Pseudepione nakajimai, Wu, 2018

Wu, Shipher, 2018, Discovery of the genus Pseudepione Inoue, 1943 in Taiwan, with description of a new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae), Zootaxa 4486 (1), pp. 96-100 : 96-99

Pseudepione nakajimai sp. nov. ( Figs 1, 2 , 7 , 10 )

Type material. Holotype. ♂, TAIWAN, Taitung Co., Xiangyang , 2250 m, 20-XI-2015, leg. S. Wu, preserved in ASIZ; paratypes . TAIWAN. 3 ♂ 4♀, same collecting data as the holotype ( ASIZ) ; 1♂, Nantou Co., Meifeng , 2100 m, 9-XI- 2012, leg. S. Wu, slide TFRI153522 ( TFRI) ; 1♂, Hualien Co., Ci’en , 1950 m, 10-XI-2012, leg. S. Wu, slide TFRI165217 ( TFRI) ; 1♂, same collecting data (TFRI); 4♂ 2♀, Kaohsiung Ci., Kuaigu , 2400 m, 11-XI-2015, leg. C. M. Fu & W. H. Cheng ( CCMF) ; 1♂, Kaohsiung Ci., Kuaigu , 2487 m, 29-XI-2016, leg. C. M. Fu & W. H. Cheng ( CCMF) . 3♂, Taitung Co., Xiangyang , 2320 m, 17-XI-2014, leg. C. M. Fu & W. H. Cheng ( CCMF) ; 1♀, Taitung Co., Xiangyang , 2320 m, 18- XII-2015, leg. C. M. Fu & W. H. Cheng ( CCMF) ; 1♂, Taitung Co., same collecting locality, 30-XI-2016, leg. C. M. Fu & W. H. Cheng ( CCMF).

Diagnosis. Externally the new species ( Figs 1, 2 ) is closely related to Pseudepione magnaria ( Wileman, 1911) ( Figs 3, 4 ) rather than P. shiraii Inoue, 1943 ( Figs 5, 6 ). The wing maculations of P. nakajimai and P. magnaria are quite monotonous and similar to each other, but the former species is more brownish and its forewing antemedial line is usually more roundly excurved, especially males. In contrast, the ground coloration of P. shiraii is ochreous but its basal and outer 1/3 parts of both wings are tinged with greyish brown suffusion. In the male genitalia, P. magnaria ( Fig. 8 ) is distinct by having gradually narrowed valva towards apex rather than round and obtuse apex in P. nakajimai ( Fig. 7 ) and P. shiraii ( Fig. 9 ). The characters for separating P. nakajimai from the other two species are the more narrowed valva and the distinctly acute posterior part of aedeagus rather then spoon-shaped. The female genitalia of Pseudepione are rather consistent with narrow ductus bursae, sac-like corpus bursae and a spinous signum, among them the characters of ductus bursae can be adopted to the diagnosis: In P. nakajimai ( Fig. 10 ), the ductus bursae is gradually widen towards anterior part and the sclerotization is restricted at the medial part. In the other two species ( Figs 11, 12 ), nearly whole region of ductus bursae is sclerotized and the posterior part is swollen. The sclerotization of P. shiraii extends to the posterior part of corpus bursae.

Description. Adult ( Figs 1, 2 )—Forewing length 14–15 in males (n= 16); 15–16 in females (n= 7). Antenna filiform, male stouter than female; vertex white, remaining head, thorax, two pairs of wing and abdomen pale brown. Forewing broad, costal margin roundly excurved, apex slightly acute, outer margin roundly excurved; antemedial line dark brown, roundly excurved, postmedial line dark brown, nearly straight, slightly outward at 1/3 part from costa, marginal line dark brown, cilia same color as ground coloration. Hindwing broad, outer margin slightly protruded at distal part of veins, especially Rs; discoidal spot dark brown, postmedial line dark brown, excurved outward, marginal line dark brown, cilia same color as ground coloration. Male genitalia ( Fig. 7 )—uncus down curved, apex acute, subscaphium slightly sclerotized, juxta plate-like, saccus U-shaped, valva banana-like with excurved, membranous ventral margin and nearly straight and sclerotized costal margin, one small conical process locating at apex of costal margin. Aedeagus stout, ¾ length as valva, medial part slightly swollen, posterio-ventral part acute, vesica membranous without scobination. Female genitalia ( Fig. 10 )—Papillae anales slightly sclerotized and truncate from lateral view; apophysis posterioris 1.5X longer than apophysis anterioris; lamella postvaginalis and lamella antevaginalis straight without sclerotization, ductus bursae elongate with medial sclerotization only, corpus bursae 2X longer than ductus bursae, sac-like with a stout spinous signum.

Distribution and bionomics. Endemic to Taiwan. This species is distributed in mid-elevation primary broad-leaved forests of Taiwan. The adults occur in November and December. The immature stage of the genus is extensively studied by Nakajima (1987): the hostplants are recorded as Symplocos sawafutagi (Symplocaceae) and Malus toringo (Rosaceae) for P. magnaria and Stewartia monadelpha (Theaceae) for P. shiraii . An additional hostplant, M. sieboldi , was recorded for P. magnaria by Robinson et al. (2010). The immature stage and hostplant of the new species is unavailable in the present study.

Etymology. Dedicated to Dr. Hideo Nakajima (Yokohama) who studied well on the immature stage of the genus Pseudepione and the autumn and winter fauna of Taiwanese geometrid moths.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Habitus of the genus Pseudepione Inoue, 1943. 1. P. nakajimai sp. nov., male, holotype, Taiwan (ASIZ); 2. Ditto, female, paratype (ASIZ); 3. P. magnaria (Wileman, 1911), male, Japan (CKY); 4. Ditto, female, Japan (CKY); 5. P. shiraii Inoue, 1943, male, Japan (CKY); 6. Ditto, female, Japan (CHN). Photo: Shipher Wu (1–2); Katsumi Yazaki (3–6).

FIGURES 7–9. Male genitalia of the genus Pseudepione Inoue, 1943. 7. P. nakajimai sp. nov., paratype, Taiwan (ASIZ); 8. P. magnaria (Wileman, 1911), Japan (CKY); 9. P. shiraii Inoue, 1943, Japan (CKY). Photo: Shipher Wu (7); Katsumi Yazaki (8, 9).

FIGURES 10–12. Female genitalia of the genus Pseudepione Inoue, 1943. 10. P. nakajimai sp. nov., paratype, Taiwan (ASIZ); 11. P. magnaria (Wileman, 1911), Japan (CKY); 12. P. shiraii Inoue, 1943, Japan (CHN). Photo: Shipher Wu (10); Katsumi Yazaki (11, 12).