On the discovery of Hasora mixta limata ssp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Coeliadinae) from Lanyu, Taiwan, with observations of its unusual immature biology

A fairly large skipper, Hasora mixta, was discovered on Lanyu (Orchid I.), off the southeastern coast of Taiwan. Samples of this species from Lanyu were compared with those from other regions, revealing that the wing pattern and male genitalia consistently differ from those of other subspecies, and this is herein described as H. mixta limata, ssp. nov. This skipper is crepuscular or on the wing under cloudy conditions. An investigation of the immature biology of H. mixta limata revealed that it demonstrates an oviposition behavior unusual in skippers, in that it conceals its ova between leaflets of its larval host with spumaline. The papillae anales of the female genitalia are modified so that they can insert ova into tightly attached leaflets of young buds. The specific larval host of H. mixta limata is a legume that requires taxonomic clarification.