Eupithecia fericlava, Mironov & Šumpich, 2022

Mironov, Vladimir & Šumpich, Jan, 2022, New species of the genus Eupithecia (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) from China Part IX, Zootaxa 5219 (3), pp. 276-286 : 277-278

Eupithecia fericlava sp. n.

( Figs 2 , 8 , 23 )

Type material: Holotype, ♀, China, NW. Yunnan, Nu Jiang valley, Road Lushui / Gulang , 26°68,16ʺ N, 98°47,40ʺ E, 13.v.2018, 2000 m, R. Butvila & A. Saldaitis leg. Gen. prep. J. Procházka 20168; Photo / Gen. prep. J. Šumpich 22/138 ( NMPC).

Diagnosis. This species belongs to the proterva species group ( Inoue 1979; Mironov & Galsworthy 2014) on the basis of the structure of the female genitalia, in particular the characteristic attachment of the ductus seminalis at the spineless anterior end of the bursa. The worn nature of the holotype offers little external help in distinguishing the species from other members of the group, except for the concave termen of the hindwing, which is similar to that in E. clavifera . The female genitalia are very characteristic and rather similar to those of Eupithecia signigera Butler, 1879 . However, the bursa copulatrix is larger and broader, the disposition of the spines differs and there is a heavily sclerotized rounded projection in the posterior part of the bursa.

Description. Adult. ( Figs 2 , 8 ). Female. Wingspan 16.0 mm (without fringe), fore wing 9.0 mm (without fringe). Head and notum covered with speckled yellowish-brown scales. Fore wing with convex costal margin in basal part and narrowly rounded apex. Ground colour pale brownish grey; basal part covered with blackish scales; transverse lines not clearly visible; discal dot blackish, ovoid. Hind wing with shallowly concave termen in the middle and narrowly rounded apex; pale grey, transverse lines not visible; discal dot dark, ovoid. Fringe on all wings worn off.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 23 ). Bursa copulatrix large, sacciform, about half covered with small spines, all on one side and with a row of narrow and pointed spines along posterior margin. Posterior part of bursa sclerotized with short, broad and rounded sclerotized projection. Ductus seminalis broad, curved, sharply narrowed and becoming very narrow; attached to anterior end of corpus bursae. Colliculum not expressed. Antrum relatively narrow, elongate, sclerotized centrally. Tergite A8 narrow and elongate, shovel-like. Anterior and posterior apophyses narrow. Papillae anales short, rounded.

Male. Unknown.

Bionomy. Host plant unknown. The holotype was collected by light in mid-May at an elevation of 2000 m.

Distribution. China. Known only from Yunnan province.

Etymology. The name “ fericlava ” is an anagram of the species name “ clavifera ”.

Note. The single type specimen is worn.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Eupithecia adults, China (scale bar = 10 mm). 1. E. remissata sp. n. Holotype; 2. E. fericlava sp. n. Holotype; 3. E. florianii sp. n. Holotype; 4. E. concostivexa sp. n. Holotype; 5. E. voraria sp. n. Holotype; 6. E. khama sp. n. Holotype.

FIGURES 7–12. Heads of Eupithecia species, China, holotypes. 7. E. remissata sp. n.; 8. E. fericlava sp. n.; 9. E. florianii sp. n.; 10. E. concostivexa sp. n.; 11. E. voraria sp. n.; 12. E. khama sp. n.

FIGURES 22–26. Female genitalia of Eupithecia species (scale bar = 1mm). 22. E. remissata sp. n.; 23. E. fericlava sp. n.; 24. E. florianii sp. n.; 25. E. concostivexa sp. n.; 26. E. khama sp. n.; a—frontal view; b—view from a different angle; c—output of ductus seminalis of the same genitalia preparation.