Geometra purissima Wiltshire, 1966

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 : 910-911

Geometra purissima Wiltshire, 1966 ( Figure 1K )

Geometra purissima Wiltshire, 1966 , Z wien ent Ges 51(1/2):28, pl. 2, fig. 1. Holotype „, Afghanistan: Nuristan, 25 km northwest of Barikot , 1800 m.

Description

Antennae in male bipectinate, simple filiform in female. Frons dark green. Labial palpus short, pale ochreous, third segment elongate in female. Vertex white. Dorsal side of thorax green. Foreleg white, midleg and hindleg pale green. Dorsal side of thorax pale green, covered with long hair. Hind tibia not dilated.

Wing pattern. Wingspan „ 37.5 mm; ♀ 42.5 mm. Wings pale green, forewing with narrow pale yellow edge to costa. Outer margin of both wings without crenellations, and lacking a process on the hindwing. Apex of forewing slightly falcate, but rather less than in G. flavifrontaria . Forewing with antemedial line white, slender, with outer side dull green. Postmedial line on both wings white, with inner side dull green, that of forewing almost parallel with outer margin, weak near costa, on hindwing a little broader. Antemedial and postmedial lines almost straight in female. Submarginal line white, indistinct. Discal spot dull green on forewing, invisible on hindwing. Fringes white. Underside pale white, apex and outer margin dull green.

Male genitalia ( Figures 2K , 3K ). Uncus obsolete. Socii developed, long, sclerotized, with small blunt subbasal process. Gnathos with median process developed, fingerlike, different from that of flavifrontaria , which is very broad basally, and hook-like apically. Valva long, narrow, with end rounded, costa concave. Sacculus sclerotized, with a small pointed terminal process. Transtilla with a pair of large processes, with ends sclerotized. Juxta a rounded sclerite. Saccus not extended. Coremata present. Aedeagus stout, posterior half scerotized, slightly tapered at tip but blunt.

Segment 8 ( Figure 5K ) with tergite 8 protruding, sternite 8 U-shaped, depressed at middle, weakly sclerotized.

Female genitalia ( Figure 4K ). Ostium large, with a large U-shaped sclerotized area. Ductus bursae very short and narrow, wrinkled, with distinct V-shaped antrum. Corpus bursae very broad and large, membranous, wrinkled; signum bicornute.

Remarks

Geometra purissima is evidently close to flavifrontaria , both in external appearance, and in the male genitalia. In the latter, the shape of the gnathos is completely distinctive between the species.

Materials examined

NHMV: „, Afghanistan: Nuristan, 25 km northwest of Barikot, 1800 m, slide ACG Vienna 1 MV17284 (holotype); 1♀, 21 June 1 July 1969, SO – Afghanistan, Safed Koh , Südseite, Kotkai, 2350 m, leg. Vartian, slide ACG Vienna 2 MV17285 .

Distribution

Afghanistan.

The smaragdus species group

Male genitalia of the smaragdus group with uncus developed, triangular, valva with a setose patch and a harpe; three species ( fragilis , smaragdus , burmensis ) with gnathos median process bearing a pair of processes; transtilla a narrow pair of membranous processes; saccus narrow and elongate; sternite 3 usually lacking setal patches. Female genitalia with a sclerotized lamella postvaginalis.

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.