Prasinocyma angulifera, Hausmann, Axel, Sciarretta, Andrea & Parisi, Francesco, 2016

Hausmann, Axel, Sciarretta, Andrea & Parisi, Francesco, 2016, The Geometrinae of Ethiopia II: Tribus Hemistolini, genus Prasinocyma (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Geometrinae), Zootaxa 4065 (1), pp. 1-63 : 34

The bifimbriata species-group

Six species in Ethiopia. In an analysis of COI sequences, these species appear as a natural group with certain affinities to the genus Thalassodes , especially when excluding the third codon position. When analytically considering all nucleotides of the COI gene, P. bifimbriata , P. angulifera sp. n., and P. stefani sp. n. constitute a homogenous subgroup, whilst P. albisticta , P. gemmifera sp. n. and P. discipuncta sp. n. belong to another subgroup, possibly embracing also P. niveisticta Prout, 1912 , P. salutaria (Swinhoe, 1904) , P. camerunalta ( Herbulot, 1986) , and P. bilobata Fletcher, 1978 . In male genitalia the valva does not show a sclerotized harpe, the juxta is often V-shaped and with posterior appendages, the saccus often large. The aedeagus is usually long and slender, with a fine spinulose crest. Sternum A8 is membranous and with tapering projections posteriorly. In male genitalia of some species ( P. bifimbriata , P. angulifera sp. n.) the sclerotized V-shaped juxta is reminiscent of the equivalents in African species of the genus Thalassodes , as well as the dorsal projection from 1/2 costa of valva. Moreover in habitus the lacking irroration, the pale fringe and the angled hindwing is similar to equivalents in Thalassodes . However, the vestigial socii and distinctly bilobous sternum A 8 in male genitalia are characteristic for the genus Prasinocyma and the molecular data justify their placement in Prasinocyma (see above) as this was also recognized in traditional taxonomy ( Prout 1930; Scoble 1999) in the case of several species ( P. niveisticta Prout, 1912 , P. salutaria (Swinhoe, 1904) , P. bilobata Fletcher, 1978 , P. bifimbriata , P. albisticta and others) belonging to this group.