Protuliocnemis dissimilis, Han & Galsworthy & Xue, 2012

Han, Hongxiang, Galsworthy, Anthony C. & Xue, Dayong, 2012, The Comibaenini of China (Geometridae: Geometrinae), with a review of the tribe, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165 (4), pp. 723-772 : 768-769

PROTULIOCNEMIS DISSIMILIS SP. NOV.

( FIGS 54 , 107 , 155 , 174, 175 , 210 )

Description: Antenna bipectinate in both sexes, outer rami longer than inner rami, rami much longer in male. Frons green. Labial palpus discoloured in available specimens, possibly green or white. Vertex white. Dorsal side of thorax and abdomen whitish (no fresh material). Hind tibia in both sexes with two pairs of spurs, the medial pair very small.

Forewing length: ♂ 11.5– 13 mm; ♀ 13–13.5 mm. Wings green. Forewing with costa elongate, apex falcate; antemedial and postmedial lines straight, submarginal line indistinct, concave between medial veins. Hindwing with white postmedial and submarginal lines, the proximal line almost straight, the distal one parallel to outer margin. Both wings without discal spots; fringes white. Underside much paler, streaks on upperside discernible.

Eighth tergite with posterior margin deeply concave at middle, two stout lateral processes, also with their posterior margin slightly concave; eighth sternite with posterior margin slightly concave at middle. Tympanal organ ( Fig. 175 ) very well developed compared with other species in the Comibaenini , and the normal form in the Geometrinae generally; ansa tapering.

Male genitalia. Uncus stout, slightly bifurcate and with two small protrusions. Socii very broad basally and tapering terminally. Gnathos with a small, blunt medial process. Valva narrow, mostly sclerotized, but less so terminally and with a sharply narrowed tip, basally with a long sclerotized process, broadening and blunt at tip. Vinculum short, concave at middle. Aedeagus mostly sclerotized, vesica spinose.

Female genitalia. Antrum very large, funnelshaped, with a small rounded diverticulum. Ductus bursae long and narrow. Corpus bursae quite small; signum absent.

Diagnosis: Protuliocnemis dissimilis is distinctive in Protuliocnemis for the simple wing pattern, and the absence of the tornal and apical patches on the fore- and hindwings. This wing pattern is similar to the members of Thetidia , especially the forewing, but the postmedial line of the hindwing is developed in Pro. dissimilis and absent in Thetidia spp. The male genitalia of Pro. dissimilis are similar to those of Pro. falcipennis and Pro. candida , to the extent that all three species have a simple valva, long basal processes to the valva, and developed socii. However, the basal process to the valva in Pro. dissimilis is broader than in the other two species, and the uncus is longer than in Pro. candida and not triangular as in Pro. falcipennis . The female genitalia are also different from the other two species in that the signum is absent, and the diverticulum is smaller than that of Pro. candida .

Holotype ♂, China: Gansu: Wenxian, Qiujiaba , 2350 m, 21.vii.1999, coll. Yao Jian, IZCAS slide no. Geom-00599 ( IZCAS) . Paratypes ( IZCAS): China: 1♂, same data as holotype ; 2♂, Gansu: Zhouqu, Shatan Linchang , 2350 m, 5.vii.1998, coll. Yao Jian ; 2♂ 2♀, same locality and collector, 2400 m, 14.vii.1999 , IZCAS slide no. Geom-00137, 138, 1074; 1♂, same locality, 3350–3500 m, 5.vii.1998, coll. Yang Xingke ; 1♀, Gansu: Chengxian, Feilongxia , 1020 m, 4.vii.1999, coll. Yao Jian.

Distribution: China (Gansu).

Etymology: The specific name is from the Latin word dissimilis , which means different.

Species not occurring in China

Protuliocnemis biplagiata biplagiata ( Moore, 1887) [female genitalia]

Comibaena biplagiata Moore, [1887] : 435. ( Sri Lanka)

Protuliocnemis biplagiata elegans ( Warren, 1899) [specimen(s)]

Uliocnemis elegans Warren, 1899: 28 . ( Papua New Guinea)

Protuliocnemis biplagiata negligens ( Prout, 1925) [specimen(s)]

Uliocnemis elegans negligens Prout, 1925: 32 . ( Bismarck Archipelago)

Protuliocnemis biplagiata reducta ( Holloway, 1979) [specimen(s); male and female genitalia]

Uliocnemis biplagiata reducta Holloway, 1979: 283 , pl. 54, figure 12; figure 45: 1. ( New Caledonia)

Protuliocnemis biplagiata subornataria ( Rothschild, 1915) [specimen(s)]

Comibaena subornataria Rothschild, 1915: 219 . ( Moluccas)

Phorodesma ceramicaria Oberthür, 1916: 106 , pl. 387, figure 3267. ( Moluccas)

Protuliocnemis biplagiata unidentata ( Prout, 1916b) [specimen(s)]

Uliocnemis biplagiata unidentata Prout, 1916b: 204 . ( Bismarck Archipelago)

Phorodesma rookaria Oberthür, 1916: 106 , pl. 387, figure 3266. ( Bismarck Archipelago)

Protuliocnemis helpsi Holloway, 1996 [specimen(s); male and female genitalia]

Protuliocnemis helpsi Holloway, 1996: 245 , pl. 8, [fig. 35]; figure 250. (Borneo)

Protuliocnemis partita ( Walker, 1861) [specimen(s); male and female genitalia]

Comibaena partita Walker, 1861: 573 . ( India)

Comibaena felicitata Walker, 1861: 579 . ( Australia)

Thalera concisiplaga Walker, 1861: 598 , 599. (Borneo)

Eucrostis calliptera Meyrick, 1889: 489 . (New Guinea)

Phorodesma doddaria Oberthür, 1916: 106 , pl. 388, figures 3269, 3270. ( Australia)

Protuliocnemis woodfordi ( Warren, 1899) [specimen(s)]

Uliocnemis woodfordi Warren, 1899: 29 . ( Solomon Islands)

Figures

Figures 27–54. Comibaenini moths. 27, Comibaena nigromacularia; 28, Comibaena subdelicata; 29, Comibaena procumbaria; 30, Comibaena subprocumbaria; 31, Comibaena tenuisaria; 32, Comibaena cenocraspis; 33, Comibaena hypolampes; 34, Comibaena latilinea; 35, Comibaena swanni; 36, Comibaena birectilinea sp. nov., holotype; 37, Microbaena pulchra minor; 38, Thetidia albocostaria; 39, Thetidia correspondens; 40, Thetidia atyche; 41, Thetidia chlorophyllaria, 42, holotype of Thetidia pekingensis; 43–44, Thetidia kansuensis, 43, from Gansu, 44, from Tibet; 45, Thetidia smaragdaria; 46, Proteuchloris neriaria; 47, Linguisaccus subhyalina; 48, Linguisaccus minor sp. nov., paratype; 49, Chlorochromodes rhodocraspeda sp. nov., holotype; 50, Argyrocosma inductaria; 51, Protuliocnemis castalaria; 52, Protuliocnemis falcipennis; 53, Protuliocnemis candida sp. nov., paratype; 54, Protuliocnemis dissimilis sp. nov., paratype. Scale bar = 13 mm.

Figures 103–107. Male genitalia. 103, Argyrocosma inductaria; 104, Protuliocnemis castalaria; 105, Protuliocnemis falcipennis; 106, Protuliocnemis candida; 107, Protuliocnemis dissimilis. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figures 132–155. Aedeagus. 132, Comibaena subdelicata; 133, Comibaena procumbaria; 134, Comibaena subprocumbaria; 135, Comibaena tenuisaria; 136, Comibaena cenocraspis; 137, Comibaena hypolampes; 138, Comibaena latilinea; 139, Comibaena swanni; 140, Comibaena birectilinea; 141, Microbaena pulchra; 142, Thetidia albocostaria; 143, Thetidia atyche; 144, Thetidia chlorophyllaria; 145, Thetidia kansuensis; 146, Thetidia smaragdaria; 147, Proteuchloris neriaria; 148, Linguisaccus subhyalina; 149, Linguisaccus minor; 150, Chlorochromodes rhodocraspeda; 151, Argyrocosma inductaria; 152, Protuliocnemis castalaria; 153, Protuliocnemis falcipennis; 154, Protuliocnemis candida; 155, Protuliocnemis dissimilis. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figures 156–175. The male eighth segment. In Figures 156–174, the tergite is on the left and the sternite is on the right. 156, Comibaena fuscidorsata; 157, Comibaena apicipicta; 158, Comibaena ornataria; 159, Comibaena auromaculata; 160, Comibaena tancrei; 161, Comibaena nigromacularia; 162, Comibaena procumbaria; 163, Comibaena tenuisaria; 164, Comibaena cenocraspis; 165, Comibaena latilinea; 166, Thetidia chlorophyllaria; 167, Thetidia kansuensis; 168–170, Linguisaccus subhyalina; 171, Linguisaccus minor; 172, Chlorochromodes rhodocraspeda; 173, Protuliocnemis candida; 174, Protuliocnemis dissimilis; 175, tympanal organ of Pro. dissimilis. Scale bar = 1 mm.

Figures 200–210. Female genitalia. 200, Thetidia chlorophyllaria; 201, Thetidia smaragdaria; 202, Proteuchloris neriaria; 203, Linguisaccus subhyalina; 204, Linguisaccus minor; 205, Chlorochromodes rhodocraspeda; 206, Argyrocosma inductaria; 207, Protuliocnemis castalaria; 208, Protuliocnemis falcipennis; 209, Protuliocnemis candida; 210, Protuliocnemis dissimilis. Scale bars = 1 mm.