Chlororithra missioniaria Oberthür, 1916,

Hongxiang, Han, Hongmei, Li, Dayong & Xue, 2006, Revision of Chlororithra Butler, 1889 (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Geometrinae), Zootaxa 1221, pp. 29-39 : 36-38

Chlororithra missioniaria Oberthür, 1916 stat. nov.

Figs. 7–8

Chlororithra fea var. missioniaria Oberthür, 1916 , Études Lépid. comp. 12: 116, pl. 389, fig. 3280, 3281. Lectotype ɗ (ZFMK), [ China]: Tsekou.

Chlororithra fea ab. missioniaria: Prout, 1935 , in Seitz, Macrolepid. World 4 (Suppl.): 10, pl. 2f. Chlororithra fea missioniaria: Scoble, 1999 , Geometrid Moths of the World, a Catalogue 1: 149. [as synonym of fea ].

Redescription

Head: Antenna in male bipectinate to three­fouths, ciliate apically; with shaft pale brown and pectinations dark brown. Frons mostly whitish, slightly broader than that of C. fea , middle width about 3/4 horizontal diameter of compound eye. Vertex white. Labial palpus with all the segments whitish on both outer and inner surfaces; segment I and II rough­scaled, segment III smooth and slightly elongate in female compared to male, exposed.

Thorax: Tegula mostly whitish. Dorsum white and yellow green on middle of metathorax; ventral side white. Length of forewing (base to apex) 16–17 mm in both male and female. Wing pattern slightly paler than C. fea . Lines white, edged with pale green line or patch, forming patches on costa. Subbasal line wavy; antemedial line wavy, edged with pale green outward; postmedial line serrated, edged with pale green inward; antemedial and postmedial lines approaching each other towards inner margin; submarginal line fairly wavy, extending inwards along veins, connected with postmedial line, forming oval patches between these two lines, with an accompanying pale green patch on both sides; terminal line forming white round patch between veins. Discal spot pale green, slender and bent, extending to costa. Fringe white between veins, pale green on veins. Hindwing with streaks similar to forewing, black­brown patch absent. Underside whitish, much paler than that of C. fea , streaks on upper side very weakly discernable.

Abdomen: Dorsum and upper lateral side yellow­green, white intersegments; venter and lower lateral side whitish. Male genitalia ( Figs. 15–18 ) similar to those of C. fea , but with the following differences: socii much broader, tapered apically; costa with basal process almost smooth, while more­or­less spinulose in C. fea ; coremata very weak, while frequently well developed in C. fea ; center of sternite 8 deeply and broadly depressed, inner margin straight and smooth, U­shaped, and lateral process smooth, sharp and tapered ( Fig. 20 ). Female genitalia ( Fig. 19 ) with apophyses posteriores long, about 8 times of apophyses anteriores in length. Sternite 7 strongly sclerotized. Ductus bursae long, about as long as corpus bursae, with posterior half weakly sclerotized, antrum absent. Corpus bursae oval, membranous; signum a rounded, sclerotized patch with a tooth­like process at middle.

Materials examined

CHINA: paralectotypes, Tsekou, P. Dubernard, 1895, Ex. Oberthür Coll. Brit. Mus. 1927­3, 8 males ( BMNH); lectotype, Thibet Tsekou, R.P. Dubernard (other label: Chlororithra fea Butler , var. missioniaria Obthr. ), 1 male ( ZFMK); paralectotypes, Tse Kou, R.P. Dubernard, 1895, 3 males ( ZFMK); Donglingshan, Beijing, China, 1300 m, 2001. VI.23, ex. coll. Galsworthy, 1 female ( IZCAS); Beijing Mentougou Liyuanling, 2001. VI.21, coll. Xue Dayong, 1 male ( IZCAS); Yunnan: Lijiang Yulongshang, 1962. VIII.3, coll. Song Shimei, 1 female ( IZCAS), 2800–2850 m, 1984. VII.16–20, coll. Liu Dajun, 1 male, 1 female ( IZCAS), coll. Chen Yixin, 1 female ( IZCAS); Donglingshan, Beijing, China, 1300 m, 2001. VI.23, coll. Galsworthy, 2 males (AG Coll.).

Remarks

This species was described by Oberthür as a variation of C. fea on the basis of 19 male specimens from Tsekou collected by R. P. Dubernard from 1895 to 1900. Specimens of this series are represented by two distinct wing patterns: in one form there is a blackbrown apical patch on both the upper and under sides, and in the second form the blackbrown apical patch is absent. Prout (1933) suggested that the difference was “possibly seasonal.” After dissecting a long series of both forms, it was revealed that C. fea and C. missioniaria have quite different male and female genitalia. Seven syntypes of missioniaria with a black­brown patch have the same genitalia as C. fea and are transferred to that species.

There are two main features of variation in the male genitalia — the shape of the apex of tha valva and the number of subapical teeth on the gnathos. The shape of the apex of the valva is rounded in specimens from Beijing and Tsekou, and longer and more slender in specimens from Lijiang. The gnathos usually bears a single subapical tooth, but in one specimen from Lijiang, there are three, possibly representing be a mutation.

Prout (1935) pointed out that “Oberthür united the whole series under the one name, but in order to conserve the name we have assumed his first figure to be the type.” Here, we designate the specimen that Oberthür figured as 3280 as the lectotype.

Distribution.

China (Beijing, Yunnan (Tsekou [Deqin], Lijiang)).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Adults of Chlororithra. 1 – 6, adults of C. fea: 1, from Sikkim, upperside; 2, ibidem, underside; 3, from Burma, upperside; 4, from India, underside of lectotype; 5, from Tsekou (originally a syntype of missioniaria), uppperside; 6, ibidem, underside; 7, from Tsekou, lectotype of C. missioniaria, upperside; 8, ibidem, underside. (1.5 ×)

FIGURES 9 – 21. Genitalia and segment 8 of Chlororithra. 9 – 14, of C. fea: 9, from Burma, BMNH Geomeridae genitalia slide No. 21647; 10, from Dharmsala, BMNH Geomeridae genitalia slide No. 21645; 11, from Sikkim, BMNH Geomeridae genitalia slide No. 21649; 12, from Yunnan Tsetchong, BMNH Geomeridae genitalia slide No. 21648; 13, aedeagus; 14, female genitalia, from Khasis, BMNH Geomeridae genitalia slide No. 21958; 15 – 21, of C. missioniaria: 15, from Tsekou, BMNH Geomeridae genitalia slide No. 21548; 16, from Beijing, IZCAS, Geom­ 00649; 17, from Lijiang, IZCAS, Geom­ 00476; 18, aedeagus; 19, female genitalia, from Lijiang, IZCAS, Geom­ 00475; 20, segment 8 of C. missioniaria; 21, segment 8 of C. fea.