Synegiodes ornata ( Bastelberger, 1909 ), 2018

Cui, Le, Jiang, Nan, Stüning, Dieter & Han, Hongxiang, 2018, A review of Synegiodes Swinhoe, 1892 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4387 (2), pp. 259-274 : 264-266

Synegiodes ornata ( Bastelberger, 1909) stat. rev.

Figs 6–7 , 19 , 29, 39

Spilopera ? ornata Bastelberger, 1909 , Ent. Z., Frankf. a. M. 23 (7): 34. Syntypes, Central Formosa, Arrizan (Kagi District), 7000–10000 ft (=Alishan, Chiayi County,Taiwan).

Anisodes lentiginosaria Wileman, 1911 , Entomologist 44: 401. Syntypes 2♂, 1♀, Formosa [ Taiwan]: Arizan, 7300 ft; Tozan, 8500 ft ( BMNH) .

Synegiodes histrionaria ornata: Prout, 1914 , Ent. Mitt. 3: 240.

Synegiodes histrionaria var. ornata: Prout, 1934 , in Strand, Lepid. Cat. 61: 48.

Diagnosis. S. ornata is characterized by the golden yellow ground color which is more or less heavily spotted crimson-brown, and the more continuous dark shading at postmedial area. Moreover, the postmedial line is always continuous and less distinctly curved outwards at the centre of the forewing than in S. histrionaria . In most specimens of S. ornata also a continuous medial line is present, running distally along the discal spot. In S. histrionaria a short streak near anal margin of forewing indicates the position of the medial line only. In the hindwing, the medial line is continuous and curved in S. ornata , almost straight and interrupted in S. histrionaria . Besides a dark, strongly suffused, crimson-brown form ( Fig. 6 ) also a lighter form with yellowish bands between medial and postmedial lines and also at basal half of the wings occurs ( Fig. 7 ); both were collected at the same locality: C. Taiwan, Arrizan, Khagi District, at elevation of 7000–10000 ft ( Bastelberger 1909), the light form also at slightly lower elevation (specimens in coll. ZFMK). Type-specimens photographed in the collection of SDEI agree with the light form.

S. ornata is similar to S. hyriaria and S. elasmlatus , sharing with them the yellowish or red-brown coloration and similar transverse bands. However, S. ornata has one areole in the forewing venation, but there are two in S. hyriaria and S. elasmlatus . The male genitalia of S. histrionaria and S. ornata differ in the shape of the uncus (much narrower in S. ornata , with different apical sclerotization) and in the saccular, ventral process which is acute in S. histrionaria and rounded at tip in S. ornata . The aedeagus has a rather narrow vesica, with a compact cornutus, rounded on proximal side, and an elongate sclerotized band in S. ornata , in S. histrionaria the aedeagus is longer and broader, the vesica is decorated with a weakly sclerotized patch only. The female genitalia are distinct from those of S. histrionaria particularly in the structure of the lamella postvaginalis. The imbricate process of S. histrionaria is absent, instead a longitudinal, sclerotized bulge is present. It is continued posteriorly with a furrowed, granulose, transparent plate. Other structures of the genitalia are similar and only gradually differing.

Material examined. CHINA: Taiwan ( ZFMK): 2 6, " Formosa "; 1 6 1♀, " Ile Formose, Moltrecht, 1908", ex coll. E. Wehrli; 1 6 1♀, " Ile de Formose , Central District, Kagi . Arisan 7.500. Arnold Moltrecht 1909", ex coll. E. Wehrli; 1 6, " Central Formosa, Arrizan, vis-a-vis Mt. Morrisson , Kagé district . 8000, Juin, Juillet 1909, ex Moltrecht ", ex coll. E. Wehrli; 3 6, " Central Formosa, Distrikt Kagi, Arrizan, Mont Morrison, 2400, Juni, gef. Dr.

Moltrecht ", ex coll. E. Wehrli; 1 6, gen. prep. No. 2318-DS; ex coll. E. Wehrli; 1♀, " Mt. Taihei, Taihoku-Shu , Formosa, 23–24.VI.1938 , Coll. Hiroshi Inoue "; 1 6, " Taiwan, Nantou Co., Tayuling , 2570 m , 15–18.VI.1982, J. B. Heppner "; 1♀, " Taiwan, Wuling Farm , 35 km NE of Lishan, Taichung Co., alt . 1750 m, 26.IX.1992, F. Aulombard & J. Plante ".

Distribution. China ( Taiwan).

Remarks. Prout (1914) stated about S. ornata : “I consider it merely a deeply colored local race of histrionaria Swinh. , from Assam, with the dark shading in the distal area more continuous. The structure is identical, areole single, 2nd subcostal of hindwing usually very shortly stalked.” This treatment, based on external characters only, has been accepted and retained until present-day ( Parsons et al. 1999; Fu et al. 2013).

Figures

FIGURES 1–15. Adults. 1–2. S. sanguinaria; 1. Ƌ, China, Yunnan, 2. Ƌ, India, Arunachal Pradesh (ZFMK); 3. S. punicearia (holotype, IZCAS), Ƌ, China, Sichuan; 4–5. S. histrionaria; 4. Ƌ, China, Tibet, 5. Ƌ, N. India, Khasi Hills (paratype, ZFMK); 6–7. S. ornata (ZFMK); 6. Ƌ, China, Taiwan (dark form), 7. Ƌ, China, Taiwan (light form); 8. S. diffusifascia, Ƌ, N. India, Khasi Hills (paratype, ZFMK); 9–10. S. expansus 9. Ƌ, China, Guangdong (holotype, IZCAS); 10. ♀, (paratype, ZFMK), S. China, Guangdong; 11. S. obliquifascia, Ƌ, China, Tibet; 12. S.hyriaria, Ƌ, China, Tibet; 13. S. elasmlatus(holotype, IZCAS), Ƌ, China, Yunnan; 14–15. “S”. brunnearia, 14. Ƌ, China, Yunnan, 15. Ƌ, China, Sichuan.Scale bar = 10mm.

FIGURES 16–23. Male genitalia. 16. S. sanguinaria, China, Yunnan; 17. S. punicearia (holotype, IZCAS), China, Sichuan; 18.S. histrionaria, China, Tibet; 19. S. ornata, China, Taiwan; 20. S.diffusifascia (paratype, ZFMK), N.India,Khasi Hills; 21. S. expansus (holotype, IZCAS), China, Guangdong; 22. S. obliquifascia, China, Tibet; 23. S. hyriaria, China, Tibet.Scale bars = 1 mm.