Paraplaneta Warren

Choi, Sei-Woong & Stüning, Dieter, 2011, Revision of the genus Paraplaneta Warren, 1895 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae) from Southeast Asia, Zootaxa 3038, pp. 29-44 : 30-31

Paraplaneta Warren

Paraplaneta Warren, 1895 , Novit. zool. 2: 116. Type species: Larentia conturbata Walker, 1863 by original designation. Type locality: North Hindostan, India

Paraplaneta Warren : Prout, 1914: 266 [as section C of Cataclysme Hübner , [1825] 1816]; Prout, 1938: 171; Parssons et al., 1999: 112; Xue and Zhu, 1999: 756 [as junior subjective synonym of Cataclysme Hübner ] Paraplaneta Warren : Viidalepp, 2009: 32 [gen. rev.]

Diagnosis. Species of Paraplaneta are similar to those of Cataclysme in wing pattern elements, but can be distinguished from the latter by the pectinate male antennae, relatively larger wingspan, medially attenuating subterminal line of forewing with contrasting central fascia and termen on underside. Wing venation is similar to that of Cataclysme , but differs in the position of the areole - the starting point of the c-m crossvein is in the middle of areole - and the strongly bent ldc-vein of forewing (figs. 25–26). The male genitalia of Paraplaneta are similar to those of Cataclysme , but can be distinguished from the latter by the relatively thick uncus, hood-like tegumen, shallow saccus, large saccular arm, rod-shaped aedeagus with a medial protrusion and sac-like vesica with a patch of spinular cornuti. The female genitalia of Paraplaneta can be distinguished from those of Cataclysme by the large sclerotized sterigma, shorter ductus bursae with a colliculum, sac-like sclerotized appendix bursae and large elliptical corpus bursae with a large triangular signum.

Description. Adults: Male antennae unipectinate a short distance at base, the larger part bipectinate; rami arising ventrally, flattened and rounded or elongate, setose (see figs. 21–24); female antennae filiform. Frons intermixed with dark ochreous and yellowish white scales, often covered only with ochreous scales ( plurilinearia ). Labial palpi basally whitish ( conturbata , anthracica , griseobrunnea ), 2nd and 3rd segments covered with dark ochreous and variegated white scales, about 1.5 times of eye diameter in length. Body and legs covered with reddish brown or dark brown and yellowish white hair-scales. Male 7th and 8th abdominal tergites and sternites reduced to narrow, sclerotized bands, those of 8th segment laterally connected, forming a continuous ring, supporting a pair of large, lateral coremata. Bases of the coremata with claw-like structures (figs. 27–29). Forewing pale or dark grey or often blackish ( plurilinearia , anthracica ) in ground colour; basal and antemedial line dark brown, waved, discal dot present or weak, rarely more conspicuous; postmedial line dark brown, consisting of several transverse waved lines, medially outwardly projected, bordered by a pale ochreous or yellowish white band; subtermen with a dark brownish band, costally thicker and medially attenuating; termen darker; underside paler than upperside, basally and medially grey or brown, discal dot mostly present, larger than on upperside, postmedial line distinct by a greyish white borderline; subtermen with a thick, dark brown band, attenuating medially. Hindwing generally paler than forewing, medially three waved transverse lines; discal dot sometimes present ( conturbata , sternecki , plurilinearia , antracica, hreblayi ); postmedial line distinct by a whitish borderline; underside whitish with similar wing pattern elements as upperside; subterminal line distinct by dark brown, undulating thick band, often broadly tinged with dark brown scales ( sternecki ). Venation (fig. 26): forewing R5 stalked with M1; one areole formed by R1–4 and R5+M1; mdc only a half of ldc in length, ldc medially strongly bent; discal vein anteriorly starting in the middle of the areole; in hindwing mdc also a half of ldc in length. Male genitalia: Uncus rather thick ( conturbata , subfasciata , anthracica ), slender ( plurilinearia , griseobrunnea ) or U-shaped ( sternecki , hreblayi , nebulata ), apex usually divided, often expanded ( conturbata , subfasciata , griseobrunnea ); tegumen hood-like, shorter than vinculum in length; saccus broad and shallow. Juxta a small, triangular to elongate-triangular, sclerotized plate, situated beween the posterior bases of the valves near the saccus. A narrow, elongate sclerite present, bearing three groups of setae distally and situated close to the juxta and parallel to it (see fig. 30, pj). Valva: costa usually broadly sclerotized, often medially inflated, distally elongated, with acute or rounded tip; sacculus long, rather wide at base, with a long distal arm. Apex of the latter strongly, slightly or not expanded. Aedeagus rod-shaped with a medial protrusion; vesica large, hammer-head shaped, with a patch of small spinular cornuti and a large triangular cornutus. Female genitalia: Papillae anales simple; posterior apophyses three to five times as long as anterior apophyses. Sterigma sclerotized, well-developed, differing in shape from rounded ( conturbata , sternecki , hreblayi , nebulata ) to angled sclerotized plates ( subfasciata , plurilinearia , griseobrunnea ), with a deep invagination between both. Ductus bursae short with a colliculum; corpus bursae large, elliptical, with a sac-like sclerotized appendix bursae, curved around the ductus bursae; signum a slender longitudinal or triangular process.

Biology. There is nothing known about immature stages or foodplants.

Remarks. A unique character of the male abdomen are the claw-like structures at the bases of the coremata (figs. 27–29) which obviously developed from fused corematal setae. Apically they form a strong, acute, slightly curved tip, arising from two basal branches. Their purpose is unknown, but according to their build and position they may have a clasping function during copula. We introduce here the term 'corematal claws' for them. Close to the juxta of the male genitalia and parallel to it, there is a curved, narrow, elongate sclerite which distally bears one group and laterally two groups of setae (see fig. 30, pj). It is loosely fixed with its basal part to a point between juxta and saccus and is freely movable around this point. This plate is found in all species of Paraplaneta , with slight specific differences, and seems to be a distinct generic character. Its function is unknown. A similar plate is present in species of the genus Cataclysme only, but it is shorter, broader and rather heart-shaped. To our knowledge, this structure is not found elsewhere and can be considered as an autapomorphy of a clade comprising Cataclysme and Paraplaneta inside the tribe Cataclysmini. Xue and Zhu (1999: 759ff) figured these structures, but did not comment or name them. We propose here the term ‘pseudojuxta’ for it.