Hylaea pinicolaria ( Bellier, 1861 )

Sihvonen, Pasi, Skou, Peder, Flamigni, Claudio, Fiumi, Gabriele & Hausmann, Axel, 2014, Revision of the Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) species group in the western Palaearctic (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae), Zootaxa 3768 (4), pp. 469-486 : 481-482

Hylaea pinicolaria ( Bellier, 1861)

pinicolaria Bellier, 1861 , Annls Soc. ent. Fr. (4) 1 (1): 29, pl. 2, fig. 12, ( Ellopia ). Syntype (s), Corsica (mountains of). Bellier's collection was apparently included in the C. Oberthür collection, which is currently housed in the Natural History Museum, London, UK. Despite searches, we have not located the type.

Description. External characters and pregenital abdomen ( Figures 3 , 8 ) (diagnostic characters underlined): Wingspan male 32–34 mm, female 39–42 mm. Wings light green, medial lines white. Medial line curved before costa, basal part parallel with costa. Postmedial line rather straight, only weakly curved, angled before it reaches costa well before apex and evenly curved outwards on inner margin. Medial area concolorous with rest of wing. Terminal line and fringes concolorous with wings, forewing apex dark red. Hindwing postmedial line distinct, curved. Discal spots absent. Wings below as above, but paler. Frons red-brown, thorax and abdomen concolorus with wings. Area between antennae (vertex) white. Antennae white dorsally, male antennae bipectinate, female antennae fasciculate. Hindleg tibia of both sexes with 2+2 spurs. Tympanal organs medium-sized. Sternites and tergites 3–8 of both sexes undifferentiated.

Male genitalia ( Figure 12 ): Generally as in H. fasciaria (Linnaeus) and H. mediterranea . Aedeagus with weakly curved additional arm, apex not expanded in H. pinicolaria (additional arm straight in H. fasciaria , apex expanded in H. compararia ). Base of vesica with straight row of microcornuti in H. pinicolaria (vesica with angled row of microcornuti, reaching aedeagus apex in H. compararia ).

Female genitalia ( Figure 16 ): Generally as in H. fasciaria and H. mediterranea , but with following quantitative difference: signum large in H. mediterranea (signum absent or minute in H. fasciaria , H. pinicolaria and in H. compararia ). Genitalia are large in H. pinicolaria (genitalia considerably smaller in H. compararia ). Shape and size of the lamella antevaginalis, and width and length of the posterior part of the corpus bursae are variable and should be treated with caution.

Distribution. Endemic to Corsica ( France).

Phenology. According to Robineau (2007) it is univoltine, but this is true probably only at higher altitudes (where it flies from June to early August), while on the coast the species has been collected from May to June and from October to November ( Rungs 1982).

Biology. Larva has been recorded to feed on needles of Pinus laricio ( Bellier 1861, Robineau 2007) and on P. pinaster (= maritima) ( Mabille 1867). In captivity it has been reared on Pinus sylvestris ( Reisser, 1929) . Larva is a twig or needle-mimic, green, with transverse yellowish stripes or reddish-brown with diamond-shaped patterns dorsally ( Lepiforum 2013).

Habitat. In pine forests and places with more scattered pine trees. It is found mostly in the mountains from 500 to 1500 metres, but it occurs also at sea level ( Rungs 1982).

Similar species. All four species in Palaearctic Hylaea fasciaria species group are similar. The diagnostic, external characters shown in Figures 6–9 are somewhat tentative and should not be used in isolation, but should be combined with information on biology, collecting locality, male and female genitalia and DNA barcodes. An overview of diagnostic morphological features is given in Table 1 .

Genetic data. Genetically homogeneous (n=4), mean and maximum intraspecific variation 0.0%. Nearest species: Hylaea fasciaria (minimum pairwise distance 3.9%). See Figure 26 .

Variation ( Figure 3 ). Very little. Ground colour varies from light green to light yellowish-green. Only green specimens are known.

Figures

FIGURE 26. Neighbour joining tree (Kimura 2-parameter distance model for COI-5P marker) for European Hylaea specimens. Terminals with specimen ID-number and species name from BOLD.

FIGURES 1–5. Adults of the Palaearctic Hylaea fasciaria species group. 1a. Hylaea fasciaria (L.) male, 13.vi.1987, Volsk, Saratov Region, South East Russia (coll. Skou). 1b. H. fasciaria male, 6.vii.1972, Skanør, Falsterbo, Skåne, Sweden (coll Skou). 1c. H. fasciaria male, 1.viii.1972, Byerum, Öland, Sweden (coll. Skou). 1d. H. fasciaria male, 18.vii.1970, Dueodde, Bornholm, Denmark (coll. Skou). 1e. H. fasciaria flavella (Wehrli), type, original illustration from Wehrli (1939–1954, plate 24: g), Armenia, without date (coll. unknown). 1f. H. fasciaria female, 6.vii.1972, Skanør, Falsterbo, Skåne, Sweden (coll. Skou). 1g. H. fasciaria female, 29.vii.2000, Terre Rouge, Briancon, Dept. Hautes Alpes, France (coll. Skou). 1h. H. fasciaria cedricola (Wehrli) male, ex ovo, Bey Dağlari, Antalya, Turkey (coll. Müller). 1i. H. fasciaria cedricola female, ex ovo, Bey Dağlari, Antalya, Turkey (coll. Müller). 1j. H. fasciaria male, 27–28.vii.1983, Vorarlberg, 1500 m, Austria (coll. Skou). 1k. H. fasciaria male, 10.vi.2010, Mount Parnassos, 1650 m, Greece (coll. Skou). 1l. H. fasciaria female, 27–28.vii.1983, Vorarlberg, 1500 m, Austria (coll. Skou). 1m. H. fasciaria female, 28.vi.1981, Karpenision, Aetolia, Greece (coll. Skou). 2a. Hylaea mediterranea new species male, 9–10.x.2010, Pizzo della Rondine, Sicily, Italy (coll. Skou), holotype. 2b H. mediterranea male, 9–10.x.2010, Pizzo della Rondine, Sicily, Italy (coll. Skou), paratype. 2c. H. mediterranea female, 9–10.x.2010, Pizzo della Rondine, Sicily, Italy (coll. Skou), paratype. 2d. H. mediterranea female, 5.vi.2005, Castelbuono, Sicily, Italy (coll. Skou), paratype. 3a. Hylaea pinicolaria (Bellier) male, 20–21.vii.2004, Camping Monte Cinto, Haut-Asco, Corsica, France (coll. Skou). 3b. H. pinicolaria male, 20–21.vii.2004, Camping Monte Cinto, Haut-Asco, Corsica, France (coll. Skou). 3c. H. pinicolaria male, 6.vii.1951, La Foce, Vizzavona, Corsica, France (coll. Herbulot, coll. ZSM). 3d. H. pinicolaria female, 23.vi.1994, Haut Asco, Corsica, France (coll. Skou). 4a. Hylaea compararia (Staud.) male, 23.vi.1911, Blida, Glacieres, Algeria (coll. BMNH). 4b. Hylaea compararia female, 13.ix.1911, Glacieres, Blida, Algeria (coll. BMNH). 4c. Hylaea compararia female, 15.ix.1911, Glacieres, Blida, Algeria (coll. BMNH). 5a. Hemithea squalidaria O. G. Costa, original illustration from O. G. Costa, [1848]. Illustration is reproduced under a licence from the Picture Library of the Natural History Museum, London, UK.

FIGURES 6–9. An overview of diagnostic characters in the Palaearctic Hylaea fasciaria species group. Figure 6. H. fasciaria (Linnaeus) (Denmark, 27.vi.1977). Figure 7. H. mediterranea, new species (Italy, Sicily, 5.vi.2005, paratype). Figure 8. H. pinicolaria (Bellier) (France, Corsica, 20.-21.vii.2004). Figure 9. H. compararia (Staudinger) (Algeria, 23.vi.1911).

FIGURES 10–13. Male genitalia of the Palaearctic Hylaea fasciaria species group. Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus). 10a. genitalia, Finland: Enonkoski, 16–18.vii.1996, slide PS1344 (coll. P. Sihvonen). 10b. aedeagus, Germany: Bad Harzburg, 2.vii.1988, slide PS1741 (coll. P. Sihvonen). 10c. vesica, Finland: Enonkoski, 16–18.vii.1996, slide PS1344 (coll. P. Sihvonen). 10d. base of vesica, Finland: Enonkoski, 16–18.vii.1996, slide PS1344 (coll. P. Sihvonen). Hylaea mediterranea new species 11a. genitalia, Italy: Sicily, 1000 m, 9–10.x.2010, slide PS1738, holotype (coll Skou). 11b. aedeagus, Italy: Sicily, 1000 m, 9– 10.x.2010, slide PS1738, holotype (coll Skou). 11c. vesica, Italy: Sicily, 1000 m, 9–10.x.2010, slide PS1738, holotype (coll Skou). 11d. base of vesica, Italy: Sicily, 1000 m, 9–10.x.2010, slide PS1738, holotype (coll Skou). Hylaea pinicolaria (Bellier) 12a. genitalia, France: Corsica, 1100 m, 20–21.vii.2004, slide PS1542 (coll. Skou). 12b. aedeagus, France: Corsica, 1100 m, 20–21.vii.2004, slide PS1742 (coll. Skou). 12c. vesica, France: Corsica, 1100 m, 20–21.vii.2004, slide PS1542 (coll. Skou). 12d. base of vesica, France: Corsica, 1100 m, 20–21.vii.2004, slide PS1542 (coll. Skou). Hylea compararia (Staudinger) 13a. genitalia, Algeria: Blida, 23.vi.1911, slide PS1866/BMNH GEO 24840 (coll. BMNH). 13b. aedeagus, Algeria: Blida, 23.vi.1911, slide PS1866/BMNH GEO 24840 (coll. BMNH). 13c. vesica, Algeria: Blida, 5.vi.1908, slide PS1870/BMNH GEO 24844 (coll. BMNH). 13d. base of vesica, Algeria: Blida, 5.vi.1908, slide PS1870/BMNH GEO 24844 (coll. BMNH).

FIGURES 14–17. Female genitalia of the Palaearctic Hylaea fasciaria species group. Circle indicates the point of origin of the ductus seminalis. Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus) 14a. genitalia, Finland: Föglö, 28.vii.1995, slide PS1448 (coll. P. Sihvonen). 14b. reduced signum, Finland: Föglö, 28.vii.1995, slide PS1448 (coll. P. Sihvonen). 14c. ostium bursae and adjacent structures, Finland: Föglö, 28.vii.1995, slide PS1448 (coll. P. Sihvonen). Hylaea mediterranea new species 15a. genitalia, Italy: Sicily, 1000 m, 9–10.x.2010, slide PS1739, paratype (coll. Skou). 15b. signum, Italy: Sicily, 1000 m, 9–10.x.2010, slide PS1739, paratype (coll. Skou). 15c. ostium bursae and adjacent structures, Italy: Sicily, 1000 m, 9–10.x.2010, slide PS1739, paratype (coll. Skou). Hylaea pinicolaria (Bellier) 16a. genitalia, France: Corsica, 1100 m, 20–21.vii.2004, slide PS1543 (coll. Skou). 16b. reduced signum, France: Corsica, 1100 m, 20–21.vii.2004, slide PS1543 (coll. Skou). 16c. ostium bursae and adjacent structures, France: Corsica, 1100 m, 20–21.vii.2004, slide PS1543 (coll. Skou). Hylaea compararia (Staudinger) 17a. genitalia, Algeria: Blida, 13.ix.1911, slide PS1868/BMNH GEO 24842, margins of the corpus bursae highlighted (coll. BMNH). 17b. posterior part of corpus bursae (signum absent), Algeria: Blida, 13.ix.1911, slide PS1868/BMNH GEO 24842 (coll. BMNH). 17c. ostium bursae and adjacent structures, Algeria: Blida, 15.ix.1911, slide PS1871/BMNH GEO 24845 (coll. BMNH).