Eupithecia panacea, Šumpich & Mironov, 2022

Šumpich, Jan & Mironov, Vladimir, 2022, New species of the genus Eupithecia (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) from China. Part VIII, Zootaxa 5194 (4), pp. 561-574 : 563-564

Eupithecia panacea sp. n.

( Figs 4 , 18 , 31 )

Type material: Holotype, ♀, China, W Sichuan, 25 km N from Batang , 3100 m, dry valley, 30°12.049ʹ N, 099°14.078ʹ E, 19.–20.ix.2017, A. Saldaitis leg. Gen. prep. J. Procházka 20144, Photo J. Šumpich 22105 ( NMPC).

Diagnosis. This species possibly belongs to the fletcherata species group. The shape of the fore wings with pointed apices and the brown coloration distinguish Eupithecia panacea sp. n. from any other species of the genus. The combination of small corpus bursae, disposition of spines, elongate colliculum, short apophyses and the shape of the papillae anales can be successfully used to distinguish this species from other Asian species.

Description. Adult. ( Figs 4 , 18 ). Female. A relatively narrow winged species. Wingspan 19.0 mm; fore wing 11.0 mm. Head and notum covered with whitish scales. Fore wing elongate with slightly bowed costal margin and pointed apex; ground colour brown with dark traces of medial and postmedial transverse lines; medial line oblique, sharply angled from discal dot onto costa, postmedial line right angled onto costa; terminal area darker near apex; discal dot dark brown, very small, rounded. Hind wing ovoid, brown, with dark traces of basal and medial transverse lines; discal dot very small, rounded. Terminal lines on all wings continuous blackish brown.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 31 ). Bursa copulatrix small, rather spherical, membranous with chaotic disposition of small spines. Colliculum collar-like, elongate, almost equals to length of bursa. Antrum membranous, short and broad. Tergite A8 broad, rectangular. Anterior and posterior apophyses short and broad. Papillae anales relatively large, tapered to apices and covered with long setae.

Male. Unknown.

Bionomy. Host plant unknown. The holotype was collected by light in September at an elevation of 3700 m in dry steppe ( Fig. 38 ) .

Distribution. China. Known from Sichuan province.

Etymology. From the greek word “Panacea”—the goddess of universal health.

Note. The holotype specimen (female) of this species is worn.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Eupithecia adults, China, holotypes (scale bars = 10 mm). 1. E. galsworthyi sp. n.; 2. E. fossaria sp. n.; 3. E. eremiata sp. n.; 4. E. panacea sp. n.; 5. E. mediata sp. n.; 6. E. caementariata sp. n.

FIGURES 15–20. Heads of Eupithecia species, China, holotypes. 15. E. galsworthyi sp. n.; 16. E. fossaria sp. n.; 17. E. eremiata sp. n.; 18. E. panacea sp. n.; 19. E. mediata sp. n.; 20. E. caementariata sp. n.

FIGURES 30–34. Female genitalia of Eupithecia species (scale bar = 1mm). 30. E. eremiata sp. n. (holotype); 31. E. panacea sp. n. (holotype); 32. E. lineisdistincta Vojnits, 1981; 33. E. peregovitsi Mironov & Galsworthy, 2009; 34. E. dealbata Inoue, 1988. a—the opposite view.

FIGURES 35–39. Habitats of newly described Eupithecia species, China. 35. Qinghai, Laji Shan Mt., locality of E. galsworthyi sp. n.; 36. Yunnan, Nu Jiang valley, locality of E. fossaria sp. n.; 37. Sichuan, surroundings of Maoxian, locality of E. eremiata sp. n.; 38. Sichuan, surroundings of Batang, locality of E. panacea sp. n.; 39. Sichuan, Road Jiuzhaigou/Songpan, locality of E. mediata sp. n. and E. caementariata sp. n.