A review of the genus Colias Fabricius, 1807 (Lepidoptera: Pieridae) from Qinghai with descriptions of a new subspecies of Colias thrasibulus Fruhstorfer, 1910 Author Huang, Hao 503, Unit 1, # 1 Dongtinghu Road, Qingdao, P. R. China. Author Song, Kui 0000-0002-6928-7869 School of Economics and Management, Qinghai Nationalities University, Bayi Road No. 3, Xining, 810007, Qinghai, P. R. China. 76342870 @ qq. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6928 - 7869 76342870@qq.com text Zootaxa 2022 2022-03-07 5105 4 451 489 journal article 20328 10.11646/zootaxa.5105.4.1 45708bdc-2d73-4b5d-91d9-75d9f31665a2 1175-5326 6333771 E81605D2-5B90-446A-B209-57EEFC8EA396 Colias nebulosa nebulosa Oberthür, 1894 ( Figs. 16 , 19 , 41 , 43–44 , 46–47 , 49 , 62 , 69 ) Colias Nebulosa Oberthür, 1894: 8 , pl. 8, fig. 65 (TL: Danba, NE. Kangding: Grieshuber et al. , 2012 ). Colias sifanica nebulosa : Verity, 1909: 228 , pl. 41, figs. 26–27 & 29. Colias pugo Evans, 1924: 973 (TL: Pugo, 12km S.-SE. Ranwu, SE. Tibet ); Grieshuber et al, 2012: 163 , synonymy for C. nebulosa , 183–184, discussions on type series, type locality and taxonomic status. Colias cocandica pugo : Bang-Haas, 1927: 109 . Colias cocandica nebulosa : Bang-Haas, 1927: 109 . Colias cocandica sungpani Bang-Haas, 1927: 109 (TL: Sungpan = Songpan, N. Sichuan ); Grieshuber & Lamas, 2007: 156 , synonymic list, synonymy for C. nebulosa ; Grieshuber et al, 2012: 213 , discussions on type series, type locality and taxonomic status. Colias cocandica niveata Bang-Haas, 1927: 110 (TL: S. of Da-Tan (Tatung), Daban Shan, Qinghai : Grieshuber et al. , 2012 ); Grieshuber & Lamas, 2007: 156 , synonymic list, synonymy for C. nebulosa ; Grieshuber et al, 2012: 163 , synonymy for C. nebulosa , 166, discussions on type series, type locality and taxonomic status. Colias nebulosa nebulosa : Verhulst, 1991c: 207 , 210- figs., pl. 2, figs. 1–6, 213- fig. 7 for ♂♂ & ♀♀ ; Grieshuber et al. , 2012 : pl. 11, figs. 5–20 for ♂♂ & ♀♀ ( type specimens); Grieshuber, 2014: 31 , figs. for ♂♂ & ♀ . Colias nebulosa niveata : Verhulst, 1991c: 212 , partim, 213- figs. 3–5 for ♂♂ & ♀ ; Colias nebulosa sungpani : Verhulst, 1991c: 214 ; Verhulst, 2001 : pl. 42, figs. 1–8 for ♂♂ & ♀♀ from Xiahe. Colias nebulosa pugo : Verhulst, 1991c: 214 , partim (not from Gyantse) 216- figs. for ♂ & ♀ ; Grieshuber, 2000: 263–264 , figs. 1–3, 5–7 for type specimens and labels; Verhulst, 2001 : pl. 43, figs. 1–12 for ♂♂ & ♀♀ ; Dietz, 2002: 76 - figs. 1–6 for ♂ & ♀♀ . C. nebulosa nebulosa f. sungpani : Dietz, 2002: 76 - figs. 13–15 for ♂♂ & ♀ from Xiahe. Material examined . CHINA : Qinghai : 36 ♂♂ & 24 ♀♀ ( CSK ) from Huangyuan (Riyue-xiang), Qilian (Niuxinshan, Babao), Huangzhong (Laji Shan), Guoluo (Dawu) and Yushu (Jiegu) . Gansu : 7 ♂♂ & 6 ♀♀ ( CHH ), S. of Xiahe , 3500–3700m , 25.VII.2015 , H. Huang leg .. Sichuan : 2 ♂♂ & 1 ♀ ( CHH ), on Genie road from Litang to Batang , 4300m , 30.VII.2020 , Z. Yao leg. SE. Tibet : 1 ♂ ( CHH ), on pass from Sangjiu village to Gula , Chayu , 4500m , 22.VII.2012 , Y. Liu leg. ; 2 ♀♀ ( CHH ), N. of Demula , 4500–4700m , 12.VIII.2017 & 8.VIII.2020 , H. Huang leg. ; 1 ♂ ( CWZJ ), Demula , 4800m , VII.2015 , Z.-J. Wu leg .. Subspecific classification. The authors agree to Grieshuber et al. (2012) treatment that C. nebulosa niveata and C. nebulosa sungpani are synonyms of C. nebulosa nebulosa , but keep their suspicion on the treatment that Colias nebulosa pugo is a synonym of Colias nebulosa nebulosa . Both C. nebulosa karoensis Hoshiai & Rose, 1998 and C. nebulosa richthofeni Bang-Haas, 1927 stand as good subspecies by their distinct wing characters. However, Grieshuber et al. (2012) stated “It is possible that karoensis is only the end of a cline of nominotypical C. nebulosa , but this needs further investigation” and “Because of the lack of material a definitive statement about the correct status of karoensis is not possible at the moment”. The senior author collected a few specimens of C. nebulosa karoensis from Luozha (a locality ca 28.4729N , 91.0237E ) and Cuomei (a locality ca 28.4805N , 91.1783E ) at 4700–5000m . These are the first records of C. nebulosa karoensis out of Karola pass, Gyangtse, the type locality. C. nebulosa karoensis is distinctly different from all other subspecies not only by the more contrasted dark suffusion on the upper side of the wings and the darker green underside of the wings, but also by the more completely pale-marked veins on hindwing underside. Specimens from Demula area and Batang-Litang area seem to form a transition from C. nebulosa karoensis to C. nebulosa nebulosa in hindwing underside ground color and vein markings. It is noted that the lectotype of C. nebulosa nebulosa from Danba area is more in common with the northern specimens from Gansu and Qinghai than with those from Litang-Batang area, being pale yellowish green on hindwing underside. Grieshuber et al. (2012) however, stated “there is a series of nebulosa in coll. Grieshuber which was collected very close to the type locality of pugo and a series from Xiahe (Labrang) ( Gansu ) which looks very similar, although there is a distance of about 850 km between these collecting localities”. If this is true and Grieshuber’s specimens from Tibet are collected by reliable collectors, C. nebulosa pugo should be sunk as a synonym of C. nebulosa nebulosa . Flight period . Early July to early August in Qinghai and Gansu ; mid July to early August in Sichuan ; mid July to mid August in SE. Tibet . Altitude . 3600–3900m in Qinghai ; 3500–3700m in Gansu ; 4500–4800m in SE. Tibet ; 4300m in W. Sichuan . Distributional notes. Specimens from Niuxinshan, Qilian County, a locality between the other known localities of Colias nebulosa richthofeni in Qilian Shan Mts., produce a phenotype like Colias nebulosa nebulosa , just as Grieshuber et al. (2012: 163) stated.