Mohacolora bezverkhovi, Stüning, Dieter & László, Gyula M., 2015

Stüning, Dieter & László, Gyula M., 2015, Mohacolora gen. n., a new genus of Ennominae (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) from South-East Asia, with description of a new species, Zootaxa 3914 (2), pp. 195-200 : 197-198

Mohacolora bezverkhovi sp. n.

Figs 1–14 .

Material examined. Holotype: ♂, N. Vietnam, Mt. Fan-si-pan, N. slopes, 2250 m, 22°17’N, 103°44’E, prim. forest, 1– 6.11.1995, leg. V. Siniaev & E. Afonin, ex coll. A. Schintlmeister (coll. ZFMK).

Paratypes: Vietnam: 7 ♂, same data as holotype (including genitalia slide 2277–DS); 1 ♀, Mt. Fan-si-pan, N. slopes, 1600 m, 22°17’N, 103°44’E, prim. forest, 1– 6.11.1995, leg. V. Siniaev & E. Afonin, ex coll. A. Schintlmeister; 1 ♂, Prov. Lao Cai, 2100 m, Fan-si-pan Mts, 6 km W Sa Pa, 103°48,5’E, 22°17,9’N, 17.11.1999, leg. A. Kun & L. Ronkay (coll. ZFMK); 1 ♂, same data as holotype (coll. M. Sommerer, Munich); 5 ♂, 3 ♀, Prov. Lao Cai, 1900–2000 m, Fan-si-pan Mts, 14 km NW Sa Pa, 103°46,06’E, 22°20,9’N, 14– 15.11.1999, leg. A. Kun & L. Ronkay (genitalia slide LG 2842, female) (coll. HNHM), 1 ♂, with same data (genitalia slide LG 2840) (coll. Gy. M. László, Budapest). Bhutan: 6 ♂, 4 km W Singor, 27°21’N, 91°02’E, 25.10.2009, 2420 m, leg. Bezverkhov & Siniaev (including genitalia slide 2267–DS); (coll. ZSM). Myanmar: 1 ♀, Prov. Kachin State, 2450 m, 26°22’149”N, 098°41’042”E, 0 3.10.2010, ca. 3 km NW Three river junction, ca. 43 km N Kanphant, leg. M. Langer, S. Naumann & S. Löffler (coll. ZFMK). Nepal: 1 ♂, Taplejung area, Lal Kharka, 2250 m, 10.10.1994, leg. Márton Hreblay & Tibor Csővári (coll. M. Sommerer, Munich); 2 ♂, Koshi, Terhathum area, Chitre, 2500 m, 87°24’E, 27°05’N, 17.10.1996, leg. Gy. M. László & G. Ronkay (genitalia slide LG 2435); 1 ♂, Mechi, Taplejung area, between Mamankhe and Anpang, 2000 m, 87°54’E, 27°26’N, 0 1.11.1996, leg. Gy. M. László & G. Ronkay; 1 ♀, Koshi, Terhathum area, above Gorja, Tshisopani, 2600 m, 87°37’E, 27°21’N, 0 5.11.1996, leg. Gy. M. László & G. Ronkay (genitalia slide LG 2843) (coll. Gy. M. László, Budapest).

Diagnosis and description. The detailed diagnosis and description of Mohacolora bezverkhovi is given in the diagnosis and description of the new genus. Compare figs 1–6 for adults moths, figs 7–8 for details of the pregenital abdomen and figs 9–14 for genitalia.

Remarks. It is worth to mention, that the specimens collected in East-Nepal, Bhutan and Myanmar are significantly paler and lighter greenish compared to the specimens from Vietnam, but these differences may prove to be just clinal, regarding the large gap separating the western and eastern areas of distribution. On the other hand, there are no mentionable differences between the genitalia of the Eastern Himalayan and the Indo-Chinese populations (neither in male, nor in female). Therefore we desisted to distinguish them as two different subspecies.

Distribution and bionomics. The specimens of the type series were collected in East-Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar (Kachin state) and North Vietnam. Its occurrence can also be expected in the mountainous regions connecting NE. Myanmar and N. Vietnam (S. Yunnan, N. Thailand and N. Laos). Mohacolora bezverkhovi is a member of the fauna of the medium-high monsoonic forests (1600–2600 m elevations) of the South-East Asian high mountains. The adults are on the wing in October-November. Foodplant and early instars are still unknown.

Etymology. The species is named after Yuri Bezverkhov from Moscow ( Russia), who collected specimens of the new species in Bhutan (besides a lot of other Bhutan material). Mr. Yuri Bezverkhov deposited the geometrids of his Bhutan expedition at the ZSM collection in Munich and supported the museum in its scientific work on that material.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 6. Mohacolora bezverkhovi, adult moths. 1 – 2 — holotype, male (Vietnam, Fan-si-pan, coll. ZFMK); 3 — paratype, female (Vietnam, Fan-si-pan, coll. HNHM); 4 – 5 — paratype, male (Nepal, Taplejung area, coll. Gy. M. László); 6 — paratype, female (Nepal, Taplejung area, coll. Gy. M. László). 2, 5 — underside.

FIGURES 7 – 14. Mohacolora bezverkhovi, pregenital abdomen and genitalia (paratypes). 7 — sternites 1 + 2, with tympanal organ (male, Bhutan); 8 — tergites 1 – 3 (male, Bhutan); 9 — male, Nepal (slide No. LG 2435); 10 — male, Vietnam (slide No. LG 2840); 11 — female, Nepal (slide No. LG 2843); 12 — female, Vietnam (slide No. LG 2842); 13 — male, Bhutan (slide 2267 – DS); 14 — ibid. (enlarged section of Fig. 13). Scale bar: 1 mm.