Abstract: 【Aim】 To reveal the distribution of the sibling species of Ectropis grisescens and Ectropis obliqua in tea-growing areas in Zhejiang, eastern China. 【Methods】 A total of 533 specimens of tea geometrids collected from 17 counties in Zhejiang were identified by using mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase (mtCOI) gene as the molecular marker, and the geographical distribution of E. grisescens and E. obliqua in Zhejiang was also analyzed. 【Results】 The results showed that among the 17 surveyed localities, the tea geometrids from 11 localities in Zhejiang were all identified as E. grisescens, those from other three localities (Anji, Yuhang, Longwu) were all E. obliqua, and the rest three localities (Xihu, Lin′an and Fuyang districts of Hangzhou) were identified as the co-occurrence areas of the two sibling species. 【Conclusion】 E. grisescens is widely distributed in tea-growing areas in Zhejiang, the distribution of E. obliqua is narrower, and there exist co-occurrence areas of the two sibling species.

Key words: Ectropis grisescens, Ectropis obliqua, sibling species, genetic distance, geographical distribution, Zhejiang