Rienk de JONG

National Museum of Natural History, Leiden, The Netherlands

NOTES ON SALANOEMIA ELIOT, 1978, AND ISMA DISTANT, 1886 (: HESPERIIDAE), MAINLY FROM JAVA AND SUMATRA

Jong, R. de, 2006. Notes on Salanoemia Eliot, 1978, and Isma Distant, 1886 (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae), mainly from Java and Sumatra. – Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 149: 15-20, figs. 1-14. [issn 0040-7496]. Published 1 June 2006. In spite of intensive collecting activities in Southeast Asia during more than 200 years some species of butterflies remain known from very few individuals only and old collections may still yield surprises. Most species of the hesperiid genera Salanoemia Eliot (seven species) and Isma Distant (ca 17 species) are rare and every new discovery extends our knowledge consider- ably. Salanoemia dissimilis is described as a new species (TL: West Java, Soekanegara) and new records are discussed for Salanoemia shigerui Maruyama (Sumatra, East coast, Laut Tador) and Isma cronus (de Nicéville) (West Java, Tjibodas). A key to the seven Salanoemia species currently recognised is provided. The taxonomic position of the two genera is briefly discussed. R. de Jong, National Museum of Natural History, P.O. Box 9517, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands. E-mail: [email protected] Key words. – Hesperiidae; Salanoemia; Isma; new species; ; distribution; Oriental region.

West Java is arguably the best collected area of genera. Eliot (1992) disregarded the subgroups, while Southeast Asia with regard to butterflies, collections Maruyama (1991) raised the Plastingia subgroup of dating back to well into the eighteenth century (De Evans to his Plastingia group, and united the Erionota Jong 2004). Yet, new records keep turning up. On and Unkana subgroups of Evans into the Erionota the other hand, unexpected discoveries can some- group. All these subdivisions are very unsatisfactory times be made in older collections. Here, two such because diagnostic characters are poor and possible cases are described from the collection of the National relationships with genera from other continents have Museum of Natural History, Leiden, one a new spe- not been considered. For instance, the superficial sim- cies of Salanoemia Eliot, 1978, the other a new record ilarity of genera of the African Ploetzia group (Evans, for Java of a species of Isma Distant, 1886, otherwise 1937) with the Erionota group is strong and deserves known from , Sumatra and . Most further investigation. However, this falls outside the species of the two genera are very rare and may have scope of the present paper. been overlooked over large areas. On the other hand, the two specimens concerned are almost 70 years Salanoemia Eliot, 1978 old now. In view of the fast disappearance of natural habitats during that period, it is possible that the spe- The genus Salanoemia was erected by Eliot (1978) cies do no longer occur at these localities, although to accommodate five species formerly included in the the may turn up in less disturbed and less frequently heterogeneous genus Plastingia Butler, 1870. It dif- visited areas. A record of another Salanoemia species, fers from the latter in having symmetrical genitalia, from Sumatra, is described, belonging to a species and the veins on the underside of the hindwing being that was recently described after a single male from concolorous with the ground colour. These charac- West Malaysia. Since there are no good figures of the ters would appear to be plesiomorphic and as such genitalia, they are depicted here. do not support the monophyly of the genus. In the The taxonomic position of the two genera is absence of a phylogenetic analysis of the genera of the still open to debate. Evans (1949) placed them in Plastingia group (sensu Eliot 1978), however, the di- the Plastingia subgroup of his Plastingia group of vision of Plastingia by Eliot (1978) into five genera

15 Downloaded from Brill.com10/01/2021 02:44:50AM via free access T  E,  149, 2006

1 3 5

2 4 6

Figs. 1-6. Upper (odd numbers) and undersides of Salanoemia and Isma species. – 1, 2, Salanoemia dissimilis, holotype; 3, 4, Salanoemia shigerui (Sumatra, East coast, Laut Tador); 5, 6, Isma cronus (West Java, Tjibodas).

has at least the advantage of creating morphologically more homogeneous groups. There is, moreover, a further difference not mentioned by Eliot (1978, 1992) and Maruyama (1991), viz. the position of the cell spots on the forewing. In Salanoemia Eliot, 1978, Pemara Eliot, 1978, and Xanthoneura Eliot, 1978 (the last two genera also separated from Plastingia s.l.), the spots are placed one above the other as in the related genus Isma Distant, 1886, while in Plastingia and Pyroneura Eliot, 1978, the upper cell spot is displaced outwardly. Most Salanoemia species are very rare, at least in Malaysia and Borneo, and except for S. sala (Hewit- son, [1866]) which occurs from India to Palawan and Bali, the species are known from few localities only in the area from Burma to Borneo. So far, only one species, S. sala (Hewitson, [1866]), has been recorded from Java (and going east as far as Bali) (Maruyama 1991). Below, a second species is described from Java as new. The specimen was collected in 1937 and since the type locality is in a well-populated area with much agriculture, the habitat may exist no longer. In addition to the five species recognised by Eliot (1978, 1992) in the genus, Maruyama (2000) de- Fig. 7. The known localities of Salanoemia dissimilis (trian- scribed a new species, S. shigerui, based on a single gle) and S. shigerui (dots). male, from West Malaysia. Below, a second specimen of this species is recorded from Sumatra. A key to the seven species of the genus is provided. Salanoemia species are generally found in primary lowland forest and for this reason they may be under threat of extinction over very wide areas.

16 Downloaded from Brill.com10/01/2021 02:44:50AM via free access De Jong: Salanoemia and Isma

8 9 12

13 10 11

14

Figs. 8-13. Male genitalia of Salanoemia and Isma. – 8, 9, S. dissimilis (holotype) (8, inside of right valva; 9, dorsal view of tegumen and uncus); 10, 11, S. shigerui (Sumatra, East coast, Laut Tador) (10, inside of right valva; 11, dorsal view of tegumen and uncus); 12-14, Isma cronus (West Java, Tjibodas) (12, inside of right valva; 13, inside of left valva; 14, dorsal view of tegumen and uncus, seen obliquely from the left).

Salanoemia dissimilis sp. n. uncus; costa undifferentiated, widening to ca. 37 % of height of valva near distal end of costa; sacculus Type material. − Holotype: male. W Java, 900 indistinct, gently folding inward, ventrodistal part of m, Soekanegara,15.x.1937, L.J. Toxopeus. National valva (‘cucullus’) most prominent structure, almost Museum of Natural History, Leiden (locality, fig. 7). 70 % of total length of valva, dorsodistal part broadly Only a badly worn male specimen (figs. 1, 2) avail- serrate, proximad of this part a distinct, serrate prong able, but the genitalia are still relatively intact. covering the distal end of the costa.

Descriprion Discussion Length forewing, 15 mm. Upperside forewing With Evans (1949) the specimen quickly keys to similar to S. similis Elwes & Edwards, 1897, but S. similis because of the very small upper cell spot markings more extensive, basal half of costal area on the forewing and the markings on upperside of solid yellow, outer edge of yellow area in space 1b in forewing are different (see key, below). The yellow line with outer edge of spot in space 2, about half of costal streak on upperside forewing is more pro- spot in space 3 overlapping spot in space 2, lower cell nounced than in S. similis, in this respect reminding spot as long as spot in space 3, upper cell spot about of S. noemi. The latter species, however, has larger one third the size. Upperside hindwing similar to and sub-equal cell spots, and the spots on under- S. similis. Underside forewing as in S. similis except side hindwing are much heavier (nice illustration in for the more extensive spotting. Underside hindwing de Nicéville 1885, pl. 2, fig. 15). In the male geni- as in S. similis, but black spots minute. talia the new species does not resemble any other Male genitalia (figs. 8, 9). Uncus elongate, almost Salanoemia species. cylindrical, about as long as tegumen, but no clear distinction between the two. In dorsal view tegumen Salanoemia shigerui Maruyama, 2000 with two lateral, blunt, more or less conical tuber- ances, and centrally a wing-like structure widening Material examined. − One male, ‘Sumatra, E. coast, to a triangular plate with obtuse angles covering the Laut Tador, 80 m, 4.i.1950, R. Straatman’, National basis of the uncus. No gnathos visible. Aedeagus bro- Museum of Natural History, Leiden (figs. 3, 4; local- ken. Valva simply built, elongate and almost paral- ity, fig. 7). lel-sided, slightly longer than length of tegumen plus

17 Downloaded from Brill.com10/01/2021 02:44:50AM via free access T  E,  149, 2006

The unmistakable species was described after a Alphabetical list of species single male from West Malaysia (, Jason Bay, Salanoemia Eliot, 1978 near Kota Tinggi) (Maruyama 2000). Understand- S. dissimilis sp. n. ably it was not included in Eliot (1992). The species S. fuscicornis (Elwes & Edwards, 1897) is characterised by the white hyaline spots, the cream- S. noemi (de Nicéville, 1885) coloured area in space 1b of the forewing upperside S. sala (Hewitson, [1866]) and in the discal area of the hindwing upperside, and S. shigerui Maruyama, 2000 the broad dark border of the hindwing underside. S. similis (Elwes & Edwards, 1897) The second specimen known, mentioned under S. tavoyana (Evans, 1926) ‘Material examined’ proved to be an almost perfect match. Key to the species of Salanoemia Male genitalia. The differences with S. tavoyana are as described by Maruyama (2000). Since Maruyama’s Since of two species (S. shigerui and S. dissimilis) figures are small, it may be useful to give larger fig- only males are known, the key is based on male speci- ures (figs. 10, 11) and a more extensive description mens. here. Maruyama only mentioned that the ‘shoulder of cuiller in valva’ (the distad edge of the valva) is more 1. Upperside hindwing plain brown ...... 2 distinctly projected and the gnathos ends in a tip and − Upperside hindwing with a yellow or cream-col- does not spread out. This is correct, but in addition oured spot in the discal area ...... 3 it can be mentioned that tegumen-plus-uncus in 2. Upperside forewing without apical spots ...... S. tavoyana is slightly shorter than the length of the ...... S. sala valva (proportion 14:16), while in S. shigerui tegu- From S India and Burma through Sundaland to men-plus-uncus is distinctly longer (proportion Palawan and Bali. 18:16) (measurements in lateral view of uncus and − Upperside forewing with one or two subapical tegumen; in dorsal view the angle of vision can make spots ...... S. fuscicornis the measurement unreliable). Perhaps because of the Burma, Thailand, Malay Peninsula, S and E Kali- greater length the uncus is more slender. The lateral, mantan. down-curving extensions start as broad folds at the 3. Forewing cell spots sub-equal and white ...... 4 sides of the tegument, quickly narrowing to a fin- − Forewing upper cell spot much smaller than low- ger-like apex. The valva is much wider at the base er cell spot, both yellowish ...... 6 than more distad, very different from what is found 4. Discal area on upperside hindwing yellow; under- in S. dissimilis. The costa is indistinct and peters out side hindwing yellow, without broad dark border; at about ⅓ of the valva. The sacculus is strongly en- underside forewing, apical third overlaid by yel- larged. Almost half of the length of the valva is tak- low scales ...... 5 en by the slightly more heavily sclerotised cucullus; − Discal area on upperside hindwing cream-col- outer half of dorsal edge of cucullus is finely serrate; oured, yellowish to the edges; underside hind- proximad of the serration is a slightly more heavily wing outer third dark brown, rest pale yellow sclerotized pad; gnathos consisting of two parallel, with some dark brown spots; underside forewing widely separated curved rods that gradually narrow to apical third overlaid by dark red scales ...... a point. Aedeagus long, slightly curved, no cornuti or ...... S. shigerui other ornamentation. Malay Peninsula, NE Sumatra. Although separated now by the Straits of Malacca, 5. Underside hindwing with spots solid black ...... it should be realised that Sumatra and Malaysia would ��������������������������������������������������������������������� S. noemi be connected by dry land with a drop in sea level of Sikkim, Assam. 20-30 m. This situation occurred for about half of − Underside hindwing with yellow centred black the time during the past 17,000 years, and for more spots ...... S. tavoyana than 90 % of the time during the past 250,000 years S Burma, S Thailand, West Malaysia (extreme (Voris 2000). A drop in sea level of 120 m, as oc- northwest only), West Kalimantan. curred during the glacial maxima, broadly connected 6. Upperside forewing, basal half of coastal area sol- all larger Sunda islands to the Asian mainland. So in id yellow, outer edges of spots in spaces 1b and 2 the relatively recent geological history there were no about half of spot in space 3 overlaps spot in space barriers for the lowland fauna to rove around through 2, lower cell spot as long as spot in space 3, up- the area. per cell spot about one third this size and placed over the outer half of the latter; underside hind- wing, spots reduced, cell spot linear, dark tornal area almost extending to inner spot in space 1c;

18 Downloaded from Brill.com10/01/2021 02:44:50AM via free access De Jong: Salanoemia and Isma

Isma cronus (de Nicéville, 1894) tegumen with large dorsal process ..... S. dissimilis West Java. − Upperside forewing, yellow colour of basal half Material examined. − One male, ‘West Java, 1300 m, of coastal area mainly in space between subcostal Tjibodas, 22.ix.1938, J.P. Rosier’, National Museum vein and radius, spots less extensive, outer edges of Natural History, Leiden; one male, North Borneo, of spots in spaces 1b, 2 and 3 not in line, spot Kina Balu; Natural History Museum, London. in space 3 only just overlapping spot in space 2, lower cell spot about half as long as spot in space Originally described after a single male from 3, upper cell spot slightly smaller than lower cell Sumatra, the species is also known from a few speci- spot and placed right over the latter; underside mens from West Malaysia and Borneo (only in the hindwing, spots well marked, solid, cell spot not north). Here the species is recorded from Java for the linear, dark tornal area more restricted, not ex- first time. The species is easily recognised by the lin- tending beyond outer spot in space 1c; tegumen ear hyaline spot in space 2 on the forewing and the without dorsal process ...... S. similis unmarked upperside of the hindwing (figs. 5, 6). The Malay Peninsula, Borneo (only known from Pulo dull yellow dots on the underside of the hindwing, Laut, island off southeast corner of Borneo). mentioned by Evans (1949) and Maruyama (1992) are practically invisible. There is a linear stigma run- Note. Eliot (1992) gave a colour picture of a speci- ning from mid vein 1 to the origin of vein 3 and men said to be a male of S. tavoyana. Unfortunately flanking the inner side of the linear spot in space 2, the underside has not been depicted. If the colour has and barely visible to the naked eye. It consists of nar- been reproduced correctly, the specimen is more simi- row, shining, grey scales. In the specimen from Java lar to S. dissimilis than to S. tavoyana. According to the stigma is incomplete and obsolete, and only trace- Evans (1949) the cell spots in S. tavoyana are subequal able under the microscope. On the other hand, the and the underside of the hindwing has ring spots. The elongate cilia at the hindwing tornus are easily ob- female of S. tavoyana has been figured by Maruyama served with the naked eye. This remarkable character (1991, pl. 24 fig. H137). The hyaline spots on the is only found in five Isma species and could be an forewing are white and the cell spots are, indeed, autapomorphic character of the five. However, it only subequal. partly overlaps with other features, such as the pres- ence of a linear discal stigma found in three of the five species as well as in four other Isma species. As in Isma Distant, 1886 other secondary sexual characters, homoplasy appar- There is not a single universal character defining ently plays a role here. this genus. Although authors agree about allocation of The only available figure of the genitalia is by species either to Quedara Swinhoe, 1919, or to Isma, Evans (1949, plate 38). However, this figure is too they disagree about characters. While Evans (1949) schematic to be of much use. In the dry preparation and Maruyama (1991) observe that the antennae are made by Evans from the Kina Balu specimen men- as long as the forewing cell in male and reach to the tioned above after which he made his drawing, the end of vein 12 in female in both genera, Eliot (1992) left valva is missing. Evans did not remove the long records the antennae to be shorter in Quedara. Appar- hair-like scales on the tegument, that cover most of ently this is not a reliable character, if only because it the uncus, thus obscuring the two mid-dorsal short is not easy to measure exactly and subtle differences flap-like folds as well as the slightly elevated round- may go unnoticed. Quedara is mainly characterised ed structures at the bases of the uncus arms. These by missing characters compared to Isma (absence of structures are densely covered with elevated sockets subapical spots on the forewing, absence of secondary of long radiating silk-like hairs. They may well have sexual characters). A re-examination of the genera of a glandular function. A more detailed figure of the the Plastingia group and a study of their interrelation- inner side of the valvae and dorsal view of tegumen ship is badly needed. and uncus of the specimen from Java are given here Isma, as understood at present, has about 17 (figs. 12-14). The valvae are slightly asymmetrical, the species (Maruyama 1991). The genus occurs in dorsal spined part of the cucullus of the left valva be- Sundaland and extends on the mainland to Burma ing folded where it is practically straight in the right (Evans 1949), Thailand (Pinratana 1985), Laos (Osa- valva; the right valva is identical to the specimen from da et al. 1999), and North Vietnam (Monastyrskii & Kina Balu. Devyatkin 2003). Five species are known to occur in Tjibodas (current spelling: Cibodas) is a much fre- Java. A sixth species is added here. quented place in the mountains east of Bogor, close to the town of Sindanglaya on the main road from Bogor to Bandung. The climate here, at an altitude of

19 Downloaded from Brill.com10/01/2021 02:44:50AM via free access T  E,  149, 2006

1300 to 1800 m, is much more pleasant than in the Evans, W.H., 1949. A catalogue of the Hesperiidae of lowland. There is an annex of the famous Botanical Europe, Asia and Australia in the British Museum Garden (Kebun Raya) of Bogor, and a much fre- (Natural History). − Trustees of the British Museum, quented trail to the summit of Gunung Gede starts London, xix+502 p. Jong, R. de, 2004. . – In: M. de Bruijn & R. Raben here. The forests on the slope of the mountain are (eds), The World of Jan Brandes, 1743-1808, Drawings protected. In view of all these facts it is the more re- of a Dutch traveller in Batavia, Ceylon and Southern markable that only this single specimen is known. Africa: 471-487. − Waanders Publishers, Rijksmuseum, Eliot (1992) already remarked that Isma species are so Amsterdam. rare that the two sexes are seldom taken at the same Maruyama, K., 1991. Butterflies of Borneo, 2(2), time and place, making it difficult to ensure that the Hesperiidae. − Tobishima Corporation, Tokyo, 89+83 p. Maruyama, K., 2000. Some notes on hesperiid butterflies of sexes are correctly paired. Yet the sexes must be able South-East Asia (1). − Butterflies 27: 4-11. to find each other and the apparent rarity may be due Monastyrskii A.L. & A.L. Devyatkin, 2003. Butterflies to a seclusive way of life. of Vietnam (Systematic List). − Geos, Moscow, Hanoi, 63 p. Nicéville, L. de, 1885. Descriptions of some new Indian Acknowledgements Rhopalocera. − Journal of the Asiatic Society of Bengal 54: 117-124, pl. ii. The author is much indebted to Phillip Ackery Osada, S., Uémura, Y. & Y. Nishiyama, 1999. An illustrated and Kim Goodger (The Natural History Museum, checklist of the butterflies of Laos P. D. R. − Mokuyo-sha, London) for arranging the loan of the specimen of Tokyo, 239 p. Isma cronus from which Evans made his drawing of Pinratana, B.A., 1985. Butterflies in Thailand, 5, Hesperi- the male genitalia. idae. − Vinratham Press, Bangkok, 150 p. Voris, H.K., 2000. Map of Pleistocene sea levels in South- east Asia: shorelines, river systems and time durations. References − Journal of Biogeography 27: 1153-1167. Eliot, J.N., 1978. 3rd revision of A.S. Corbet & H.M. Pendlebury, The Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula. – Malayan Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur, xiv+577 p. Eliot, J.N., 1992. 4th revision of A.S. Corbet & H.M. Pendlebury, The Butterflies of the Malay Peninsula. − Malayan Nature Society, Kuala Lumpurxiv+595 p. Evans, W.H., 1937. A catalogue of the African Hesperiidae in the British Museum (Natural History). − Trustees of Received: 29 March 2005 the British Museum, London, xii+212 p. Accepted: 10 January 2006

20 Downloaded from Brill.com10/01/2021 02:44:50AM via free access