Amorpha amurensis sinica Rothschild & Jordan, 1903, Novit. zool. 9 (suppl.): 337. Type locality: [China, Sichuan,] Pou-lin [Hanyuan].
Note. Chu & Wang (1980) misidentified Cypoides chinensis (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903) as L. a. sinica, while Zhao & Hu (1987) misidentified L. a. sinica as L. a. amurensis (as Amorpha amurensis). Other Chinese authors have perpetuated these errors. The single-brooded Laothoe a. amurensis is confined to the boreal zones of north-eastern China and the Altai of Xinjiang, and references to this species from other regions of China are erroneous and refer to L. a. sinica.
Wingspan: 75--95mm. Closely resembles L. a. amurensis and, like that subspecies, generally lacking a rust-red patch at base of hindwing, although there may be a tint of brown or red present in some individuals.
Double-brooded (Yang, 1978) and confined to temperate deciduous forests (cf. L. a. amurensis). It is particularly common on the Loess Plateau of northern Shaanxi. For example, 30km north of Huangling, Shaanxi, it was the commonest sphingid at light during July, with all specimens being males (A.R. Pittaway, pers. obs., 24.vii.1995).
Little is known about the behaviour of this species except that males are strongly drawn to light. Around Beijing L. a. sinica occurs below 500m altitude; however, in Sichuan and Yunnan it is generally found above 2500m, often as high as 4000m.
China: 15.v (Beijing); vi (Qinling Shan); 15.vi (Emei Shan); 21-27.vi (Beijing, 1050m); 23.vi (Kangding); 23.vi (Tianmu Shan); 23.vi (Kangding); 28.vi (Yan'an); vii (??Yankiaping); 10.vii (Adunzi, nr Dêqên); 24.vii (30km north of Huangling); 25.vii (Liaoning); 5.viii (Jilin); 9-17.viii (Beijing); 18.viii (Ning Xian); ix (Shaanxi). North Korea: vii (Jueul, 1500m). South Korea: 2.vii [(unstated locality)].
Bivoltine in China; mid May to mid June and again in July/August/early September.
Park et al. (1999) give early May until mid August as the flight period in Korea.
OVUM: Information not available.
LARVA: Information not available.
PUPA: Information not available.
Larval hostplants. In Shanxi recorded from Salix and Populus (Li & Guo, 1990). Recorded by Chu & Wang (1980) on Salix and Ulmus. However, the latter record, which has been reiterated by subsequent Chinese authors (e.g. Wang, 1988; 1993), is dubious and may have been a misidentified larva of Callambulyx t. tatarinovii (Bremer & Grey). The records listed by Chu & Wang (1980) under L. a. amurensis are also probably applicable to L. a. sinica (see above).
Recorded in Korea on Populus sieboldii (Park et al., 1999).
Unknown.
China: Jilin; Liaoning; Beijing; Shanxi (Shuozhou; Taigu; Taiyuan; Tianzhen; Wenshui; Yuanping); Shaanxi (Huangling; Qinling Shan, Taibai Shan; Yan'an; Xunyang, 1380m); Gansu (Ning Xian); Zhejiang (Tianmu Shan); Sichuan (Baoxing; Hanyuan; Kangding, 2540m; Yu Shan; Emei Shan, 1000m); Yunnan (Adunzi, nr Dêqên, 4000m); Xizang/Tibet (Mutu, Namjagbarwa region, 850m; Bomi, 2750m; Qamdo); ??Yankiaping.
Previously considered endemic to the mountains of central China, ranging from Shanxi, southwest through Shaanxi and the extreme southeast of Gansu and Sichuan, to Yunnan and southeastern Xizang/Tibet (Wang, 1988). Now known to extend northeast to Beijing and Jilin, with an isolated record from Tianmu Shan, Zhejiang (specimens in IZAS).
North Korea: North Hamgyong Prov. (Jueul, 1500m; Gyungsung; Charyung).
South Korea: Kyonggi Prov. (Suwon; Aengmubong; Gwangleung; Myungji-san); Kangwon Prov. (Seolak-san; Odae-san; Balwang-san; Sogumgang; Nochu-san; Chiak-san; Taebek-san; Donghae; Yanggu; Chuncheon; Bangtae-san; Jungseon); North Chungchong Prov. (Wolak-san); North Cholla Prov. (Deokyu-san); North Kyongsang Prov. (Seondal-san; Sobaek-san; Seongju); South Kyongsang Prov. (Gibaek-san; Gaji-san; Hamyang).
Endemic to China and Korea. Records from the Korean Peninsula appear to be all L. a. sinica, as indicated by the specimens figured by Kim et al. (1982) and Park et al. (1999); however, this requires further study.
Holarctic; eastern Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Polycentric -- Sinotibetan and Yunnan refugia.
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