Cephonodes sanshaensis sp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Sphingidae) from Xisha Islands, Hainan Province, China

Abstract

A new species, Cephonodes sanshaensis Deng & Huang sp. nov. is described from Xisha Islands in Sansha City of China. The photos of the adults and their genitalia are provided. The new species is similar to C. hylas (Linnaeus, 1771) and C. picus (Cramer, 1777), but it can be distinguished easily by characters in the male genitalia: the right lobe of the uncus hook-shaped with distinctly acute apex, left valva long and narrow with truncate apex, right valva broad knife-shaped. Molecular analysis based on COI barcode sequences is used to infer the phylogenetic position of the new species within the genus Cephonodes. An updated key and checklist to the species of the genus Cephonodes are also provided.