Prasinocyma stefani, Hausmann, Axel, Sciarretta, Andrea & Parisi, Francesco, 2016

Hausmann, Axel, Sciarretta, Andrea & Parisi, Francesco, 2016, The Geometrinae of Ethiopia II: Tribus Hemistolini, genus Prasinocyma (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Geometrinae), Zootaxa 4065 (1), pp. 1-63 : 36

Prasinocyma stefani sp. n.

( Figs 39 , 78 , 106 )

Holotype. ♂, Äthiopien [ Ethiopia, Southern Nations], Ostafrikanischer Graben, Provinz South Nations, Bonga, 12km E, 2414m, 07° 17.652 N 36.22.567 E, 23.VI.2014, Beck, R. & G. Riedel ( BC ZSM Lep 84752; gen.prp. ZSM G 16066).

Paratypes. Southern Nations: 1♂ 2♀, id. (gen.prp. ZSM G 16069); Oromia: 1♀, Ethiopia, Bale mountains, Harenna Forest Karcha Camp 2350m (lux) 20.II.2010, leg. F. Parisi. A. Sciarretta, coll. ZSM ( BC ZSM Lep 81815; gen.prp. ZSM G 16069); 1♀, Äthiopien [ Ethiopia], Bale Mountains, Reg. Sidamo Kifle Hager, Catcha nr. Rira, 2350m, 06°42.899' N 39.43.441' E, 07.IV.2010, Dietl, Monika + Michael, R. Beck, H. Belkele leg. ( BC ZSM Lep 84763).

Description. Adult ( Fig. 39 ). Wingspan. Male and female 24 – 26 mm. Very similar to the preceding species. Ground colour leaf green, without pale irroration. Forewing without spot at the inner termen. Fore- and hindwings with minute black discal dot. Terminal line dark grey, fringe whitish. Hindwing termen slightly angled at M3. Male frenulum present, but very weak. Abdomen with a dorsal row of small white dots. Length of male palpi 1.3 – 1.4 times diameter of eye, tip and upperside ochre, underside white. Length of female palpi 2.2 times diameter of eye. Frons brown. Antennae bipectinate in male, filiform in female. Antennal branches ochre. Male hindtibia with white pencil, four spurs and large projection at tip, covering half of first tarsomere.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 78 ). Uncus long, narrow, tapering. Socii very short. Saccus round, comparatively short. Valva membranous, without sclerotized processes, at base with coremata. Juxta with two long posterior processes, dilated and rounded at tip. Aedeagus sigmoid, long (1.8 – 1.9 mm) and narrow, with long, finely spinulose ridge. Sternum A8 with two large, comparatively narrow, membranous projections, with a V-shaped deep notch at centre.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 106 ). Lamella postvaginalis membranous, wrinkled around ostium bursae. Sterigma membranous, with concentric furrows around ostium bursae. Ductus bursae long (1.4 mm) and narrow, sclerotized at the forceps-shaped antrum. Corpus bursae elongate (1.5 mm), oval, membranous, signum absent.

Differential diagnosis. Sister species P. angulifera sp. n. differing in the somewhat longer uncus, the more pronounced sclerite at the tip of sacculus, projections of sternum A8 slightly narrower. In female genitalia antrum funnel- rather than forceps-shaped. Male palpi somewhat shorter, in the other external characters (wing shape and coloration) indistinguishable from P. angulifera sp. n. Thalassodes albifimbria Warren, 1897 (locus typicus Malawi; in Scoble 1999 combined with Thalassodes ; in Prout 1930 with Hemistola ) according to Prout (1930: 43, fig. 4i) without male frenulum, more yellowish green, hindwing less angled, wings with diffuse transverse fascia.

Genetic data. BIN: BOLD:AAF8209. The BIN includes three further, conspecific specimens from Tanzania (at a distance of only 0.46%). Nearest neighbour in Ethiopia: P. angulifera sp. n. (2.3%).

Remarks. For the generic assignment see remarks to P. camerunalta and to the bifimbriata species-group.

Figures

FIGURES 37 – 42. Adults of Ethiopian Prasinocyma species. Scale Bar— 1 cm. In parantheses the ID-numbers of genitalia slides, and / or DNA barcoding, and / or nomenclatural status of the illustrated specimen are given. 37. Prasinocyma bifimbriata Prout, 1930; 38. Prasinocyma angulifera sp. n. (BC ZSM Lep 81482; Holotype); 39. Prasinocyma stefani sp. n. (gen. prp. ZSM G 16069; Paratype); 40. Prasinocyma albisticta (Warren, 1901) (BC ZSM Lep 85814); 41. Prasinocyma gemmifera sp. n. (BC ZSM Lep 78487; Holotype); 42. Prasinocyma discipuncta sp. n. (BC ZSM Lep 85813; Holotype).

FIGURES 76 – 79. Male genitalia of Ethiopian Prasinocyma species. Scale Bar (s) — 1 mm. In parantheses the ID-numbers of genitalia slides are given. 76. Prasinocyma bifimbriata Prout, 1930 (gen. prp. ZSM G 16142); 77. Prasinocyma angulifera sp. n. (gen. prp. DAEF GD); 78. Prasinocyma stefani sp. n. (gen. prp. ZSM G 16066); 79. Prasinocyma albisticta (Warren, 1901) (gen. prp. ZSM G 19643).

FIGURES 104 – 109. Female genitalia of Ethiopian Prasinocyma species. Scale Bar (s) — 1 mm. In parantheses the ID-numbers of genitalia slides are given. 104. Prasinocyma bifimbriata Prout, 1930 (gen. prp. ZSM G 19412); 105. Prasinocyma angulifera sp. n. (gen. prp. DAEF GI 1); 106. Prasinocyma stefani sp. n. (gen. prp. ZSM G 16069); 107. Prasinocyma albisticta (Warren, 1901) (gen. prp. ZSM G 15902); 108. Prasinocyma gemmifera sp. n. (gen. prp. ZSM G 15908); 109. Prasinocyma discipuncta sp. n. (gen. prp. ZSM G 15901).