A new species of the genus Sarcinodes Guenée, [1858] (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) from China.

The genus Sarcinodes Guenée, [1858]of China is reviewed and totally 9 species are recognized with the description of Sarcinodes hainana sp. nov. from Hainan, China. Sarcinodes lilacina Moore, 1888 is reported for the first time from Yunnan, China. The external morphology of adults, particularly the male and female genitalia, are illustrated. COI sequences were obtained as DNA barcodes for identification of the new species. A key to the Chinese Sarcinodes species is provided.

Complete mitochondrial genome of the Pasiphila chloerata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and its phylogenetic implications.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of Pasiphila chloerata (Mabille) was sequenced and its phylogenetic implications were investigated. The P. chloerata mitogenome is a circular, double-stranded molecule, with 15,602 bp in length. The typical 37 mitochondrial genes (13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs) and an A + T-rich region are included. Gene content and arrangement are highly conserved and typical of Lepidoptera. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined 37 mitochondrial genes consistently recovered the Larentiinae and Ennominae involved are reciprocally monophyletic with the highest supports. The P. chloerata was clustered with other two members of the Larentiinae, reinforcing that of previous morphological studies.

The first mitochondrial genome from the Sterrhinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and its phylogenetic implications.

In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of a geometrid species, Idaea simplicior (Prout), was sequenced. The I. simplicior mitogenome is a circular, double-stranded molecule, with 15,950 bp in size. The typical 37 mitochondrial genes (13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs) and an A + T-rich region are included. Gene content and arrangement are highly conserved and typical of Lepidoptera. Interestingly, the I. simplicior mitogenome is rich in microsatellite sequences of (TA)12-18 with a scattered distribution in six intergenic regions. Phylogenetic analyses based on the combined 37 mitochondrial genes show that the Larentiinae and Ennominae are monophyletic. The Sterrhinae, which is represented by the only I. simplicior sequenced in this study, shows a closer relationship with the Larentiinae than Ennominae, which confirms previous morphological studies.

The first mitochondrial genome of the family Epicopeiidae and higher-level phylogeny of Macroheterocera (Lepidoptera: Ditrysia).

The Macroheterocera clade contains most of the Lepidoptera species. However, extensive comparative and phylogenetic analyses of this group using complete mitochondrial genomes (mitogenome) are limited particularly in the context of increasing macroheteroceran mitogenomes reported to date. In this study, complete mitogenome of the Epicopeia hainesii is determined as the first Epicopeiidae species with mitogenome available. The whole mitogenome is circular with 15,395 bp long, and is highly biased toward A + T nucleotides (80.6%) in nucleotide composition. Comparative analyses show that gene content and arrangement of macroheteroceran mitogenomes are generally conservative and are typical of Lepidoptera but exceptions exist. In newly sequenced mitogenome, the motif "ATACTAA" is putatively located at the end of gene nad1, rather than in intergenic sequences between trnS2 and nad1 genes routinely observed in Lepidoptera. Interestingly, multiple phylogenetic analyses recover the six macroheteroceran superfamilies as Mimallonoidea + (Drepanoidea + ((Bombycoidea + Lasiocampoidea) + (Noctuoidea + Geometroidea))), providing supports for a large-scale transcriptomic study rather than various mitogenome- and multiple-gene-based investigations. In addition, our analyses consistently place the Epicopeiidae as sister group with Geometroidea, firstly demonstrating that this family is closer with Geometroidea than Drepanoidea based on mitogenome data.

New discoveries of the family Epicopeiidae from China, with description of a new species (Lepidoptera, Epicopeiidae).

Some new discoveries of the family Epicopeiidae Swinhoe, 1892 from China are reported. A new species, Mimaporiaowadai Huang & Wang, sp. n. is described from W. Sichuan. Burmeia Minet, 2003 and Psychostrophiaendoi Inoue, 1992 are reported as new to China, with the female genitalia of the former described for the first time. The females of Psychostrophiaendoi Inoue, 1992 and Deuveiabanghaasi Hering, 1932 are reported for the first time. Adults and genitalia of all species aforementioned are illustrated.

First record of the genus Schistomitra Butler, 1881 (Lepidoptera, Epicopeiidae) from China, with the description of a new species.

The epicopeiid moth genus Schistomitra Butler, 1881 is reported outside Japan for the first time, with a new species, Schistomitra joelmineti Huang & Wang, sp. nov., described from the southern part of Shaanxi and Gansu Province in China. Photographs of adults and genitalia are provided, and the distribution pattern of the genus is discussed.

Notes on the genus Psychostrophia Butler, 1877 (Lepidoptera, Epicopeiidae), with description of a new species.

New information on the genus Psychostrophia Butler, 1877 is provided. A new species, Psychostrophia micronymphidiaria Huang & Wang, sp. nov., is described from western, northern and northwestern Yunnan Province, southwestern China; it is similar to P. nymphidiaria (Oberthür, 1893) which is widely distributed in eastern, southern, western and central China. A new synonym is established: Psychostrophia nymphidiaria (Oberthür, 1893) (= Stiboges lushanica Chou & Yuan, 2001, syn. nov.). Some other taxonomic and nomenclatural notes on the genus are presented. A key to the species of the genus Psychostrophia is provided.

Mimaporia, a new genus of Epicopeiidae (Lepidoptera), with description of a new species from Vietnam.

The Epicopeiidae is a small geometroid family distributed in the East Palaearctic and Oriental regions. It exhibits high morphological diversity in body size and wing shape, while their wing patterns involve in various complex mimicry rings. In the present study, we attempted to describe a new genus, and a new species from Vietnam, with comments on two assumed congeneric novel species from China and India. To address its phylogenetic affinity, we reconstructed the phylogeny of the family by using sequence data of COI, EF-1α, and 28S gene regions obtained from seven genera of Epicopeiidae with Pseudobiston pinratanai as the outgroup. We also compared the morphology of the new taxon to other epicopeiid genera to affirm its taxonomic status. The results suggest that the undescribed taxon deserve a new genus, namely Mimaporia gen. n. The species from Vietnam, Mimaporia hmong sp. n., is described as new to science. Under different tree building strategies, the new genus is the sister group of either Chatamla Moore, 1881 or Parabraxas Leech, 1897. The morphological evidence, which was not included in phylogenetic analyses, however, suggests its potential affinity with Burmeia Minet, 2003. This study also provides the first, although preliminary, molecular phylogeny of the family on which the revised systematics and interpretation of character evolution can be based.