Phthorarcha chaoticaria ( Alphéraky, 1897 )

Kostjuk, Igor, Mironov, Vladimir G. & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2020, Review of the Central Asian species of Phthorarcha Meyrick (Geometridae Alsophilinae) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4861 (2), pp. 232-240 : 238-239

Phthorarcha chaoticaria ( Alphéraky, 1897)

Anisopteryx chaoticaria Alphéraky, 1897: 55 , pl 2, Fig. 8 ; TL: Nan Shan Mts., China. Phthorarcha chaoticaria (Alphéraky) : Viidalepp, 1986: 52; Lithostege chaoticaria ( Alphéraky, 1897) : Scoble, 1999: 545 (unjustified combination).

Material. Holotype, male, pinned, without left wings, (left hindwing glued to the label) labelled “ Nian Schian Gr.Gr [Grum–Grzhimailo]” (handwritten), “Orig” (pink label, hindwritten), “Koll. Vel. Knjazja Nikolaja Mikhailovicha”, “ 10 IV 1890 ” (handwritten), “42” (handwritten), “ Holotype ♂ Anisopteryx chaoticaria Alph., Design. V.G. Mironov 2018 ” (red label) ( ZISP); gen. slide photo by E. Beljaev.

Diagnosis: Facies monotone and darker than in other Middle Asian Phthorarcha species, the pale distal edging of the medial field not visible. The male genitalia as in P. primigena but the mid-dorsal process of the valva is much more slender and straighter, the saccular corner of the valva rounded, not projecting.

Description. Male. Wingspan 29 mm ( Fig. 12 ), wings slightly broader and less elongate than in P. primigena . Antennae slightly dentate, the ciliation broader than in P. primigena . Forewing monotone grey-brown, translucent, a bold black apical streak reaching vein M1. Hindwing and fringe whitish, discal marks absent. Male genitalia ( Fig. 19 ) as given in the diagnosis. Female unknown.

Distribution. Nanshan Mts. in North Tibet, China.

Remark. The name “ chaoticaria ( Alphéraky, 1897) ” is wrongly associated with Lithostege Hübner ( Scoble 1999) as it has alsophiline male genitalia ( Fig. 19 ) and lacks the lithostegine characteristics of the wing venation, last abdominal tergite and foreleg.

Figures

FIGURES 1–15. Phthorarcha moths of Central Asia: 1–12, males, 13–15, females. 1, P. primigena, Lectotype, Prov. Samarkand; 2, P. primigena, Paralectotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 3, P. primigena, Paralectotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 4, Phthorarcha haberhaueri, sp. n., Holotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 5, Phthorarcha haberhaueri, sp. n., Paratype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 6, Phthorarcha haberhaueri, sp. n., Paratype [Prov. Samarkand]; 7, P. ishkovi, Holotype, Novonikolajevka; 8, P. ishkovi, Paratype, Novonikolajevka; 9, P. ishkovi, Alma–Ata; 10, P. ishkovi, Chichkan; 11, P. ishkovi, Sosnovka; 12, P. chaoticaria, Holotype, Nian Schian; 13, P. primigena, Paralectotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 14, P. primigena, Paralectotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 15, P. ishkovi, Novonikolajevka. Scale bar 10 mm.

FIGURES 16–19. Male genitalia of some Phthorarcha species: 14, P. primigena, Lectotype, Prov. Samarkand (Gen. pr. 324); 15, P. haberhaueri, sp. n., Holotype, [Prov. Samarkand] (Gen. pr. 323); 16, P. ishkovi, Novonikolajevka (Gen. pr. 445); 17, P. chaoticaria, Holotype, “Nian Schian” (photo of gen.pr. from E. Beljaev)