Pljushtchia Viidalepp & Kostjuk, 2005

Viidalepp, Jaan, Lindt, Aare & Kurina, Olavi, 2022, Pljushtchia argoi sp. n., a new geometrid moth from the Western Tien Shan Mountains (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae), Biodiversity Data Journal 10, pp. 82353-82353 : 82353

Pljushtchia Viidalepp & Kostjuk, 2005

Pljushtchia Pljushtchia prima Viidalepp & Kostjuk, 2005

Diagnosis

The genus was diagnosed using the autapomorphic characters of the type species as unipectinate antennae in male and serrate antennae in female. It was identified as a cidariine genus by the venation of fore- and hind-wings and by the presence of a pair of lateral appendages to the juxta, defined as the labides. The association of Pljushtchia with Thera Stephens, Protothera Viidalepp and Heterothera Inoue was supported using a cladistic analysis ( Viidalepp and Kostjuk 2005). This analysis revealed the existence of four monophyletic groups of genera within the tribe Cidariini . Thera and allied genera appeared as the crown group of Cidariini , characterised by the reduction of the posterior or anterior apophyses in females; the valve costa projecting distally or dorsally in male genitalia; the valve sacculus tip projecting beyond the ventral margin of valva in male genitalia and the modification or the absence of the signum in female genitalia. Pljushtchia differs from Thera in more slender wings, especially in the fore-margin of hind-wing being longer than the hind margin of the forewing.

The Thera group of genera has the hind-wing discal vein twice angulate, sharing this character with its sister-group (containing of Lampropteryx Stephens, Nebula Bruand and others), which is otherwise diagnosed by the presence of bipartite labides or labides provided with blade-like hamuli.