Visiana ranensis (Prout) Prout, 2013

Schmidt, Olga, 2013, Review of the species of Visiana Swinhoe from the Papua New Guinea region (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae), Zootaxa 3693 (2), pp. 189-199 : 192

Visiana ranensis (Prout) , stat. nov.

( Figs 3 , 11 , 22, 23)

Xanthorhoe vinosa ranensis Prout, 1939: 257 .

Visiana vinosa ranensis (Prout) : Scoble, 1999: 959.

Type material. [ Moluccas]: Buru. Holotype male, Rana, Station 9, L.J. Taxopeus, 1921 (BMNH, examined). Other material examined. [ Moluccas]: Buru. One male, same data as holotype (BMNH).

Description. Labial palpi blackish-brown, with bright ochreous scales at the apex. Legs brown, without distinct rings of lighter scales. Wing expanse 35-37 mm (n = 2). Forewings above fawn-coloured to chestnut- and dark brown, with median band slightly darker than in V. v a r i o v i n o s a, dark brown to chestnut-brown, with some ochreous scales, edged with wavy, blackish-brown and whitish lines, with a medial projecting tooth outwards, less distinct than in V. v i n o s a, with a distinct, black discal dot, underneath mainly pinkish-brown, with several wavy median lines, forming a very fine, rounded medial projection outwards, with a small, blackish discal dot. Hind wings above dark brown at base, with distinct, wavy, brown, whitish and ochreous median lines curved towards the hind margin, underneath coloured and patterned similar to forewings, but with median line without medial projection ( Figs 3 , 11 ). Male genitalia (Figs 22, 23). Uncus elongate triangular, acute, shorter than in V. vinosa but slightly longer than in V. v a r i o v i n o s a; tegumen short, with not prominent shoulders at base of uncus, with mediumsized lateral arms directed towards the base of juxta; valvae similar to V. v i n o s a, with costa broader, sclerotised, with medium-sized, curved, tapering projecting apical process, with rounded subapical prominence and with medium-sized basal projection; saccus medium-sized, triangular shaped, smaller than in V. vinosa ; juxta with relatively small, apically rounded lateral papillae; aedeagus almost straight, with anellus covered with spines, with a distinct patch of relatively long cornuti and with scobination in vesica. Female unknown.

Distribution. Moluccas (Buru: Rana).

Remarks. Only males of V. r a n e n s i s are known so far. Two females from the Moluccas (Seram) looking similar to V. r a n e n s i s are deposited in the accessions of the BMNH. Exact identification of those two specimens is hampered by the presence of sexual dimorphism. The females from Seram differ from the males of V. ranensis mainly by the larger size, by the shape of the median line in the hind wing and by the paler colouration of the wings underneath.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Visiana spp., wings above: 1. V. variovinosa, male, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Kumusi River; 2. V. morobensis, male, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Morobe district; 3. V. r a n e n s i s, male, Moluccas, Buru, Rana; 4. V. grandivinosa, female, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, New Britain, Mt Sinewit; 5. V. v i n o s a, male, Papua New Guinea, Upper Mambaré River; 6. V. ho r i st a, female, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Bougainville Island; 7. V. hyperctenista, male, Bismarck Archipelago, Vulcan Island; 8. V. hyperctenista, female, Bismarck Archipelago, Vulcan Island.

FIGURES 9 – 15. Visiana spp., wings underneath: 9. V. v i n o s a, male, Papua New Guinea, Upper Mambaré River; 10. V. morobensis, male, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Morobe district; 11. V. ranensis, male, Moluccas, Buru, Rana; 12. V. variovinosa, male, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Kumusi River; 13. V. hyperctenista, male, Bismarck Archipelago, Vulcan Island; 14. V. horista, female, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Bougainville Island; 15. V. grandivinosa, female, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, New Britain, Mt Sinewit.