Geometra flavifrontaria ( Guenée, 1858 )

Han, H-X., Galsworthy, A. C. & Xue, D-Y., 2009, A survey of the genus Geometra Linnaeus (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Geometrinae), Journal of Natural History 43 (13 - 14), pp. 885-922 : 908-910

Geometra flavifrontaria ( Guenée, 1858) ( Figure 1J )

Nemoria flavifrontaria Guenée, 1858 , in Boisduval and Guenée, Hist nat Insectes (Spec. gén. Lépid.) 9:346. Holotype „, India (central). (BMNH)

Loxochila mutans Butler, 1881 , Proc Zool Soc Lond 1881:615. Syntypes 4, [ India]: Neilgherries [Nilgiris]. (BMNH)

Hipparchus pratti Prout, 1912 , in Wytsman, Genera Insectorum 129:71. Holotype ♀, China (central): Ichang. (BMNH)

Geometra flavifrontaria: ICZN, 1957 , Opin Decl ICZN 15(Opinion 450):254.

Description

Antennae in male bipectinate, ramus shorter towards end, the longest ramus about 2.5 times diameter of flagellum. Frons and vertex bluish green. Labial palpus green outside and brown inside, rough scaled, third segment in male very short. Dorsal side of thorax bluish green and that of abdomen much paler. Hind tibia dilated, with hair-pencil and short terminal extension.

Wing pattern. Length of forewing „ 21–22 mm; ♀ 21–25 mm. Wings dark bluish green. Forewing with apex slightly falcate. Outer margin of both wings without crenellations, and lacking tail process on hindwing. Forewing with antemedial line white, slender, obliquely slanting inwards anteriorly; postmedial line almost parallel to outer margin, indistinct near costa. Postmedial line on hindwing white, much broader than that of forewing, almost straight. Submarginal line indistinct on forewing, white and irregularly wavy on hindwing. Discal spot dark green, dot-like on forewing and invisible on hindwing. Fringes white. Underside: whitish green, similar to upperside.

Male genitalia ( Figures 2J , 3J ). Uncus slightly convex. Socii developed, long and sclerotized. Gnathos with median process developed, broad basally, and hook-like apically. Valva with end rounded, costa concave, with base sclerotized. Sacculus extending two-thirds the length of valve, weakly sclerotized, with a small pointed terminal process. Transtilla with a pair of large processes, with ends sclerotized. Saccus not extended. Coremata present. Aedeagus stout, posterior half scerotized, slightly tapered at tip, but apex blunt.

Tergite 8 unmodified, sternite 8 ( Figure 5J ) U-shaped, depressed at middle, weakly sclerotized.

Female genitalia ( Figure 4J ). Sclerotized and wrinkled area present around ostium. Ostium large. Lamella postvaginalis sclerotized and wrinkled irregularly. Ductus bursae very short and narrow, wrinkled, without distinct antrum, and differing in this respect from all other species in the papilionaria group. Corpus bursae very long and narrow, membranous, wrinkled; signum triangular.

Materials examined

IZCAS: 1 „ 1♀, Tibet: Jilong , 14, 30 August 1984, coll. Yan Zhaoxing; 2♀, same locality, 2800 m, 27 July 1975, coll. Huang Fusheng; 1 „, Tibet: Zhangmu, 3 July 1975, 2200 m, coll. Wang Ziqing (head, thorax, abdomen broken) .

BMNH: 1 „, holotype, [ India], Ex Musaeo, Ach. Guenée, Ex Oberthür Coll. B.M.1927-3 ( Nemoria flavifrontaria Guenée , type sp. G. no 533; Typicum Specimen; red type label; figure numbered 3213); 1 „, syntype of Loxochila mutans Butler , 73.78, northern India ( Loxochila mutans Butler type; red type label); 3 „ 3♀, Dharmsala, 87.59 (88); 1 „, Murree, 92–98, Harford Coll. 1887; 1♀, Dalhousie, 92–98, Harford Coll. 18/5/91; 1 „, Subathu, May 1889, Rothschild Bequest, B.M.1939-1 ( Geometridae genitalia slide No. 21878); 1♀, Kumaon, 5 July 1993, J.S.P., Rothschild Bequest, B.M.1939-1; 1♀, holotype of pratti, Ichang , June 1888, Mrs Pratt Coll., Leech Coll. 1900-64 ( Hipparchus pratti Prout type; red type label; Geometridae genitalia slide No. 21881)

ZFMK: 1 „ 1♀, Simla, Punjab, 2300 m, Juli; N-Indien Uttar Pradesh, Kumaon Himalaya, Nainital, 1800 m, 18 May 1990, leg. A. Mauenstein, Museum A. Koenig, Eing. Nr. 91/299, ex. Coll.; 2♀, India, U.P. Kumaon Himalaya, Distr. Nainitel Bhimtol, 1500 m, 15–30 May 1990, H. Speidel leg., Museum A. Koenig Eing. Nr. 91/ 327, ex. Coll.; 2 „, Pakistan, Kohistan , Swal prov. 72 ° 329 E, 35 ° 10 N, Miandam, 1800 m, 25 June to 5 July 1992, Z. Woldonhoffer, Museum A. Koenig Eing. Nr. 93/ 381, ex. Coll .

ZSM: 2 „, NEPAL, 20 km south-southeast Katmandu , Route du Phulchoki, 2400 m, 4 October 1983, C. Herbulot .

Distribution

China (Hubei, Tibet), northern India (Himalayas), Nepal, Pakistan.

Figures

Figure 1. Adults of Geometra. (A) G. papilionaria, „; (B) G. symaria, „; (C) G. albovenaria, „; (D) G. valida, „; (E) G. euryagyia, „; (F) G. dieckmanni, „; (G) G. sponsaria, „; (H) G. ussuriensis, „; (I) G. neovalida sp. nov. „, holotype; (J) G. flavifrontaria, „; (K) G. purissima, „, holotype; (L) G. smaragdus, „; (M) G. fragilis, „, syntype; (N) G. sinoisaria, „, syntype; (O) G. burmensis sp. nov., „, holotype; (P) G. glaucaria, „; (Q) G. rana, „; (R) G. sigaria, „, syntype. Scale bar 10 mm.

Figure 2. Male genitalia of Geometra. (A) G. papilionaria; (B) G. symaria; (C) G. albovenaria; (D) G. valida; (E) G. euryagyia; (F) G. dieckmanni; (G) G. sponsaria; (H) G. ussuriensis; (I) G.

Figure 3. Aedeagus of Geometra. (A) G. papilionaria; (B) G. symaria; (C) G. albovenaria; (D) G. valida; (E) G. euryagyia; (F) G. dieckmanni; (G) G. sponsaria; (H) G. ussuriensis; (I) G. neovalida sp. nov.; (J) G. flavifrontaria; (K) G. purissima; (L) G. smaragdus; (M) G. fragilis; (N) G. sinoisaria; (O) G. burmensis sp. nov.; (P) G. glaucaria; (Q) G. rana; (R) G. sigaria. Scale bar 1 mm.

Figure 4. Female genitalia of Geometra. (A) G. papilionaria; (B) G. symaria; (C) G. albovenaria; (D) G. valida; (E) G. euryagyia; (F) G. dieckmanni; (G) G. sponsaria; (H) G. ussuriensis; (I) G. neovalida sp. nov.; (J) G. flavifrontaria; (K) G. purissima; (L) G. smaragdus; (M) G. fragilis; (N) G. sinoisaria; (O) G. glaucaria; (P) G. rana. Scale bar 1mm.

Figure 5. Segment 8 of Geometra. (A) G. papilionaria; (B) G. symaria; (C) G. albovenaria; (D) G. valida; (E) G. euryagyia; (F) G. dieckmanni; (G) G. sponsaria; (H) G. ussuriensis; (I) G. neovalida sp. nov.; (J) G. flavifrontaria; (K) G. purissima; (L) G. smaragdus; (M) G. fragilis; (N) G. sinoisaria; (O) G. burmensis sp. nov.; (P) G. glaucaria; (Q) G. rana; (R) G. sigaria.