. The relaxed parameter (GBRA) resulted in higher support values in BI analyses, while the strict parameter (GBDH) resulted in higher support values in ML analyses.

The genus Synegiodes Swinhoe, 1892 is reviewed and redescribed, S. sanguinaria (Moore, 1868) is formally fixed as type-species according to the provisions of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature. Seven species, including S. brunnearia (Leech, 1897), are presently recognized as members of this genus and two new species from China and N. Vietnam, S. expansus sp. nov. and S. elasmlatus sp. nov., are described herein. The original specific status of S. histrionaria ornata (Bastelberger, 1909) is restored. The systematic position of S. brunnearia is discussed. Diagnoses for all the species are provided and illustrations of external features and genitalia are presented.

A novel thermostable β-galactosidase gene, designated as GkGal1A, from the thermophilic bacterium Geobacillus kaustophilus HTA426 was cloned and heterologously overexpressed in Escherichia coli(E. coli). Based on the sequence analysis, GkGal1A belongs to the glycosyl hydrolase family 1 that was the first β-galactosidase of bacterial origins expressed by us in this family. The apparent molecular weight of GkGal1A determined by sodium deodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis is 52000. It exhibited the highest activity toward p-nitrophenyl-β-D-galactopyranoside at pH 7.8 and 70 °C and displayed high thermal stability. Divalent cations are prerequisite for the activity of GKGal1A, with the highest activity in the presence of Mn2+. Moreover, the three-dimensional structure of GkGal1A was modeled to speculate the structure of the catalytic residues and the reaction mechanism. The catalytic residues consisting of Glu166 and Glu355 were verified by site-directed mutagenesis.

The complete mitochondrial genome (mitogenome) of the Chinese pistacia looper Biston panterinaria was sequenced and annotated (15,517bp). It contains the typical 37 genes of animal mitogenomes and a high A+T content (79.5%). All protein coding genes (PCGs) use standard ATN initiation codons except for cytochrome c oxidase 1 (COX1) with CGA. Eleven PCGs use a common stop codon of TAA or TAG, whereas COX2 and NADH dehydrogenase 4 (ND4) use a single T. All transfer RNA (tRNA) genes have the typical clover-leaf structure with the exception of tRNA(Ser(AGN)). We reconstructed a preliminary mitochondrial phylogeny of six ditrysian superfamilies and performed comparative analyses of inference methods (Bayesian Inference (BI), Maximum Likelihood (ML), and Maximum Parsimony (MP)), dataset compositions (including and excluding 3rd codon positions), and alignment methods (Muscle, Clustal W, and MAFFT). Our analyses indicated that inference methods and dataset compositions more significantly affected the phylogenetic results than alignment methods. BI analysis consistently revealed uncontroversial relationships with all dataset compositions. By contrast, ML analysis failed to reconstruct stable phylogeny at two nodes, whereas MP analysis had more difficulties in the tree resolution and nodal support. Distinct from most previous studies, our analyses revealed that Geometroidea had a closer lineage relationship with Bombycoidea than Noctuoidea. Similar to previous molecular studies, our analyses revealed that Hesperiidae were nested in the Papilionoidea clade, providing further evidence to the previous concept that Papilionoidea was paraphyletic, and none of the butterflies were associated with the Macroheterocera.

The genus Metaterpna is revised. The two species known, M. differens (Warren, 1909) and M. thyatiraria (Oberthür, 1913), are redescribed, with emphasis on the considerable variability of M. thyatiraria, and the status of the related type specimen was discussed. In addition, one new species, M. batangensis sp. nov., is described from Batang and Daocheng, Sichuan province, and Lijiang, Yunnan province, southwestern China. M. thyatiraria and M. batangensis show clear distance by DNA barcode sequences. Illustrations of moths and genitalia are presented.

The genus Metaterpna is revised. The two species known, M. differens (Warren, 1909) and M. thyatiraria (Oberthür, 1913), are redescribed, with emphasis on the considerable variability of M. thyatiraria, and the status of the related type specimen was discussed. In addition, one new species, M. batangensis sp. nov., is described from Batang and Daocheng, Sichuan province, and Lijiang, Yunnan province, southwestern China. M. thyatiraria and M. batangensis show clear distance by DNA barcode sequences. Illustrations of moths and genitalia are presented.

The genus Peratophyga Warren, 1894 in China is reviewed. Six species are recognized, of which P. crista sp. nov. and P. recta sp. nov. are described. P. hyalinata grata (Butler, 1879) is restored to specific rank as P. grata (Butler, 1879) stat. rev. P. grata totifasciata Wehrli, 1923 comb. nov. is proposed. P. xanthyala (Hampson, 1896) and P. grata grata (Butler, 1879) are newly recorded for China. Two species are transferred from Peratophyga to the genus Stegania Guenée, 1845: S. castaneostriata (Yazaki & Wang, 2004) comb. nov. and S. modesta (Yazaki & Wang, 2004) comb. nov. A key to Chinese Peratophyga and diagnoses for Chinese species are provided. Illustrations of external features and genitalia are presented.

Guenée (1858) described the genus Thalassodes for T. pilaria Guenée from Loyality Island (Tahiti) and some allied species. Prout (1912) revised the genus, listing 32 taxa from the Old World, and later (Prout 1933) listed forty species and divided Thalassodes into four unnamed sections according to habitus and structure of the male legs. Holloway (1996) divided Thalasssodes into three genera using genitalic charactersa and grouped 16 species in genus Pelagodes Holloway (type species: Thalassodes aucta Prout, 1912). Scoble (1999) attributed 22 species to the genus. Later, Inoue (2003, 2005, 2006) revised collections from the Oriental region, describing ten additional species and a further distinct genus, Reniformvalva Inoue, 2006. Han and Xue (2011) added four new species to Pelagodes and found external similarities between P. clarifimbria and moths from Hainan in China, but postponed any differentiation due to limited material. Lindt, while identifying his emerald moths collected in Laos, noticed genitalic differences between brown-fronted Pelagodes specimens from Laos and Thailand, which are allopatric in Thailand. Here we present a comparative description of P. clarifimbria and a new species P. cancriformis. Institutional acronyms are as follows:. EMNH, Estonian Museum of Natural History, Tallinn, Estonia. IZBE, formerly in Institute of Zoology and Botany of the Estonian Academy of Sciences, now deposited in Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia. IZCAS, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.

The Comibaenini are reviewed and their characters are assessed. Eight genera are included in the tribe, with one new genus and 11 new species described. Descriptions and diagnoses of the genera and diagnoses for species are provided. All Chinese species of Comibaena fall into four species groups on the basis of the morphology of the male genitalia. The synonymic relationship between Chlorochromodes and Comostolodes is discussed, and the statuses of all the related species are revised. Three new synonyms are established. Moths of all species are illustrated in colour and genitalia figures are provided. © 2012 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2012, 165, 723–772.

The genus Pseudostegania Butler is revised. In addition to the two species known, four species are described as new: P. lijiangensis sp. nov. from Yunnan Province, P. qinlingensis sp. nov. from Gansu and Shaanxi Provinces, P. zhoui sp. nov. from Sichuan Province (China) and P. burmaensis sp. nov. from Burma (Myanmar); two species are newly combined with Pseudostegania: P. distinctaria (Leech, 1897), comb. nov. and P. yargongaria (Oberthur, 1916), comb. nov. All the known species are redescribed and lectotypes are designated for P. defectata (Christoph, 1881), P. distinctaria and P. yargongaria. The generic characters, based on all species, are summarized. The tribal placement of Pseudostegania is discussed. Illustrations of moths and genitalia are presented.

The genus Hemistola Warren from China is reviewed, and seven new species are described: H. viridimargo, sp. nov., H. glauca sp. nov., H. asymmetra sp. nov., H. arcilinea sp. nov., H. flavifimbria sp. nov., H. orbiculosoides sp. nov. and H. stueningi sp. nov. Two species, acyra and christinaria, are transferred from Hemistola to Maxates and Comostola, respectively: Maxates acyra comb. nov. and Comostola christinaria comb. nov. Including the 25 species previously known from China, a total of 32 species is now recorded. All Chinese species are redescribed. Generic characters based on all species are summarized. Illustrations of adults and genitalia are presented.

Tricalcaria Han gen. nov. and its type species Tricalcaria stueningi Han sp. nov. are described from China. Morphological characters, including those of the male and female genitalia, are figured. The main diagnostic characters of Tricalcaria are: hind tibia with three spurs in both male and female; ventral margin of costal protrusion bearing a series of long, hook-like, sclerotized setae in the male genitalia; female papilla analis modified and bearing over part of its surface broad blade-like sclerotized setae. The wing pattern, venation, and genitalia of this genus are compared with those of the most closely related genera, Tristeirometa Holloway, 1997, Hypocometa Warren, 1896, and Phthonoloba Warren, 1893. Tribal placement is discussed, with the conclusion that the new genus should be placed in the tribe Trichopterygini.

The classification of the genera of the widely distributed Old World tribe Pseudoterpnini is reviewed and 34 genera are recognized. Two new generic synonyms (Sterictopsis Warren and Oxyphanes Turner as synonyms of Rhuma Walker), and 21 new or reinstated combinations are established. Representative moths of all the genera are illustrated in colour (upper side and underside), and genitalia of all genera are illustrated in monochrome (162 figures). All the known species and subspecies of Pseudoterpnini are listed (321), together with their synonyms. The Pseudoterpnini and their characters are assessed, and many genera are newly assigned to the tribe. © 2007 Natural History Museum, London. Journal compilation © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 150, 343–412.

Epichrysodes gen. n. and its type-species E. tienmuensis sp. n. are described from West Tianmu Shan, Zhejiang province, China. Morphological characters, including those of the male genitalia, are figured and compared to a number of related genera, especially Chlorissa Stephens, Thalera Hubner and Culpinia Prout. Main diagnosic characters of Epichrysodes are: pale yellow wing colour, peculiar wing pattern, very faint transverse lines, lack of frenulum. Its tribal placement is discussed, and here it is proposed to include it in the Hemitheini. Type-specimens are deposited at Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, Bonn (holotype and three paratypes) and Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing (one paratype). (© 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Ginsenoside Rd, one of the ginsenosides with significant pharmaceutical activities, is getting more and more attractions on its biotransformation. In this study, a novel fungus mutant, the Aspergillus niger strain TH-10a, which can efficiently convert ginsenoside Rd from Rb1, was obtained through screening survival library of LiCl and ultraviolet (UV) irradiation. The transformation product ginsenoside Rd, generated by removing the outer glucose residue from the position C20 of ginsenoside Rb1, was identified through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analysis. Factors for the microbial culture and biotransformation were investigated in terms of the carbon sources, the nitrogen sources, pH values, and temperatures. This showed that maximum mycelia growth could be obtained at 28°C and pH 6.0 with cellobiose and tryptone as the carbon source and the nitrogen source, respectively. The highest transformation rate (∼86%) has been achieved at 32°C and pH 5.0 with the feeding time of substrate 48 hr. Also, Aspergillus niger strain TH-10a could tolerate even 40 mg/mL ginseng root extract as substrate with 60% bioconversion rate after 72 hr of treatment at the optimal condition. Our results highlight a novel ginsenoside Rd transformation fungus and illuminate its potentially practical application in the pharmaceutical industries.

A total of three tribes, 38 genera and 148 species of Thyatirinae from China are listed together with one dubious record. Of these, one new species, Stenopsestis bruna sp. nov., is described. Macrothyatira danieli Werny, 1966, stat. rev., is restored to specific rank. Cymatophora subampliata Houlbert, 1921, is downgraded to subspecific rank as Tethea (Tethea) albicostata subampliata (Houlbert, 1921), stat. nov. Two genera, four species and three subspecies are recorded for the first time from China (Chiropsestis Laszlo, RonkayRonkay, 2001, Hiroshia Laszlo, RonkayRonkay, 2001, Chiropsestis rubrocinerea Laszlo, RonkayRonkay, 2001, Hiroshia albinigra Laszlo, RonkayRonkay, 2001, Parapsestis hausmanni Laszlo, Ronkay, RonkayWitt, 2007, Spica luteola Swinhoe, 1889, Parapsestis cinerea pacifica Laszlo, Ronkay, RonkayWitt, 2007, Tethea (Saronaga) consimilis aurisigna Bryk, 1943, Nothoploca nigripunctata fansipana Laszlo, RonkayRonkay, 2001). Ten misidentifications in Zhao (2004) are corrected. Illustrations of external features and genitalia of the new taxa and new records are presented.

The genus Euryobeidia Fletcher, 1979 is reviewed. Five species from China are recognized, of which, E. ellipsoidea sp. nov., E. incrassata sp. nov. and E. quadrata sp. nov. are described as new to science. Diagnoses for all the species are provided and illustrations of external features and genitalia are presented.

The genus Psyra Walker, 1860 in China is reviewed. Thirteen species are recognized, of which, P. breviprotrusa sp. nov. is described as new to science, and P. moderata Inoue, 1982, P. gracilis Yazaki, 1992 and P. boarmiata (Graeser, 1892) are recorded for the first time from China. P. cuneata szetschwana Wehrli, 1953 and P. cuneata dsagara Wehrli, 1953 are upgraded to specific level, i.e. P. szetschwana stat. nov. and P. dsagara stat. nov., and a lectotype is designated for P. dsagara. One new synonym is established: P. szetschwana Wehrli, 1953 = P. cuneata lidjangica Wehrli, 1953 syn. nov. The diagnoses for all species are given. Illustrations of external features and genitalia are presented.

The genus Luxiaria Walker and its allied genus Calletaera Warren in China, including 16 species in all, are reviewed. Five new species are described: C. obvia sp. nov., C. acuticornuta sp. nov., C. rotundicornuta sp. nov., C. dentata sp. nov., C. trigonoprocessus sp. nov. The species L. acutaria (Snellen, 1877) and L. tephrosaria (Moore, 1868) are newly recorded for China. Two new combinations are established: C. obliquata (Moore, 1888) comb. nov. and C. consimilaria (Leech, 1897) comb. nov. Four new synonyms are established: Eutoea Walker, 1860 (= Bithiodes Warren, 1894 syn. nov.); Calletaera Warren, 1895 (=Bithiodes Warren, 1899 syn. nov.), based on the fixation of nominal type Acidalia inexactata Walker, 1861, for the genus name Bithiodes Warren, 1894; L. emphatica Prout, 1925 (= L. costinota Inoue, 1978 syn. nov.); C. subexpressa (Walker, 1861) (= C. digrammata Wehrli, 1925 syn. nov.). Diagnoses for all Chinese species are provided. Illustrations of external features and genitalia are presented.