Actias sinensis subsp. siriae Brechlin & Van Schayck 2017

Actias sinensis siriae Brechlin & Van Schayck, 2017 Figs 6C–D, 18E–F Material examined. LAOS: Bolaven Plateau, Champasak Province, Paksong town, mountain tropical forest and pine plantations, 15°10'54"N, 106°14'25"E, 26– 28.07.2023, E. Spitsyna & V. Spitsyn leg. – 4♂. Distribution in Laos. Champasak Province (this study). Reference COI barcode sequences. GenBank acc. no. PV069499, PV069500. Remarks. (1) The first record from Laos. Hence, the subspecies occurs in central Vietnam (Quang Ngai Province) and southern Laos (Champasak Province, Bolaven Plateau). (2) A. sinensis siriae represents a highly divergent lineage and has a COI p -distance of 1.9–2.9% from the nominate subspecies. (3) The description of this subspecies was published in a non-open access journal offering only a print edition which is not available for purchase. Therefore, based on the specimens collected from Bolaven Plateau, we present a brief redescription of the taxon, as well as illustrations of external and genital morphology of the male specimens (Figs 6C–D, 18E–F). The redescription includes only those morphological features that are barely visible in the photographs. Diagnosis. The subspecies can be distinguished from the nominate one by 7 fixed nucleotide substitutions in the COI gene fragment: 173C, 227T, 356G, 371A, 575T, 581A, 596C. Brief redescription. Male morphology (Fig. 6C–D): Wingspan 89–94 mm, forewing length 51– 58 mm (n = 4). Head light yellow or light creamy. Eye black. Antenna quadripectinate, light brown. Labial palp very short (its length ca. 0.25 of eye diameter), red-brown, with yellow apex. Thorax yellow, anteriorly reddish-brown and having sparse white scales. Patagium brown with sparse white scales. Tegula yellow, reddish-brown at base, with sparse white scales. Legs yellow, tarsus and tibia red-brown. Abdomen yellow, with unclear reddish spots laterally (spots may absent in some specimens).