Eupithecia nesciaria, Mironov & Šumpich, 2022

Mironov, Vladimir & Šumpich, Jan, 2022, New species of the genus Eupithecia (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) from China. Part VII, Zootaxa 5154 (3), pp. 289-304 : 295

Eupithecia nesciaria sp. n.

( Figs 13 , 27 , 34 )

Type material: Holotype, ♂, China, NW. Sichuan, near Maniganggo , 31°47ʹ22ʺ N, 099°23ʹ27ʺ E, 30.6.2019, H— 3860 m, leg. Butvila & Saldaitis. Gen. prep. J. Procházka 20063, photo J. Šumpich 22005 ( NMPC).

Diagnosis. This species is not externally similar to any other Asian species of the genus. According to the structure of the male genitalia it belongs to the satyrata species-group ( McDunnough 1949). The uncus, shape of valve and vinculum in the male genitalia, as well as the shape of the eighth sternite are similar to those of E. kurilensis Bryk, 1942 ( Mironov & Galsworthy 2014). However, the vesica in the aedeagus is armed with different cornuti from those in the compared species.

Description. Adult. ( Figs 13 , 27 ). Male. Wingspan 20.5 mm; fore wing 12 mm. Head and notum covered with whitish scales. Fore wing rather broad, with slightly bowed costal margin near base; apex narrowly rounded. Ground colour brownish with an olive tinge; all transverse lines clear, fine, blackish; basal line sharply curved and broadened near costa; antemedial line indented, sharply angled in areole onto costa and broadened; medial line sharply angled onto costa behind discal dot; postmedial line right angled onto costa behind discal dot and forming a large black costal blotch; subterminal line indented with blackish inner shadow; terminal line dark brown, broad, interrupted by veins; discal dot relatively large, black, ovoid-acuminate. Hind wing broad, pale grey, paler than fore wing, with traces of dark basal and medial transverse lines; terminal line as on the forewing; discal dot well visible, small, rounded, blackish; terminal area slightly darker than the rest of the wing. Fringe spotted with olive brown and paler, dirty white.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 34 ). Uncus stout, biapical. Valve shaped like an orange segment, unmodified, with slightly concave dorsal margin and evenly curved ventral margin; apex of valve narrowly rounded; sacculus lightly sclerotized. Vinculum relatively short and narrow, semicircular. Papillae on the anterior arms of the labides comparatively short, narrow, rounded apically, with a group of short setae. Aedeagus broadened near ductus ejaculatorius base. Vesica armed with one elongate and narrow horn-like apical cornutus, one elongate apical cornutus, an elongate V-shaped cornutus and one folded, irregular smaller cornutus near ductus ejaculatorius base. Sternite A8 peg-like, narrow and elongate, broadly bilobed at base; apex narrowly rounded without apical horns; basal hollow relatively deep.

Female. Unknown.

Bionomy. Host plant unknown. Holotype was collected by light in late June at an elevation of 3860 m ( Figs 46–47 ).

Distribution. China. Known from Sichuan province.

Etymology. From Latin word “nesciar” – “not known” in English.

Figures

FIGURES 8–15. Eupithecia adults, China (scale bar = 10 mm). 8–9. E. saldaitisi sp. n. 8. Holotype. 9. Paratype; 10. E. ludificata sp. n. (holotype); 11. E. butvilai sp. n. (holotype); 12. E. ursina sp. n. (holotype); 13. E. nesciaria sp. n. (holotype); 14. E. oxycedrata (Rambur, 1833); 15. E. phulchokiana Herbulot, 1984.

FIGURES 20–27. Heads of Eupithecia species, China, holotypes. 20. E. prochazkai sp. n.; 21. E. anickae sp. n.; 22. E. divertenta sp. n.; 23. E. saldaitisi sp. n.; 24. E. ludificata sp. n.; 25. E. butvilai sp. n.; 26. E. ursina sp. n.; 27. E. nesciaria sp. n.

FIGURES 32–36. Male genitalia and sternite A8 of Eupithecia species (scale bar = 1 mm; detail of uncus enlarged). 32. E. butvilai sp. n. (holotype); 33. E. ursina sp. n. (holotype); 34. E. nesciaria sp. n. (holotype); 35. E. matrona Mironov & Galsworthy, 2004. 36. E. pannosa Mironov & Galsworthy, 2008.

FIGURES 42–49. Habitats of newly described Eupithecia species, China. 42. Yunnan, Nu Jiang valley, 9.iii.2019, locality of E. prochazkai sp. n.; 43. Yunnan, surroundings of Yongseng, 11.v.2018, locality of E. anickae sp. n.; 44. Sichuan, surroundings of Derge, 15.viii.2009, locality of E. divertenta sp. n.; 45. Gansu, near surroundings of Xiahe, 4.x.2013, locality of E. saldaitisi sp. n.; 46–47. Sichuan, surroundings of Maniganggo, 16.viii.2009, locality of E. ludificata sp. n. and E. nesciaria sp. n.; 48. Yunnan, surroundings of Gongshan, 2.vii.2008, locality of E. butvilai sp. n.; 49. Sichuan, surroundings of Batang, 19.ix.2019, locality of E. ursina sp. n.