Vietnam Insect

Thursday, July 3, 2014

Checklist of Sphingidae of Vietnam

Acosmerycoides harterti (Rothschild, 1895)
Acosmeryx anceus (Stoll, 1781)
Acosmeryx castanea Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Acosmeryx naga (Moore, [1858])
Acosmeryx omissa Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Acosmeryx pseudomissa Mell, 1922
Acosmeryx sericeus (Walker, 1856)
Acosmeryx shervillii Boisduval, [1875]
Acosmeryx sinjaevi Brechlin & Kitching, 1996
Acosmeryx pseudonaga Brechlin & Kitching, 2007
Acherontia lachesis (Fabricius, 1798)
Acherontia styx Westwood, 1847
Agrius convolvuli (Linnaeus, 1758)
Ambulyx canescens Walker, [1865]
Ambulyx clavata (Jordan, 1929)
Ambulyx kuangtungensis (Mell, 1922)
Ambulyx liturata Butler, 1875
Ambulyx montana Cadiou & Kitching, 1990
Ambulyx moorei Moore, [1858]
Ambulyx ochracea Butler, 1885
Ambulyx pryeri Distant, 1887
Ambulyx pseudoclavata Inoue, [1996]
Ambulyx schauffelbergeri Bremer & Grey, 1853
Ambulyx semiplacida Inoue, 1990
Ambulyx sericeipennis Butler, 1875
Ambulyx substrigilis Westwood, 1847
Ampelophaga dolichoides (R. Felder, [1874])
Ampelophaga khasiana Rothschild, 1895
Ampelophaga rubiginosa Bremer & Grey, 1853
Amplypterus mansoni (Clark, 1924)
Amplypterus panopus (Cramer, 1779)
Anambulyx elwesi (Druce, 1882)
Angonyx testacea (Walker, 1856)
Apocalypsis velox (Butler, 1876)
Barbourion lemaii (Le Moult, 1933)
Callambulyx junonia (Butler, 1881)
Callambulyx poecilus (Rothschild, 1898)
Callambulyx rubricosa (Walker, 1856)
Callambulyx schintlmeisteri Brechlin, 1997
Cechenena aegrota (Butler, 1875)
Cechenena helops (Walker, 1856)
Cechenena lineosa (Walker, 1856)
Cechenena minor (Butler, 1875)
Cechenena mirabilis Butler, 1875
Cechenena scotti Rothschild, 1920
Cephonodes hylas (Linnaeus, [1771])
Cephonodes picus (Cramer, 1777)
Cephonodes woodfordi Butler, 1889
Cizara sculpta (R. Felder, [1874])
Clanis bilineata (Walker, 1866)
Clanis phalaris (Cramer, 1777)
Clanis schwartzi Cadiou, 1993
Clanis titan Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Clanis undulosa Moore, 1879
Craspedortha porphyria (Butler, 1876)
Cypa decolor (Walker, 1856)
Cypa enodis Jordan, 1931
Cypoides chinensis (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)
Dahira rubiginosa Moore, 1888
Dahira obliquifascia (Hampson,1910)
Daphnis hypothous (Cramer, 1780)
Daphnis nerii (Linnaeus, 1758)
Daphnusa ocellaris Walker, 1856
Degmaptera mirabilis (Rothschild, 1894)
Deilephila elpenor (Linnaeus, 1758)
Dolbina inexacta (Walker, 1856)
Elibia dolichus (Westwood, 1847)
Enpinanga assamensis (Walker, 1856)
Eupanacra busiris (Walker, 1856)
Eupanacra malayana (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)
Eupanacra metallica (Butler, 1875)
Eupanacra mydon (Walker, 1856)
Eupanacra perfecta (Butler, 1875)
Eupanacra sinuata (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)
Eupanacra variolosa (Walker, 1856)
Eurypteryx bhaga (Moore, [1866])
Gnathothlibus erotus (Cramer, 1777)
Griseosphinx marchandi Cadiou, 1996
Hayesiana triopus (Westwood, 1847)
Hippotion boerhaviae (Fabricius, 1775)
Hippotion celerio (Linnaeus, 1758)
Hippotion echeclus (Boisduval, [1875])
Hippotion rafflesii (Moore, [1858])
Hippotion rosetta (Swinhoe, 1892)
Hippotion velox (Fabricius, 1793)
Ihlegramma ihlei Eitschberger, 2003
Langia zenzeroides Moore, 1872
Leucophlebia lineata Westwood, 1847
Macroglossum aquila Boisduval, [1875]
Macroglossum belis [Linnaeus, 1758)
Macroglossum bombylans Boisduval, [1875]
Macroglossum corythus Walker, 1856
Macroglossum divergens Walker, 1856
Macroglossum faro (Cramer, 1779)
Macroglossum fritzei Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Macroglossum glaucoptera Butler, 1875
Macroglossum gyrans Walker, 1856
Macroglossum hemichroma Butler, 1875
Macroglossum insipida Butler, 1875
Macroglossum limata Swinhoe, 1892
Macroglossum mediovitta Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Macroglossum mitchellii Boisduval, [1875]
Macroglossum neotroglodytus Kitching & Cadiou, 2000
Macroglossum nycteris Kollar, [1844]
Macroglossum passalus (Drury, 1773)
Macroglossum pyrrhosticta Butler, 1875
Macroglossum saga Butler, 1878
Macroglossum semifasciata Hampson, [1893]
Macroglossum sitiene Walker, 1856
Macroglossum sylvia Boisduval, 1875
Macroglossum variegatum Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Marumba cristata (Butler, 1875)
Marumba dyras (Walker, 1856)
Marumba gaschkewitschii (Bremer & Grey, 1853)
Marumba juvencus Rothschild & Jordan, 1912
Marumba spectabilis (Butler, 1875)
Marumba sperchius (Ménétriés, 1857)
Megacorma obliqua (Walker, 1856)
Meganoton analis (R. Felder, [1874])
Meganoton nyctiphanes (Walker, 1856)
Meganoton rubescens (Butler, [1876])
Meganoton yunnanfuana (Clark, 1925)
Micracosmeryx chaochauensis (Clark, 1922)
Morwennius decoratus (Moore, 1872)
Neogurelca hyas (Walker, 1856)
Nephele hespera (Fabricius, 1775)
Opistoclanis hawkeri (Joicey & Talbot, 1921)
Parum collagita (Walker, 1856)
Pentateucha curiosa Swinhoe, 1908
Pergesa acteus (Cramer, 1779)
Poliana leucomelas Rothschild & Jordan, 1915
Polyptychus trilineatus Moore, 1888
Psilogramma increta (Walker, [1865])
Psilogramma menephron (Cramer, 1780)
Phyllosphingia dissimilis (Bremer, 1861)
Rhagastis acuta (Walker, 1856)
Rhagastis albomarginatus (Rothschild, 1894)
Rhagastis castor (Walker, 1856)
Rhagastis confusa Rothschild & Jordan, 1903
Rhagastis gloriosa (Butler, 1875)
Rhagastis hayesi Diehl, [1982]
Rhagastis lunata (Rothschild, 1900)
Rhagastis olivacea (Moore, 1872)
Rhagastis velata (Walker, 1866)
Rhodoprasina callantha (Jordan, 1929)
Rhodoprasina corrigenda Kitching & Cadiou, 1996
Rhodoprasina winbrechlini Brechlin, 1996
Sataspes infernalis (Westwood, 1847)
Sataspes tagalica Boisduval, [1875]
Smerinthulus perversa (Rothschild, 1895)
Smerinthulus quadripunctatus Huwe, 1895
Smerinthus szechuanus (Clark, 1938)
Sphecodina caudata (Bremer & Grey, 1853)
Sphinx oberthueri (Rothschild & Jordan, 1903)
Sphingonaepiopsis pumilio (Boisduval, [1875])
Theretra alecto (Linnaeus, 1758)
Theretra boisduvalii (Bugnion, 1839)
Theretra clotho (Drury, 1773)
Theretra japonica (Boisduval, 1869)
Theretra latreillii (W. S. Macleay, 1826)
Theretra lycetus (Cramer, 1775)
Theretra nessus (Drury, 1773)
Theretra oldenlandiae (Fabricius, 1775)
Theretra pallicosta (Walker, 1856)
Theretra silhetensis (Walker, 1856)
Theretra suffusa (Walker, 1856)

How to access the male genitalia of a scarab beetle for studying in the laboratory

Genitalia analyze is one of very important step of studying taxonomy of insects in general and beetles particularly. Not only because they are very variable in mature form but also they are very similar among individuals that not belong same species. For some group of beetles, genitalia is not the key characteristic for separate species but in some group, the male genitalia is only way to identify them to species level.

Each taxonomist developed himself a way to study his group, this posting I am going to express how I access the male genitalia of a horned rutelinae for studying without cut them off from the specimen.

Prepare a hot water cup/box for the dried specimen that collected from the field.

Keep the male beetle into the hot water, duration up to how dried specimen is and with hotter water, the specimen will be flexible in a shorter time (do not reboil water with the beetle in because too high temperature will destroys the pigment chemical agents (color).

From left to right (below): box of hot water (now maybe warm water) with beetle specimen, soft tissue paper (toilet paper, don't apply an used toilet paper in this case, we need a clean one), foam board; above: forceps and insect pins.

Make the beetle dried by soft tissue paper, both side of the specimen.

Transfer to the foam board for fix the poission

Fixed specimen with entomological pins then you can access the last abdomen segment without moving

Prepare 2 forceps with point tips, each hand with each one.

Transfer the beetle to a microscope and see detail the last segment of the abdomen.

Use the point forceps open the last segment

Then you can see the apex of the penis

Then try to pull out the penis from the abdomen

Do it slowly without damage the penis apex (it very sensitive and easy to be broken)

Release specimen by removing the insect pins

Open the mandible make them separate in a good view poisition

Turn the specimen to express position

Fix the specimen in dorsal position with insect pins again.

Under microscopic field, check the shape and position of the genitalia in dorsal view. Shape of the genitalia shows that it look like Kibakoganea dohertyi

Dried fixed specimen in a box with silica-gel in side

As your specimen full dried up, it will ready for pinning or gluing on the card board, do not forget the data label of the specimen.

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Cheirotonus, Long arm beetles from Vietnam

Cheirotonus is a genus of Euchiridae or some author keep them in subfamily of Melolonthidae or subfamily Euchirinae of Scarabaeidae. Their English name is long arm beetle and in Vietnamese, they are called "Cua Bay" with meaning is flying craps, anyway, the name of the genus because of their very long fore legs. In Vietnam there are four species of the genus, three of them with mun-ti spots on the elytra: Cheirotonus battareli, Cheirotonus gestroi and Cheirotonus parryi and the remain with dark green elytra: Cheirotonus jansoni.

The species Cheirotonus parryi is the first species that named for science of the genus, its name honor to Major Frederick John Sidney Parry who was a British Army Solder and an entomologist of Entomological Society of London and Linnae Society as well. He was an specialist of Coleoptera, particularly Lucanidae. In Vietnam the species Cheirotonus parryi has been found from Southern Forests: Cat Tien National Park, Dong Nai Province.

Male of Cheirotonus parryi with long medial spine of fore legs.

Two other yellow spotted elytra species is Cheirotonus battareli and Cheirotonus gestroi. The species Cheirotonus battareli have been found only from North Vietnam: Sa Pa (Lao Cai), Van Ban (Yen Bai), Tay Con Linh (Ha Giang), Mau Son (Lang Son), Pia Oac (Cao Bang), Tam Dao (Vinh Phuc), Pu Mat (Nghe An)... and the later species Cheirotonus gestroi maybe distributes in South Center of Vietnam: Kon Tum, Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, Lam Dong. They are very similar each other but difference from Cheirotonus parryi in the medial spine of fore legs (shorter). In Cheirotonus gestroi, the lobe of medial spine of fore femur without teeth but there are some teeth on it of Cheirotonus battareli.

Male of Cheirotonus battareli

Male of Cheirotonus gestroi

In 1994, Muramoto published a paper with description of Cheirotonus fujiokai from China, near Vietnam border (Ha Giang Province). The question if Cheirotonus fujiokai can be found from Vietnam has not been answered, however this small size species very similar to Cheirotonus gestroi but difference from both Cheirotonus gestroi and Cheirotonus battareli in medio-lateral shallows depression of pronotum of male: in Cheirotonus fujiokai, the area just finely punctured but it is deeply punctured in two previous species.