Agalope geoffi, Huang & Horie & Fan & Wang & Espeland, 2023

Huang, Si-Yao, Horie, Kiyoshi, Fan, Xiao-Ling, Wang, Min & Espeland, Marianne, 2023, A review of the genus Agalope Walker (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae, Chalcosiinae) with taxonomic notes and descriptions of three new genera and three new species, Zootaxa 5284 (2), pp. 291-321 : 295-296

The geoffi species-group

Diagnosis. Externally males of the species-group can be distinguished from the other three species-groups by the somewhat more rounded hindwing outer termen and the absence of a pale spot in the cell R 4 on forewing. The main difference lies in the genitalia structure. In male genitalia, members of geoffi species-group can be easily distinguished from the other three species-groups by the unique juxta, which is longer, U-shaped bearing thick juxta lobes expanding distally and covered with numerous scale-like spinules of different sizes, while in the congeners the juxta lobes are simple and spiniform. In addition, the 8 th tergite is trapezoid in the geoffi species-group, while in the other three species groups most members have the posterior end of the tergite bifurcate (except for A. formosana ).

Description. Male. Forewing length 19.5– 21 mm in males. Antennae bipectinate. Head, thorax and abdomen thinly scaled. Both wings thinly scaled and translucent. Forewing upperside ground color white to creamy white, with base orange-marked and one transverse band in medial zone. Postdiscal area and marginal area grey. Veins darkened. Cilia grey. Hindwing upperside ground color white to creamy white. Veins sometimes slightly darkened at distal end. Cilia varying from totally white to partially pale grey and partially white.

Male genitalia. Eighth tergite trapezoid with posterior end flat. Uncus tongue-like ventrally, slightly broader at base and gradually narrowed towards tip, with distal end rounded. Tegumen nearly trapezoid with rounded margins. Posterior tegumenal projection rod-like and thick, smooth on the surface. Vinculum slender. Saccus rounded and broad V-shaped. Juxta U-shaped, lobes long (ca. 1.5 × posterior tegumenal projection length), gradually widening at distal end and spatulate, covered with numerous triangular piliform spinules. Valva relatively broad (ca. 1.5 × uncus length) and long (ca. 3.5–4 × uncus length), dorsally membranous, sacculus fused with dorsal section subapically; distal end of valva sclerotized and forming different kind of processes, elongated or triangular. Phallus simple, bending downwards near medial point.

Female. unknown.

Distribution. Currently only known from southeastern Xizang, southwestern China ( Fig. 124 ).

Remarks. The structure of the juxta is crucial for the generic classification in Agalope -related genera.Considering that the juxta of the geoffi species-group differs greatly from that of the other three species-groups, which indicates a possible generic status for the species-group, we currently treat it only as a species-group within the genus Agalope for the following reason: the general outline of the juxta in the geoffi species-group is still U-shaped rather than other totally different forms, e.g., extremely long, narrow and bending outwards ( Rotundagalope gen. n.), tongue-shaped with dorsal spiny branches ( Paragalope gen. n.) or bearing large, shield-like lobes ( Agacysma gen. n.) in other genera, which are fundamentally differing from that in Agalope , and we believe the juxta in the geoffi species-group only represents a kind of variation of the ground plan of the genus Agalope . In the current stage, the expanded and spiny distal end of the juxta lobes is better to be interpreted as a feature unique for the species-group instead for a different genus. However, this viewpoint is still in need of re-examination based on molecular approach.

Figures

FIGURE 124. Distribution map of the new species described in the present study.