Prometopidia joshimathensis yazakii, Dey & Uniyal & Hausmann & Stüning, 2021

Dey, Pritha, Uniyal, Virendra Prasad, Hausmann, Axel & Stüning, Dieter, 2021, Revision of the genus Prometopidia Hampson, 1902, with description of the new species P. joshimathensis sp. nov. from West-Himalaya and its subspecies P. j yazakii ssp. nov. from Nepal (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae), Zootaxa 4980 (1), pp. 28-44 : 40-42

Prometopidia joshimathensis yazakii ssp. n.

Figs 2l–o ; 3e ; 4b, c, e, f, k ; 5f ; 6e

Prometopidia conisaria: Yazaki, 1995: 18 (specimens from Nepal only), text fig. 575 (female genitalia and 7th abdominal sternite), pl. 100, fig. 11 (♂ moth; Yazaki, pers. comm.) (nec Hampson, 1902).

Type-material examined. Holotype ♂, Nepal, Ganesh Himal , 1 km E of Gadrang, 2520 m, 9.iii.1996, 85°16’E 28°09’N, leg. László Bódi & György Makranczy; genitalia slide no. 2367-DS, Barcode No.: BC ZFMK Lep 00595. Coll. ZFMK.

Paratypes: 1♂, Nepal, Dhumre, Bimal Nagar , 500m, 29.–30.iii.1995, 84°26’E 27°55’N, leg. László Bódi & György Makranczy; genitalia slide No. 2368-DS, Barcode No.: BC ZFMK Lep 00597 ; 1♂, Nepal, Ganesh Himal , 1 km SW of Gadrang, 2900 m, 10.iii.1996, leg. László Bódi & György Makranczy; genitalia slide No. 2399-DS, Barcode No.: BC ZFMK Lep 00596 ; 1♀, Nepal, Dhaulagiri Himal , 2,5 km SE of Lebang, 2450 m, 24.iii.1996, leg. László Bódi & György Makranczy; genitalia slide No. 2400-DS, Barcode No.: BC ZFMK Lep 00594; Coll. ZFMK .

1♂, Nepal, Prov. Nr. 2 East , Jiri, 5.IV.1964, leg. W. Dierl; genitalia slide No. ZSM G 424 ; 1♀, same data, genitalia slide No. ZSM G 20364 (Pritha Dey fec.), coll. ZSM ; 1 ♀, Nepal, Kathmandu valley , 5km SW of Kathmandu, Dhankinkali, 25.I.1996, leg. Chenga Sherpa; coll. CMS .

Nepal, Kathmandu valley , Godavari , 1600 m: 1♂, 10.i.1992; 1♂, 27.ii.1992 ; 2♂, 2.iii.1992; 1♀, 16.iii.1992; Godavari, Mt. Phulchouki , 2075–2275 m: 1♂, 2.iii.1992; 1♂, 17.iii.1992 ; 1♂, 19.iii.1992. Coll. K. Yazaki, Tokyo.

Description and diagnosis. Wingspan in males 29–31 mm, female 28 mm. Type-material from Joshimath of the same size as specimens of yazakii ssp.n. from E. Nepal. Pattern and coloration almost the same in both subspecies. There are lighter grey specimens which only have the area outside of the postmedial line darker grey, and completely darker grey specimens.Ante- and postmedial lines are punctate, with the dots on the veins. Females with very indistinct fasciae rarely occur.About half of the specimens of the subspecies yazakii, however, have continuous transverse fasciae (see fig. 2m): two of four in coll. ZFMK, four of eight in coll. Yazaki; the relation may change in larger samples. In both collections the single females have punctate fasciae. Among the nominotypical subspecies from Joshimath (n=7) and paratypes from Punjab (n=3) specimens with continuous fasciae do not occur.

The hindwing bases in males of ssp. yazakii are swollen and distinctly modified like a rectangular pouch, with a small, round, membranous section, similar to a tympanum, near the base of the frenulum. The basal part of vein Rs (upper vein of the hindwing cell) is also strongly angled, running adjacent to the distal border of the pouch. The function of this unusual structure is unknown and it should be paid more attention to it in future.

Further differences are seen in the shape of the distal process of the 7 th sternite in females: a rather narrow, transverse, almost rectangular process in P. joshimathensis joshimathensis ( Fig. 4h ), a broader, distally double-curved process in ssp. yazakii ( Fig. 3e ). The male genitalia of both subspecies are without distinctive differences, but the female genitalia are slightly larger in subsp. yazakii , with the anterior part of corpus bursae larger in relation to the posterior part and a larger signum with wider opening, broader sclerotized ring with more numerous and longer spines. Morphologically, all these differences are considered to be of subspecific value, though the genetic distance is rather high.

Distribution. Central and eastern Nepal ( Fig. 1 (a))

Etymology. Dedicated to Katsumi Yazaki, Tokyo, one of the best-known experts of East Asian Geometridae , who as the first revising author studied specimens of Prometopidia intensively, designating and figuring also the lectotype of the type-species in the collection of the NHMUK. Moreover, he first recorded specimens of Prometopidia from Nepal.

Genetic data. BIN not yet assigned, data based on three sequences with fragment lengths of 407 bp, all from eastern Nepal. Maximum intraspecific variation 1.0%. Genetic distance to nominotypical subspecies 3.3%, requiring confirmation by additional specimens. Genetic distance to P. conisaria 6.7%.

Figures

FIGURE 1. (a) Previous and new records and the type-localities of Prometopidia conisaria, P. joshimathensis joshimathensis, its subspecies yazakii and P. arenosa within Indian territory and the neighbouring countries Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nepal; (b–d) habitats of P. joshimathensis with dominant vegetation as b: Blue Pine (Pinus wallichiana), Joshimath, c: Banj Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora) and Moru Oak (Quercus floribunda), Sunil and d: Kharsu Oak (Quercus semecarpifolia), Auli.

FIGURE 2. Adults (a–f), including lectotype (g1, g2) of Prometopidia conisaria, adults of P. joshimathensis (h–o). a: P. conisaria, female (Afghanistan, ZFMK); b: P. conisaria, male, (Pakistan, CMS); c: P. conisaria, female (Pakistan, CMS); d: P. conisaria, female (Pakistan, ZFMK); e: P. conisaria, male (India, Uttarakhand; NCBS); f: P. conisaria, female (India, Uttarakhand; NCBS); g1: P. conisaria, male lectotype (Narkundah, Kashmir); g2: P. conisaria, labels of male lectotype; h: P. joshimathensis, male holotype (Uttarakhand; NCBS); i: P. joshimathensis, male paratype (Uttarakhand; NCBS); j: P. joshimathensis, female paratype (Uttarakhand; NCBS); k: P. joshimathensis, female paratype (Punjab; ZFMK); l: P. joshimathensis ssp. yazakii, male holotype (E. Nepal; ZFMK); m: P. j. yazakii, male paratype (E. Nepal; ZFMK); n: P. j. yazakii, female paratype (E. Nepal; ZSM); o: P. j. yazakii, female paratype (E. Nepal; ZFMK).

FIGURE 3. Adult, abdominal details, female genitalia of Prometopidia arenosa and P. joshimathensis yazakii. a: P. arenosa, female holotype, upperside, b: P. arenosa, underside (NE.Afghanistan; SMNK); c: P. arenosa, labels of holotype; d: P. arenosa, process on 7th sternite; e: P. joshimathensis yazakii, process on 7th sternite; f: P. arenosa, 8th segment and papillae anales (“Prometopidia-floricomus”).

FIGURE 4. Prometopidia spp., morphological characters. a: P. conisaria, head, lateral view; b: P. joshimathensis yazakii, head, lateral view; c: P. j. yazakii, head, dorsal view; d: P. conisaria, process of 7th sternite, ventral view; e: P. j. yazakii, process of 7th sternite, ventral view; f: P. j. yazakii, process of 7th sternite, lateral view; g: P. conisaria, female, 7th tergite (left, showing rows of modified scales) and 7th sternite with distal process (left side descaled); h: P. joshimathensis, 7th sternite with distal process; i: P. conisaria, female, anterior abdominal segments (left side: sternites with tympanal organs; right side: sternites with supporting sclerites of first phragma; k: P. j. yazakii, abdomen in fluid, 7th segment with distal process (at bottom) and papillae anales with long, curved setae and rows of hooked setae (“Prometopidia-floricomus”).

FIGURE 5. Prometopidia spp., male genitalia. a: Prometopidia conisaria, lectotype (Kashmir; vesica of aedeagus everted); b: P. conisaria, (Uttarakhand; vesica not everted); c: P. conisaria, (Pakistan; vesica not everted, apical region of aedeagus enlarged to show arrangement of cornuti); d: P. conisaria, (Pakistan; vesica everted); e: P. joshimathensis (Uttarakhand; vesica incompletely everted); f: P. j. yazakii (E.Nepal; vesica everted).

FIGURE 6. Prometopidia spp., female genitalia. a: P. conisaria (Pakistan); b: P. conisaria (Punjab); c: P. conisaria (Uttarakhand); d: P. joshimathensis joshimathensis (Punjab); e: P. j. yazakii (E.Nepal); f: P. arenosa (NE Afghanistan).