LOEPA OF THE WORLD

"Loepa consists of a number of strikingly patterned, bright yellow Oriental species. The ocelli are large, particularly that on the forewing, markedly asymmetric. Fore- and hindwings have a similar series of black fasciae, irregular, or squarely crenulate, the outermost two closely associated except subapically on the forewing when the outermost diverges towards the margin to form a black semicircle within the bounds of the fine, white, arcuate, submarginal within the confines of the space anterior to vein M1.

"The male genitalia have the uncus narrow, apically bifid. The valve is apically rounded, with a small spur on the ventral margin. The saccus is well developed.

"Nassig (in press, a) presents an account of larvae in the genus. The dorsal scoli on A8 are not fused but well separate. The larvae are black or dark reddish with a series of lateral triangular patches of luminous green or pale yellow. Most host records are from the Vitidaceae, but Dilleniaceae, Saxifragaceae and Rutaceae are also utilised.

"The genus ranges throughout the Oriental Region to as far east as Sulawesi. The status of the various taxa is still not clear."

Source=http://www.arbec.com.my/moths/saturniidae/saturn_3.htm

Loepa katinka larva on Virginia creeper, copyright protected, courtesy of Thibaud Decaens.

P indicates an image is available.

Listing of Loepa

xizangensis Brechlin, 2014 China: Xizang (Tibet)

P anthera (Jordan, 1911) Laos, Vietnam, northern Thailand (AC), southeastern China
N baliensis U. Paukstadt & L.H. Paukstadt, 2010 Indonesischen Archipel: Bali
P bhutanensis Naumann & Löffler, 2012 Bhutan
P bretschneideri Naumann & Löffler, 2012 extreme northeastern India
P cynopsis Nässig & Suhardjono, 1989 Indonesia: Java, Bali
P damartis Jordan southeastern China
P damartis szechwana Chu and Wang China: Sichuan
P diffundata Naumann, Nassig and Loffler, 2008 Laos, Thailand, Burma=Myanmar, Vietnam, China (Yunnan (AM))
P diehli Brechlin 2010 Indonesia, Sumatra, Mt. Sanggul, 1200m, XII.2004.
P diffunoccidentalis Brechlin 2010 Burma=Myanmar, Zi Yar Dam, 65 km E Putao, 1250 m., 27.50ºN, 97.01ºE, Holotype: ZSM. male ?. 18.-21.VIII.1998. leg. Murzin & Sinjaev; Bhutan; probably northeastern India.
P diffunorientalis Brechlin 2010 Vietnam, Plato Tay Nguyen, Mt. Ngoc Linh, 15º02'N, 107º59'E. Holotype: ZSM. male ?. 10.-25.VIII.1996. leg. Sinjaev & Afonin
P diversiocellata (Bryk, 1944) Thailand, Burma=Myanmar, Vietnam, China: (Yunnan (AM)) = Katinka
P elongata Naumann, Löffler & Nässig, 2012 China: Sichuan; Yunnan
P finnackermanni Brechlin 2010 Indonesia, Sulawesi, Sulawesi Tenggara, Melia Benoa resort, ca. 4.14ºS, 122.06ºE, 60 m. Holotype: ZSM. male ?. XI.1997. leg. local collector
P formosensis Mell, 1939 China; Taiwan
P hayatiae U. Paukstadt & Brechlin, 2011 Indonesia, Jawa Island, Province Jawa Barat, Mt. Sindur, Tasikmalaya, ca. 90 km. SE Bandung. March 1999.
P javanica (Mell, 1938) Loepa javanica Mell, 1939, now with full species status, elevated from subspecies of sikkima; Jawa
P kachinica Naumann & Löffler, 2012 Burma=Myanmar
P katinka Westwood, 1848 India, Nepal, Bhutan, Burma=Myanmar, China: western Yunnan.
P kuangdongensis (Mell, 1938) China, Vietnam; sp? kuangtungensis ??
P lampei Paukstadt, Paukstadt & Brechlin 2011 Malaysia: Western Malaysia, Pahang Province, Cameron Highlands, Kampung Raja, ca. 1600 m.
Holotype: Coll. Paukstadt. male. BC (Bold Code): ULP no. 0142. 15.XII.1995.-10.III.1996. leg. Ronnie Chong.
P martinii Brechlin & Paukstadt 2010 Borneo, Sabah, Mt. Trus Madi, 1100 m. Holotype: ZSM. male ?. 15.IV.2003. leg. K. & B. Martini.
P megacore (Jordan, 1911) Borneo, Sumatra, Malaysia
P melli Naumann, Löffler & Nässig, 2012 China: Gansu; Shaanxi; Sichuan; Tibet; Hubei; Jiangxi
P meyi Naumann, 2003 Shaanxi, China
P microocellata Naumann & Kishida, 2001 China: Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Fujian, Jianxi, Hubei.
P minahassae Mell, 1938 Sulawesi, Indonesia, Pulau Buton, P. Peleng, and P. Tanahjampea
P mindanaensis Schüssler, 1933 Philippines
P miranda Moore, 1865 India: Sikkim; Nepal
P miranda taipeishanis Mell (1938) Gansu, China
P mirandula Yen, Nässig, Naumann, & Brechlin, 2000 Taiwan
P nepalensis Brechlin 2010 Nepal; Nepal, Deorali Danda, 1 km N Yamphudin, 2000 m. Holotype: ZSM. male ?. 19.VI.1998. leg. M. Hreblay
P newara (Moore) India, Assam, Nepal This is Rhodinia newara.
P nigropupillata Nässig & Treadaway, 1988 Philippines
P oberthuri (Leech, 1890) southeastern China
P obscuromarginata Naumann, 1998 China: Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Henan
P orientomiranda Brechlin 2010 northern Vietnam; ?? northern Thailand??
P orientomiranda mirella Brechlin 2010 northern Thailand
P palawana Nässig & Treadaway, 1997 Palawan, Philippines
P paramiranda Brechlin 2010 India: Sikkim; probably Nepal (WO?)
P peggyae Brechlin 2010 Vietnam, Tonkin, Mt.Fan-si-pan, Sa Pa (Chapa), 1600-1900 m., 22.20ºN, 103.40ºE. Holotype: ZSM. male ?. IV.1995. leg. local collector.
P peggyae hainanensis Brechlin 2010 China: Hainan Type locality: China, Hainan Isl., Wuzhi-Shan (Mts.), 1500 m., 18º53'N, 109º43'E. Holotype: ZSM. male ?. 22.II.-08.IV.2000.
P roseomarginata Brechlin, 1997 Vietnam
P sakaei Inoue, 1965 Japan
P schintlmeisteri Brechlin, 2000 S. India
P septentrionalis Mell, 1938 China: Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Hubei
P siamensis Brechlin 2010 Type locality: Thailand, Chiang Mai Province, Doi Inthanon Nat. Park, km 37-38, road N of Chom-Thong, near/around checkpoint 2, 1730 m. Holotype: ZSM. male ?. 28.-31.V.1998. leg. R. Brechlin; Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, southern China
P siamensis malayensis Brechlin 2010 Malaysia, Pahang state, Cameron Highlands, Tana Ratah; Burma=Myanmar; Cambodia
P sikkima (Moore, 1866) Himalayas to Sundaland, Laos
P sikkima javanica (Mell, 1938) Borneo, Malaysia and Sumatra; probably full species status
P sikkima subspecies Vietnam
P sinjaevi Brechlin, 2004 China: southeastern China
P sumatrana Nassig, Lampe & Kager, 1989 Sumatra
P taipeishanis Mell, 1939, now a good species, elevated from subspecies of miranda; China: Gansu
P tibeta Naumann, 2003 Tibet, China
P vanschaycki Brechlin, 2012 Malaysia, Pahang State, Cameron Highlands
P visayana Brechlin, 2000 Leyte (Visayas), Philippines
P wlingana Yang, 1978 now a good species; China: Hebei?
P xizangensis Brechlin, 2014 Tibet, China
P yunnana Mell, 1939 Yunnan, China

With the advent of DNA barcoding analysis in 2008 at the University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada, many new species have been described. Many of these "new" species are very similar in appearance to other species whose names have long been recognized by science. In many cases collectors and authors alike had used the pre-existing names to label their specimens or describe ranges. Thus a specimen from Tibet that appeared similar to Loepa miranda from Darjeeling, India, was probably labelled as miranda, and the range of miranda may have been mistakenly extended into Tibet, where, in fact, a slightly different species, Loepa tibeti exists.

It is also possible that the bar for determining new species, based on DNA analysis, has been set too low, and that many of the "new" species are clinal variations of existing species rather than distinct species.

I will attempt to keep this website current with regard to the literature. Newly described (published) species will be posted. If future research and/or publications determine some of the newly named "species" are synonyms for existing species, that will also be noted.

To help me with identifications and expansion of this site to include the many images that are submitted or posted on the internet, I will be creating identification charts for each country that hosts Loepa species, and I will be creating Loepa subgroup charts that will be helpful (hopefully) when place of origin is not known. It is extremely helpful to have all known data (precise location, elevation, date, wingspan, etc.,) submitted with images.

It will take considerable time to create the identification charts. Hopefuly they will be useful for many years to come. It is also possible that some identifications may only be determined by DNA analysis. The following lists will at least let you know the very similar species in the respective groupings.

Loepa miranda Group

miranda Moore, 1865 India: Sikkim; Nepal
septentrionalis Mell, 1938 China: Sichuan, Shaanxi, Gansu and Hubei
mirandula Yen, Nässig, Naumann, & Brechlin, 2000 Taiwan
roseomarginata Brechlin, 1997 Vietnam
obscuromarginata Naumann, 1998 China: Guangxi, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Henan
orientomiranda Brechlin 2010 northern Vietnam; ?? northern Thailand??
orientomiranda mirella Brechlin 2010 northern Thailand
kachinica Naumann & Löffler, 2012 Myanmar
sinjaevi Brechlin, 2004 China: southeastern China
tibeta Naumann, 2003 Tibet, China
melli Naumann, Löffler & Nässig, 2012 China: Gansu; Shaanxi; Sichuan; Tibet; Hubei; Jiangxi
meyi Naumann, 2003 Shaanxi, China
microocellata Naumann & Kishida, 2001 China: Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Hunan, Fujian, Jianxi, Hubei.
yunnana Mell, 1939 Yunnan, China
paramiranda Brechlin 2010 India: Sikkim; probably Nepal (WO?)
taipeishanis Mell, 1939; China: Gansu
vanschaycki Brechlin, 2012 Malaysia, Pahang State, Cameron Highlands
lampei Paukstadt, Paukstadt & Brechlin 2011 Malaysia: Pahang: Cameron Highlands: Kampung Raja, 1600m
xizangensis Brechlin, 2014 Tibet, China

Loepa damartis Group

damartis
szechuana
taipeishanis
wlingana, possibly (2010) a synonym of taipeishanis

Loepa katinka Group

katinka
martinii
megacore
cynopsis
palawana
diffundata
diversiocellata
mindanaensis
nigropupillata
visayana
javanica
nepalensis
diehli
sumatrana

finnackermanni
minahassae

sikkima undergroup of katinka

sikkima
peggyae
peggyae hainanensis
siamensis
siamensis malayensis

diffundata
diffunorientalis
diffunoccidentalis

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