Paraplaneta anthracica Choi & Stüning, 2011

Choi, Sei-Woong & Stüning, Dieter, 2011, Revision of the genus Paraplaneta Warren, 1895 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 3038, pp. 29-44 : 35-36

Paraplaneta anthracica Choi & Stüning , sp. nov.

( Figs. 8, 11 , 32 , 40 , 48 )

Type material. Holotype ɞ labelled “Li-kiang. ( China) X, Provinz Nord-Yuennan, 29.5.1934, H. Höne”, underside of label read “404707” (registration-no. of Höne’s collection journal). Coll. ZFMK. (X = symbol for the elevation of the collecting-site = 2,400m – 2,600m, elevation of the town of Lijiang)

Paratypes. CHINA: Li-kiang. ( China), Provinz Nord-Yuennan, 1 ɞ 10.3., 1 ɞ 17.5., 1Ƥ 20.5., 1 ɞ 22.5., 1 ɞ 23.5., 1 ɞ 24.5., 2ƤƤ 27.5., 2 ɞ 28.5., 2ɞ 1Ƥ 29.5., 3 ɞ 30.5., 2ƤƤ 31.5., 2ƤƤ 3.6., 1Ƥ 5.6., 1 ɞ 9.6., 1 ɞ 18.6., 1 ɞ 20.6., 1Ƥ 26.6., 1 ɞ 24.7., 1 ɞ 29.7., 1Ƥ 3.8., 1 ɞ 5.8., 1 ɞ 7.8., 2 ɞ 16.8., ɞ18.8., 2 ɞ 19.8., 1 ɞ 20.8., 1 ɞ 21.8., 1 ɞ 12.9. 1934; 1 ɞ 10.3., 1Ƥ 3.4., 1 ɞ 12.4., 2 ɞ 14.4., 1 ɞ 19.4., 1 ɞ 21.4., 1Ƥ 22.4., 2 ɞ 25.4., 4 ɞ 28.4., 4 ɞ 29.4., 1 ɞ 30.4., 2 ɞ 3.5., 2 ɞ 6.5., 1 ɞ 7.5., 1 ɞ 8.5., 1 ɞ 9.5., 1 ɞ 10.5., 1ɞ 1Ƥ 12.5., 1 ɞ 16.5., 1 ɞ 2.6., 1 ɞ 27.7., 2 ɞ 31.7., 1 ɞ 15.8., 2 ɞ 16.8., 1 ɞ 17.8., 1935, H. Höne; 1ɞ Yuennanfu ( China), 23.3.1934. H. Höne. All paratypes mentioned above have been collected at elevations between 2,400m and 3,200m (symbol “X” and “no symbol” on the labels) (in ZFMK, MNU). 1ɞ China mer. occ., Prov. Yünnan occ., Weihsi, Mekong Fluss, Juli, 2500m; 5ɞ Tsekou, R. P. Dubernard, 1895 (coll. Ch. Oberthür); 7ɞ Tsekou, 1ɞ Tsekou, Th. Monbeig, 1909; 2ɞ Laoutsekiang, 3ɞ Westchina, 3ɞ Siaolu, 9/57 ex. Coll. R. Oberthür. (gen. Slides no. csw-365, 366, 393) (in ZFMK, MNU).

Diagnosis. This new species cannot be reliably distinguished from C. conturbata and some other congeners based on external appearance only. The very short rami of the male antennae, however, separate it from C. conturbata and C. subfasciata . The most similar species to C. anthracica is C. plurilinearia Leech with which it shares the dark grey ground colour of the wings and the very short rami of the antennae. Both species are easily separated by the male genitalia: uncus broad at base, slowly tapering to the tip, with a short apical incision in C. anthracica , narrow, strap-like, with deeper incision in C. plurilinearia . There are also distinctive differences in the distal process of the valve costa which is longer in plurilinearia , and in the shape of the saccular arms (broader at tip in plurilinearia ).

Description. Adults: Wingspan 29–33 mm. Male antennae bipectinate with short, rounded rami, only a little broader than the diameter of the flagellum segment. Frons darker or lighter greyish-brown, variegated with yellowish white scales. Labial palpi basally covered with elongate white scales, 2nd and 3rd segments dark greyishbrown, 1.5 times of the eye diameter. Body and legs dark greyish-brown, often femur of fore- and midlegs whitish. Forewing on upperside with dark grey ground colour, somewhat lighter grey distally of the postmedial line, the latter distinct by a yellowish white distal borderline. A lighter grey band between the dark basal area and the antemedial line present. All transverse lines waved, subterminal line distally white; underside paler than upperside, without pattern elements from base to postmedial area, the latter consisting of one distinct and two indistinct, waved lines, distally bordered by a broad, greyish-white band; subterminal band dark grey, broad at costa, getting narrow towards tornus, bordered distally by the white subterminal line; marginal band lighter grey again. A dark brown discal dot present. Hindwing on upperside paler than forewing from base to postmedial band, distal area concolorous; postmedials consisting of three faint, parallel, waved lines, two parallel subterminal lineswaved, less distinct compared to forewing; underside whitish, with pattern very similar to forewing. Discal dot present. Male genitalia: Uncus very broad at base, gradually tapering towards apex, the latter with shortly divided tip; tegumen hoodlike, shorter than vinculum in length; saccus broad, rounded. Valva: costa slender, medially expanded, with distal process only slightly projecting beyond valve lamina; sacculus with a thumb-shaped distal arm. Aedeagus slender, vesica large, with three rows of spinular cornuti and a slender triangular cornutus. Female genitalia: Papillae anales simple, rounded; posterior apophyses three times as long as the anterior ones; lateral, shield-like plates of sterigma posteriorly more or less rounded, anteriorly extended into a roundly projecting process; antrum long, ductus bursae short, anteriorly broad, with a colliculum; corpus bursae large, ovate, with a v-shaped, heavily sclerotized signum with minutely dentate ridges, appendix bursae rather large, a finger-like, narrow, curved diverticulum.

Distribution. China (southwest).

Etymology. The species name refers to the dark grey colour of the wings, with slightly shining surface.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 20. Adults of Paraplaneta. 1, 4: P. griseobrunnea, male HT, A-tun-tse; 2, 5: P. griseobrunnea, female PT, Batang; 3, 6: P. subfasciata, male HT, Batang; 7, 10: P. plurilinearia, male, Li-kiang; 8, 11: P. anthracica, male HT, Li-kiang; 9, 12: P. conturbata, male, India; 13, 17: P. hreblayi, male HT, Pakistan; 14, 18: P. nebulata, male HT, Liancheng, Gansu. 15, 19: P. sternecki, female, Beijing; 16, 20: P. sternecki, male, Sichuan.

FIGURES 30 – 37. Male genitalia capsule of Paraplaneta. 30. P. conturbata, pj: pseudojuxta (not figured in the other genitalia capsules), 31. P. subfasciata, 32. P. anthracica, 33. P. plurilinearia, 34, 35. P. griseobrunnea, 36. P. sternecki, 37. P. hreblayi.

FIGURES 38 – 45. Aedeagus with everted vesica of Paraplaneta. 38. P. conturbata, 39. P. subfasciata, 40. P. a n t h r a c i c a, 41. P. plurilinearia, 42, 43. P. griseobrunnea, 44. P. sternecki, 45. P. hreblayi.

FIGURES 46 – 53. Female genitalia of Paraplaneta. 46. Paraplaneta conturbata, 47. P. subfasciata, 48. P. anthracica, 49. P. plurilinearia, 50, 51. P. griseobrunnea, 52. P. sternecki, 53. P. hreblayi.