About Athetis hongkongensis Galsworthy, 1997
The original description published by Galsworthy in 1997 compares Athetis hongkongensis to Athetis lineosa and other species in this species complex. According to this comparison, A. hongkongensis is smaller than A. lineosa, and its hindwings are a less intense shade of brown. The forewing outer line of A. lineosa curves smoothly from the costa to the dorsum. In A. hongkongensis, this line has an obtuse angle close to the costa, an additional angle at approximately two-thirds of its length where the line turns slightly toward the point of the wing, and meets the dorsum almost at a right angle. To date, A. hongkongensis is only known to be restricted to Hong Kong, where it is widespread. As of 2014, its conservation status is classified as 'least concern', despite meeting the IUCN Red List geographic criteria for Endangered (EN): its Extent of Occurrence (EOO) is less than 500 km², and its Area of Occupancy (AOO) calculated in GeoCat using iNaturalist observations is 64 km². Observations of A. hongkongensis have been recorded from secondary forest and urban fringe habitats, at elevations ranging from 30 m to 675 m. The early life stages of A. hongkongensis — egg, larva, and pupa — remain unknown. A 2002 publication by Kendrick reports adult phenology for this species: adults have been recorded from February to November, with population peaks in April and October.
