Comibaena sheni, Han & Galsworthy & Xue, 2012

Han, Hongxiang, Galsworthy, Anthony C. & Xue, Dayong, 2012, The Comibaenini of China (Geometridae: Geometrinae), with a review of the tribe, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165 (4), pp. 723-772 : 749-750

COMIBAENA SHENI SP. NOV. ( FIGS 22 , 76 , 126 , 188 )

Description: Antenna in male bipectinate with long rami, outer rami longer than inner rami. Frons and labial palpus brown mixed with white, ventral surface of the latter white. Vertex green. Tegula green, with a sub-basal, pale green band corresponding with the costal band of the forewing, distal part paler. Dorsal side of thorax and abdomen pale green. Hind tibia in male dilated, with hair-pencil, with terminal extension slightly shorter than the first tarsus.

Forewing length: ♂ ♀ 16–17 mm. Wings green. Outer margin of both wings slightly crenulate. Forewing with costal band pale green, tapering towards apex; antemedial line oblique, almost straight, slightly protruding around lower margin of cell; postmedial line almost straight, slightly bent inwards at both ends; tornal patch small, white patches inside, the inner margin of the patch reddish-brown, anal fold dark reddish-brown inside the patch; terminal line small black dots between veins above CuA 2, and an elongate black line below CuA 2, dark mixed with a few reddish-brown scales on outer margin of tornal patch. Hindwing with a pink apical patch shaped like half a figure of eight; tornal patch long and narrow, same colour as apical patch; submarginal line yellowish-white, bordering the patches and terminal line; terminal line black, interrupted on vein ends, mixed with pink on apex and tornal angle. Both wings with small dark discal spots. Fringes yellowish-brown on vein ends, white on other parts.

Third sternite of male with a pair of setal patches. Eighth sternite protruding, with posterior margin strongly sclerotized and decorated with short spines (similar to that of Comibaena tancrei ); eighth tergite with posterior margin slightly sclerotized.

Male genitalia. Uncus totally divided. Socii swollen beyond middle and bent outwards. Valva with apex blunt; costal lobe with ventral- distal half well sclerotized, spinose; ventral margin spinose, with a large tooth at middle; a subapical- central spinose sclerite present. Vinculum quadrate, only slightly concave at middle. Aedeagus quite slender, narrowing further for more than half of posterior end.

Female genitalia. Sterigma rounded. Ductus bursae slender. Corpus bursae very reduced.

Diagnosis: The wing pattern of Comibaena sheni is close to that of the species around Comibaena bajularia . However, the almost straight postmedial line of Comibaena sheni differs from those species, which have a variety of differently shaped postmedial lines; for example, serrate in Comibaena bajularia , protruding in Comibaena amoenaria , bent inwards in Comibaena serrulata , and curved outwards in Comibaena insulana . The male genitalia of Comibaena sheni are close to those of Comibaena tancrei , but the surface of the ventral- distal half of the costal lobe is spinose in Comibaena sheni but smooth in Comibaena tancrei . In addition, the branches of the vinculum are not prominent in Comibaena sheni but distinct in Comibaena tancrei .

Holotype ♂, China: Henan: Songxian, Baiyunshan , 1300 m, 24.iii.2001, coll. Shen Xiaocheng, IZCAS slide no. Geom-01053 ( IZCAS) . Paratypes: China: 1♀, same locality as holotype, 1400 m, 12.vii.2003, coll. Lu Yanan, IZCAS slide no. Geom-01054 ( IZCAS) ; 1♂, Mien-shan (Prov. Shansi), Obere Höhe c. 2000 m, 9.vii.1937, H. Höne ( ZFMK) ; 1♀, same locality and collector, 7.vii.1937 ( ZFMK) .

Distribution: China (Shanxi, Henan).

Etymology: This species is named in honour of the collector of the holotype, Shen Xiao-cheng.

COMIBAENA ARGENTATARIA ( LEECH, 1897)

( FIGS 23 , 77 , 127 , 189 )

Euchloris argentataria Leech, 1897: 237 . Syntypes ♂ ♀, Corea [ Korea], Gensan; Japan, island of Kiushiu; Hakone; China (central): Chang-yang. ( BMNH)

Comibaena argentataria: Prout, 1913a: 20 , pl. 2: b.

Diagnosis: This and the following species, Comibaena signifera , are similar and have the following distinctive features of the wing pattern: a slightly falcate forewing apex; an irregularly twisted postmedial line forming a tooth on M 1; a whitish forewing marginal area; a black, stick-like discal spot on the hindwing, whereas that of the forewing consists of a brown dot bordered with white scales; costal area of the hindwing scattered with greyish-brown scales; apex with brown patch, extending caudally.

In the wing pattern, Comibaena argentataria differs from Comibaena signifera in the following features: usually smaller; forewing postmedial line more strongly serrate than in Comibaena signifera , protrusion on M 1 longer and pointed, tooth between CuA 2 and vein fold much shorter; discal spot distinctly bordered by white; absence of a brown patch inside the antemedial line and below the cell, which is present in Comibaena signifera ; hindwing submarginal line less smoothly curved than that of Comibaena signifera .

The male genitalia of these two species are quite different: the valva apex of Comibaena argentataria is much narrower and hooked (almost pointed on left, blunt on right), but blunt in Comibaena signifera ; and the costal lobe of Comibaena argentataria is very broad, lacking the central ventral tooth, whereas it is much narrower distally and has a small central ventral tooth in Comibaena signifera .

The sterigmata differ in the female genitalia, labiate in Comibaena argentataria , but oval in Comibaena signifera .

Type material examined: Korea: 1♂ 1♀, syntypes, Gensan Corea, Ito Coll., vii.1887, Leech Coll. 1900-64 ( BMNH) ; China: 1♂, syntype, Chang Yang, A.E. Pratt Coll., v.1888, Leech Coll. 1900-64 ( BMNH) .

Additional material examined: China: 32♂ 5♀, southern China, March to September ( IZCAS, BMNH, ZFMK) ; Japan: 5♂, July to August ( BMNH, ZFMK) .

Distribution: China (Zhejiang, Hubei, Jiangxi, Hunan, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Sichuan), Japan, Korean Peninsula.

Figures

Figures 1–26. Comibaenini moths. 1, Comibaena quadrinotata; 2, Comibaena fuscidorsata; 3, Comibaena cassidara; 4, Comibaena attenuata; 5, Comibaena biplaga; 6, Comibaena apicipicta; 7, Comibaena striataria; 8, Comibaena delineata; 9, Comibaena dubernardi; 10, Comibaena ornataria; 11–15, Comibaena pictipennis; 11, from Darjeeling; 12, syntype of Comibaena pictipennis superornataria; 13, from Tengchong, Yunnan; 14, from Baoshan, Yunnan; 15, from Nanchuan, Sichuan; 16, Comibaena parornataria sp. nov., holotype; 17, Comibaena bellula sp. nov., holotype; 18, Comibaena decora sp. nov., holotype; 19, Comibaena auromaculata sp. nov., holotype; 20, Comibaena tibetensis sp. nov., holotype; 21, Comibaena tancrei; 22, Comibaena sheni sp. nov., holotype; 23, Comibaena argentataria; 24, Comibaena signifera subargentaria; 25, Comibaena takasago; 26, Comibaena flavicans. Scale bar = 13 mm.

Figures 67–78. Male genitalia. 67–69, Comibaena pictipennis. 67, from Dahaoping, Tengchong, Yunnan; 68, from Nyingchi, Tibet; 69, from Qingchengshan, Sichuan; 70, Comibaena parornataria; 71, Comibaena bellula; 72, Comibaena decora; 73, Comibaena auromaculata; 74, Comibaena tibetensis; 75, Comibaena tancrei; 76, Comibaena sheni; 77, Comibaena argentataria; 78, Comibaena signifera subargentaria. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figures 108–131. Aedeagus. 108, Comibaena quadrinotata; 109, Comibaena fuscidorsata; 110, Comibaena cassidara; 111, Comibaena attenuata; 112, Comibaena biplaga; 113, Comibaena apicipicta; 114, Comibaena striataria; 115, Comibaena delineata; 116, Comibaena dubernardi; 117, Comibaena ornataria; 118–119, Comibaena pictipennis; 118, from Tengchong, Yunnan; 119, from Nyingchi; 120, Comibaena parornataria; 121, Comibaena bellula; 122, Comibaena decora; 123, Comibaena auromaculata; 124, Comibaena tibetensis; 125, Comibaena tancrei; 126, Comibaena sheni; 127, Comibaena argentataria; 128, Comibaena signifera subargentaria; 129, Comibaena takasago; 130, Comibaena flavicans; 131, Comibaena nigromacularia. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figures 188–199. Female genitalia. 188, Comibaena sheni; 189, Comibaena argentataria; 190, Comibaena signifera subargentaria; 191, Comibaena takasago; 192, Comibaena nigromacularia; 193, Comibaena procumbaria; 194, Comibaena subprocumbaria; 195, Comibaena tenuisaria; 196, Comibaena cenocraspis; 197, Comibaena birectilinea; 198, Thetidia albocostaria; 199, Thetidia atyche. Scale bars = 1 mm.