Syzeuxis magnidica Prout, 1926

Li, Jing, Xue, Dayong, Han, Hongxiang & Galsworthy, Anthony C., 2012, Taxonomic review of Syzeuxis Hampson, 1895, with a discussion of biogeographical aspects (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae), Zootaxa 3357, pp. 1-24 : 11-12

Syzeuxis magnidica Prout, 1926

Figs 7 , 19 , 31 , 39

Syzeuxis magnidica Prout, 1926a , Novit. zool., 33: 12. Lectotype 3, India: Khasis [Khasi Hills], here designated. (BMNH)

Materials Examined. INDIA: 13, Lectotype (here designated), Khasis, nat. coll., Collectio H.J. Elwes, Rothschild Bequest B.M.1939-1 ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Paralectotype, Khasis, nat. coll. ( BMNH); 13, Paralectotype, Khasis, August 1894, nat. coll., Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1, Geometridae Genitalia slide no. 20324 ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Paralectotype, Khasis, April 1895, nat. coll. ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Khasis 96-246, nat. coll. Geometridae Genitalia slide no. 24013 ( BMNH); 1Ƥ, Paralectotype, Khasis, nat. coll. ( ZFMK).

Description. Antennae bipectinate for about basal 2/ 3 in male, ciliate apically and in female. Frons, vertex, dorsal sides of thorax and abdomen yellowish brown, diffused with sparse dark scales on abdomen. Wing pattern. Forewing length: 3 13.5 mm; Ƥ 14 mm. Forewing with apex rounded, outer margin almost straight. Wings yellowish brown, sparsely diffused with black speckles, much paler on hindwing and speckles more dense. Forewing with antemedial and postmedial lines indistinct, but forming large black patches on costa and extending downwards, patch on antemedial line reaching CuA2; postmedial line also forming a small black spot on inner margin; terminal line discontinuous, developed between M1 and M3, and under CuA1. Hindwing with black-brown postmedial line, not reaching costa, extending outwards on CuA 2 in male. Hindwing in male without basal lobe. Fringes of forewing black where terminal line present, and yellowish brown where terminal line absent; yellowish brown on hindwing and blackish on anal angle. Underside: much darker than upperside; patch formed by antemedial line on upperside discernible; distinct postmedial line black brown, reaching inner margin; hindwing similar to upperside. Forewing without areole. Male genitalia. Uncus large and broad, tapered towards apex, slightly concave at apical margin and strongly sclerotized. Gnathos with large median process very long, tapered. Valva small, terminal half tapered, with pointed apex; costa without process. Juxta developed, a sclerotized plate, upper half a little broader and more strongly sclerotized than basal half, with a concavity at centre of posterior margin. Aedeagus broad, with a spinose subposterior tuft. Female genitalia. Ductus bursae narrow, somewhat broadened and weakly sclerotized near ostium. Corpus bursae oval, much broader than ductus bursae.

Diagnosis. S. magnidica , S. subfasciaria , S. nigrinotata and S. pavonata lack an areole on the forewing, in distinction from S. seminanis , S. heteromeces and S. furcalineas . The labial palpus of this species is longer than that of S. nigrinotata and S. pavonata , more than 1/2 extending beyond frons. The black costal patch on the antemedial line of the forewing reaches CuA2, which is distinctly longer than in other species. The juxta of the male genitalia lacks a pair of sclerotized processes which are present in S. subfasciaria .

Distribution. India (Khasi Hills).

Remarks. The syntype series consists of 2 males and 3 females, 4 types are deposited in BMNH and one female in ZFMK. One male labelled ‘type’ by Prout is designated as lectotype in order to ensure stability. Two female paralectotypes in BMNH were originally described in the syntype series of Aphantoloba nigrinotata Warren, 1896 . Prout (1926a) included these females in the type series of magnidica .

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 13. Adults. 2. Syzeuxis trinotaria (Moore), female; 3. S. tessellifimbria Prout, holotype, female; 4. S. seminanis Prout, holotype, male; 5. S. extritonaria Xue, holotype, male; 6. S. neotritonaria Xue, holotype, male; 7. S. magnidica Prout, lectotype, male; 8. S. subfasciaria (Wehrli), paralectotype, male; 9. S. heteromeces Prout, holotype, male; 10. S. furcalineas sp. nov., holotype, male; 11. S. nigrinotata (Warren), lectotype, male; 12. S. pavonata sp. nov., holotype, male; 13. S. calamisteria Xue, holotype, female. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 14 – 19. Male genitalia. 14. Syzeuxis trinotaria (Moore); 15. S. tessellifimbria Prout; 16. S. seminanis Prout; 17. S. extritonaria Xue; 18. S. neotritonaria Xue; 19. S. magnidica Prout. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 26 – 37. Aedeagus. 26. Syzeuxis trinotaria (Moore); 27. S. tessellifimbria Prout; 28. S. seminanis Prout; 29. S. extritonaria Xue; 30. S. neotritonaria Xue; 31. S. magnidica Prout; 32. S. subfasciaria (Wehrli); 33. S. heteromeces Prout; 34. S. furcalineas sp. nov.; 35. S. nigrinotata (Warren); 36. S. pavonata sp. nov.; 37. S. calamisteria Xue. Scale bar = 1 mm (except scale bar = 0.5 mm for fig. 35.)

FIGURES 38 – 42. Female genitalia. 38. Syzeuxis tessellifimbria Prout; 39. S. magnidica Prout; 40. S. heteromeces Prout; 41. S. nigrinotata (Warren); 42. S. calamisteria Xue. Scale bar = 1 mm.