Lemaireia hainana Updated as per Nachr. entomol. Ver. Apollo, N. F. 27 (1/2): 23–25 (2006): "First record of the saturniid genus Lemaireia Nässig & Holloway, 1987 from Hainan island (PR China) with the description of a new species (Lepidoptera: Saturniidae)", Wolfgang A. Nässig and Wang Min

Lemaireia hainana
Nässig & Wang, 2006

Lemaireia hainana male, Wuzhi Shan, Hainan, China,
82mm, January 3-10, 1333m, courtesy of Stefan Naumann.

Lemaireia hainana HT male, Jianfengling National Nature Reserve, Hainan, China,
November 29, 2003, 1000m, courtesy of Wang Min.

TAXONOMY:

Superfamily: Bombycoidea, Latreille, 1802
Family: Saturniidae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Subfamily: Saturniinae, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Tribe: Saturniini, Boisduval, [1837] 1834
Genus: Lemaireia Nässig & Holloway, 1987

DISTRIBUTION:

Lemaireia hainana (wingspan: males: 82mm; females: probably larger // mfwl: 40mm; ffwl: probably larger) flies in China: Hainan: Wuzhi Shan (1333m; VS), Jianfengling National Nature Reserve (1000m; WM) at elevations of 1000-1333m.

(Etymology: named after the known distribution range, the island of Hainan, China. The genus name is honourific for Claude Lemaire.)

As of January 1, 2019, there are ten Lemaireia species/subspecies that are recognized by science. Two of those species, loepoides and schintlmeisteri from the loepoides group, are distinct from each other and distinct from the other eight species/subspecies in the chrysopeplus group to which Lemaireia naessigi belongs. It is almost impossible to distinguish the species in the chrysopeplus group by outward appearance; almost always examination of genitalia or DNA barcoding is needed for a confident identification.

Although there is possibly some overlap in ranges of the chrysopeplus group members, location can greatly reduce some of the confusion. Below is a listing of the chrysopeplus group members from east to west, north to south in their respective known ranges.

Lemaireia luteopeplus luteopeplus northeastern India: Assam and possibly northern Mayanmar;
Lemaireia naessigi central to southeastern Mayanmar and central western Thailand;
Lemaireia luteopeplus aureopeplus possibly Myanmar, northern Thailand, China: Yunnan; northern Laos; northern Vietnam;
Lemaireia mediovietnama central Vietnam;
Lemaireia inexpectata southern Vietnam;
Lemaireia hainana China: Hainan;
Lemaireia jaegeri northern Sumatra: Aceh;
Lemaireia chrysopeplus Java; possibly Sumatra: Aceh.

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Specimens are on the wing in July and November. There are probably additional flight months.

Lemaireia hainana male, Wuzhi Shan, Hainan, China,
82mm, January 3-10, 2008, 1333m, courtesy of Stefan Naumann.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

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