A new species and a new subspecies of Dodona Hewitson, 1861 from Western China and Northern Indochina, with an analysis on the D. dipoea group (Lepidoptera: Riodinidae)

Dodona dipoea Hewitson, [1866] (Riodinidae: Nemeobiinae) is a widespread taxon found from the western Himalayas in Pakistan to the Hengduan Mountains in southwestern China. During expeditions to the Dulongjiang valley (upper Irrawaddy watershed) in northwestern Yunnan and the Yarlung Tsangpo valley (upper Brahmaputra watershed) in southern Tibet, China, in 2023 to 2025, the team collected a series of dipoea-like specimens that exhibited two distinct morphological types occurring sympatrically. One type corresponded to typical D. dipoea, while a second, larger type displayed distinct hindwing underside markings. To resolve their taxonomic status, the present study conducted integrated morphological and molecular analyses. Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction based on DNA barcodes revealed that the larger individuals represent a distinct species, Dodona astra sp. nov., sister to D. dipoea with genetic distances exceeding 2.6%. Additionally, populations from southern Tibet to northwestern Yunnan (Gongshan) are recognised as a new subspecies, Dodona dipoea astroides ssp. nov., differentiated from the nominotypical subspecies and D. dipoea dipoeides by size, wing colouration, and marking patterns. Male genitalia are described for both new taxa, and ecological notes on habitat preferences and behaviour are also provided. The discovery of two sympatric taxa in the Dulongjiang valley highlights the underestimated diversity within the D. dipoea group and underscores the importance of the Hengduan Mountains as a biodiversity hotspot. We also discuss the taxonomic confusion surrounding D. dracon and the presence of katerina-like taxa in China, emphasizing the need for further integrative studies to clarify species boundaries within this group.