Plutodes warreni Prout, 1923: 322

Singh, Manpreet, Raha, Angshuman, Mallick, Kaushik, Kirti, Jagbir Singh & Singh, Navneet, 2023, A review of the genus Plutodes Guenée (Geometridae: Ennominae) from India with description of one new species, Zootaxa 5323 (4), pp. 499-523 : 508

Plutodes warreni Prout, 1923: 322

( Figs 4–5 , 31–32 )

TL: Sabathu (Himachal Pradesh, India)

Material examined: India, Arunachal Pradesh, Dibang Valley dist.: 1 ♂, Dibang valley, 12.xi.2018, leg. A. K. Sanyal & party (13652/H10, NZCZSI); Tawang dist. : 1 ♂, Jang , 18.iii.2019, leg. M. Singh (13654/H10, NZCZSI); West Kameng dist. : 2 ♂, Lama Camp, Eaglenest WLS, 29.v.2019, leg. R. Lenka & party (13655–56/H10, NZCZSI) . Himachal Pradesh, Kullu dist.: 1 ♂, GHNP, Ropa FRH, 26.viii.2016, leg. A. K. Sanyal & party (13649/H10, NZCZSI); Kangra dist. : 1 ♂, Dharamshala , 1.xi.2018, leg. A. Raha., K. Mallick. & Bandhopadhyay & party (13653/ H10, NZCZSI) . Sikkim, West Sikkim dist.: 1 ♀, Yuksom, 22.xi.2019, leg. A. K. Sanyal & party (13651/H10, NZCZSI); North Sikkim dist. : 1 ♀, 1 ♂, Rabum , 13.xii.2019, leg. A. K. Sanyal & party (13650/H10, NZCZSI) . West Bengal, Darjeeling dist.: 1 ♀, Singalila National Park, Gairibas , 21.v.2018, leg. K. Bhattacharaya & party (13647/H10, NZCZSI); 1 ♂, Singalila National Park , Manedara , 27.x.2018, leg. A. K. Sanyal & party (13648/H10, NZCZSI) .

Diagnosis: Forewing length: ♂ 19–21 mm, ♀ 20–21 mm. The diagnosis of this species is discussed under the preceding species.

Distribution: India: Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, West Bengal ( Prout 1923, Prout 1926b). Global: China, Nepal ( Yazaki 1993, Yazaki & Wang 2004)

Remarks: While working on different populations of Plutodes warreni , we encountered one male specimen ( Figs 6–7 , 33–34 ) out of two collected on same date i.e., 29.v.2019 from Lama Camp locality in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh showing notable variations in the external appearance from the typical P. warreni . The most noticeable difference is observed in the yellow costal margin on the forewing which, in this specimen, has shallow or blunt antemedial, postmedial and submarginal protrusions on its irregular inner border. Whereas, in typical P. warreni (both male and female), the costal yellow margin has more or less straight inner border with distinct and sharp triangular antemedial, postmedial and submarginal indentations, of which the postmedial one is distinctly larger than the other two. This close form is slightly smaller and paler with distinct sinuous antemedial line on forewing which is indistinct and does not cross the cell in typical P. warreni as well as in P. costatus . Further, the apical yellow patch on hindwing is much narrower than in P. warreni . Other P. warreni specimens in our collection follow the same wing pattern as discussed above for typical P. warreni without any considerable variation. The male genitalia, in this specimen, although looks very similar to that in P. warreni , but can be separated by minor differences when observed closely, like slightly broader uncus, more quadrate gnathos, and valva with shorter, more sclerotized, curved sacculus, and a larger distal part with a small, digitate subapical process. Also, the aedeagus vesica has a smaller distal patch of short spines which, in P. warreni , is broader, situated more basally with minute spines. However, due to shortage of materials and minute genital variations, we are not assigning this as a separate species, but a close form of P. warreni . Further studies involving additional materials and molecular analyses will be required to eventually erect it as a distinct species. Plutodes warreni flies sympatrically with P. costatus in the rain fed mid and upper montane undisturbed forests throughout the year. This study also marks the report from Arunachal Pradesh and West Bengal and thereby expanding the known distribution range of this species in India.

Figures

FIGURES 2–9. Habitus of Plutodes spp. 2–3, P. costatus, female, Old Ziro; 4–5, P. warreni, male, Jang; 6–7, P. cf. warreni, male, Lama Camp, Eaglenest WLS; 8–9, P. lamisca, male, Namchi. Ventral sides: 3, 5, 7, 9.

FIGURES 29–36. Genitalia of Plutodes spp. 29–30, P. costatus, male, Sitong: 29, ventral view, 30, aedeagus (vesica not everted); 31–32, P. warreni, male, Jang: 31, ventral view, 32, aedeagus; 33–34, P. cf. warreni, male, Lama Camp, Eaglenest WLS: 33, ventral view, 34, aedeagus; 35–36, P. lamisca, male, Namchi: 35, ventral view, 36, aedeagus. (diagnostic characters indicated by black lines).