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Scientific name
PPyrops watanabei (Matsumura, 1913)
= Fulgora (Hotinus) watanabei Matsumura, 1913
= Fulgora watanabei Matsumura, 1913● |
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Chinese name
渡邊氏東方蠟蟬、渡邊氏長吻白臘蟲● |
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English name
Watanabe's Lantern Fly |
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Classification 蠟蟬科(Fulgoridae)，蠟蟬亞科(Fulgorinae)，提燈蟲族(Laternarini)
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Diagnosis
Large-sized homopteran species. Body length (including
the cranial projection) 4.5-6 cm, wingspan 5-7 cm. Head
characteristic by a very long and prominent cranial projection;
cranial projection yellow in ground colour and tinged
white spots and with terminal protruded structure; whole
body covered by waxy powders.; leg bluish black, with
serrate spinulets. Forewings ground colour white, tinged
with bluish black spots along marginal area and with several
brown spots circled by white patches; hindwings similar
to forewing in colour but with less spotted pattern. |
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Distribution
The subspecies watanabei is reported from Taiwan, China
(Kuangdong and Fujian), and the subspecies atroalba is
distributed to Taiwan and N. Vietnam. |
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Habitat and Ecology
This striking insect mostly appears in the lowland forests
in summer or early autumn. It is widely known that the
adults prefer to inhabit on the trunks of Sapium sebiferum
(L.) Roxb. and S. discolor Muell.-Arg. (Euphorbiaceae).
However, their detailed biology and immature stages are
still completely unknown to science. The biology of a
similar but not the most related genus Lycorma is better
known. The adults of Lycorma lay eggs on the trunks of
host trees, and the immatures are aggregated and feed
on host stems or trunks. |
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Threats and Conservation Status
This species has quite restricted distribution though
it has a very wide geographical range. Commercial collecting
is not so prominent like other high-priced beetles, but
several local populations could be easily declined by
deforestation and unwelcome interruption of habitats in
lowland forests. The subspecies watanabei was described
from southern Taiwan, however, there has been no any confirmed
collecting record from the south for years. The subspecies
atroalba could be very likely a colour variation but is
in need of further investigation (Nagai & Porion,
1996). |
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Remarks
In the protected species list of the Wildlife Conservation
Law, this species is attributed to Fulgora, the type genus
of Fulgoridae. According to the report of Liang (1998),
the typification of Fulgora had ever been historically
problematic until the Committee of International Code
of Zoological Nomenclature arbitrated (1954) that Fulgora
should be based on a South American species rather than
the Oriental Pyrops candelaria. Therefore, Pyrops is now
applied on Pyrops candelaria and all its relatives in
the Oriental and Indo-Australian regions. In addition,
the morphological and geographical boundaries between
the two subspecies watanabei and atroalba are still open
to question. |
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