The sumatrana species group of the genus Platyja with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae)

Abstract

It is shown that under the old concept of Platyja cyanocraspis Hampson, 1922 at least six species are intermingled, including two sympatric sibling ones from New Guinea. Four such species are new to science and are herein described, namely Platyja subtracta sp. n. (New Guinea), P. togutila sp. n. (Halmahera), P. vityaz sp. n. (Bismarck Archipelago) and P. yaleyambae sp. n. (Louisiades), while a fifth one from Buru and Ceram is upgraded from subspecific status as P. lecerfi A.E. Prout, 1922 stat. n. A singleton from New Britain (Bismarck Archipelago) closely albeit not entirely matching P. vityaz is also discussed.

Keywords

• moths
• taxonomy
• sibling species
• Indo-Australian Region
• Papuan Region