Sphingidae of the Eastern Palaearctic

DAHIRA FARINTAENIA (Zhu & Wang, 1997)

Male and female Dahira farintaenia, Fujian, China. Photo: © Ian Kitching, CMNH

TAXONOMY

Rhodosoma farintaenia Zhu & Wang, 1997, Fauna Sinica (Insecta) 11: 318. Type locality: China, Jiangxi, Ciping.

Synonym. Rhodosoma farintaenia Zhu & Wang, 1997.

Synonym. Hayesiana farintaenia (Zhu & Wang, 1997).

Note. This species was known for many years by an unpublished manuscript name -- "Schausanus barnesi Clark, 1939", with two specimens in the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA [see above]. This name has been superseded by the above published name.

ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

An unmistakable species. Upperside of wings almost uniformly dark olive green in fresh adults (fading to brown in older specimens), with a narrow diffuse pale purple-grey band running from the costa near the apex to the tornus, distal to which is a conspicuous pale apical yellow spot between Rs2 and Rs4; costal margin pale grey. Thorax and abdomen upperside olive green in fresh adults, basal tergites yellowish. Underside of thorax and abdomen underside ochre. Legs white.

Male and female Dahira farintaenia, Gaobeicun, Hanzhong, Shaanxi, China, 700m, 8.v.2021. Photo: © YuFei Li

ADULT BIOLOGY

Unknown, apart from specimens being found 700 and 1500m altitude, depending on latitude. Can be quite common at certain times in certain places (Xu ZhenBang, pers. comm. 2023).

FLIGHT-TIME

China: iv (Simian Shan National Forest Park, Chongqing); 12.iv (Leigongshan Nature Reserve, Guizgou); 23-30.iv (Nanping); 6.v (NanLing National Forest Park, Guangdong); 8.v (Hanzhong; Gucheng); 24.v (Ciping); v (Dayao Shan); v (Ya'an, Sichuan); 15-20.viii (Sichuan).

EARLY STAGES

Unknown.

Larval hostplants. Unknown.

PARASITOIDS

Unknown.

LOCAL DISTRIBUTION

China: Shaanxi (Gaobeicun, SE Hanzhong, 700m; Gucheng, 800m); Anhui; Hubei (Tapien Shan, NE Wuhan); Sichuan (Qingcheng Shan, 50km W Chengdu, 1500m; Ya'an); Chongqing (Simian Shan National Forest Park, 1100m); Guizhou (Leigongshan Nature Reserve, 1000m); Hunan (Yizhang); Jiangxi (Ciping); Fujian (Yanping/Nanping, 1500m (26°52'N 118°7'E)); Guangdong (Nanling National Forest Park); Guangxi (Jinxiu County, Dayao Shan).

GLOBAL DISTRIBUTION

Endemic to eastern China.

BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION

Holarctic; eastern Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- Sinopacific refugium.

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