Rhodostrophia stigmatica Butler, 1889

Kumari, Shabnam, Bandyopadhyay, Uttaran, Uniyal, Virendra Prasad, Chandra, Kailash & Hausmann, Axel, 2024, Integrative taxonomic review of the genus Rhodostrophia Hübner, 1823 and its allied genus Tanaotrichia Warren, 1893 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from the Western Himalaya, Zootaxa 5519 (1), pp. 59-89 : 73-74

Rhodostrophia stigmatica Butler, 1889

[ Fig. 19–22 , 38, 45 , 52, 59 ]

[TL: Dharmsala, North Western India, India]

Rhodostrophia stigmatica Butler, 1889 , Illustration Typical Specimens Lepidoptera Heterocera Collection British Museum, 7: 110, pl. 136, fig. 19, 20.

Rhodostrophia stigmatica ; Prout, 1913; In: Seitz, A. (Ed.) (1912–1916): The Macrolepidoptera of the world, 4: 43, pl. 3, fig. e.

Rhodoostrophia stigmatica ; Prout, 1938; In: Seitz, A. (Ed.) (1920–1941): The Macrolepidoptera of the world, 12: 145, pl. 15, fig. d.

Rhodostrophia stigmatica ; Yazaki, 1992; in Haruta T (Ed.): Moths of Nepal, Part-1. Tinea , vol. 13 (suppl. 2): 14, pl. 5, fig. 14.

Rhodostrophia stigmatica ; Smetacek, 2008; Bionotes, 10 (1): 7.

Material examined: INDIA: 1♀, Himachal Pradesh, Dist.Kangra, Dhauladhar Mountain Range, Harnala , 32.28126° N, 076.27037° E, 1796 m, 07.X.2020 ; 1♀, Nora , 32.26927° N, 076.28972° E, 1455 m, 09.X.2020 ; 1♀, Dhanoti , 32.23183° N, 076.27132° E, 1170 m, 11.X.2020 ; 1♂ 2♀, 03.IV.2021; 1♂ 1♀, Rakh , 32.21597° N, 076.25905° E, 849 m, 13.X.2020 ; 1♂ 1♀, Sudher , 32.214310° N, 076.291564° E, 1064 m, 24.X.2020 ; 1♀, Dharamkot , 32.247185° N, 076.324656° E, 1948 m, 04. V.2022 ; 1♀, Maiti , 32.21920° N, 076.27902° E, 1084 m, 09. V.2022 ; 1♀, Baladi Mod , 32.25395° N, 076.27602° E, 1210 m, 10. V.2022 ; 1♀, Kareri Khas , 32.28271° N, 076.28049° E, 1870 m, 19. V.2022 ; 2♀♀, Rheoti , 32.304361° N, 076.273801° E, 2478 m, 20. V.2022 ; 2♀♀, Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary, Billing , 32.04629° N, 076.73251° E, 1875 m, 09.X.2021 ; 2♂♂, Billing , 32.05978° N, 076.74229° E, 2341 m, 01. VI.2022 ; 2♀♀, Billing , 32.06312° N, 076.74973° E, 2572 m, 06. VI.2022 ; 2♂♂, Bir , 32.04972° N, 076.72281° E, 1565 m, 29. V.2022; leg. S. Kumari.

NWR specimens: INDIA: 1♂, Himachal Pradesh, Dist. Kangra, Dhauladhar Mountain Range , Dhanoti, 32.23183° N, 076.27132° E, 1170 m, 11.X.2020 ; 1♀, Ghera , 32.260173° N, 076.288707° E, 1404 m, 04.IV.2021 ; 1♀, Bir , 32.04328° N, 076.72807° E, 1615 m, 11.X.2021 ; 1♂, Dhauladhar Wildlife Sanctuary, Billing , 32.04629° N, 076.73251° E, 1857 m, 30. V.2022 ( BOLD Sample Id: BC_ ZSM _ Lep _117605) ; leg. S. Kumari.

Description:

Forewing length: Male: 12–13 mm, Female: 14–16 mm.

Antennae filiform in female; quadripectinate in male, flagellum dentate and brown ventrally; on the dorsal side basal two-third pale ochreous and remaining dark ochreous. Vertex whitish and with a slight pale ochreous tint. Frons pale ochreous-brown. Labial palpi short, directed upwards but hardly reaching frons, slightly irrorated with red on the lateral sides. Collar, tegulae, patagia, and dorsal thoracic and abdominal region pale ochreous and with slight rose-red irroration on ventral side. Legs features similar to R. pelloniaria . Hindtibial hair pencil present and reaches up to the median tibial spur. Forewing pale ochreous with chestnut-greyish irroration and sometimes with uniform reddish suffusion, elongated with acute apex. Three chestnut or reddish-brown transverse lines. Antemedial line bends sharply below costa and runs obliquely towards the inner margin and continues to the hindwing. Postmedial line oblique, slightly sinuous and sometimes appears to be double with a very faint outer shade. Submarginal line thinner and wavy. Marginal line dark brown. Cilia with pale ochreous base, rose-red tips and darker central portion. Discocellular dots comparatively large, dark black or reddish-brown. Hindwing similar to forewing with basal half of costal margin paler. Outer margin slightly protruded near M3. Underside pale yellow with reddish irroration, markings similar to upper side; basal half of forewing suffused with chestnut-brown, inner margin pale yellow. Outer marginal fringes darker than the upper side ( Figs 19–22 ).

Male genitalia ( Fig. 38 ): Uncus elongated, setose; apex broad and bilobed with deep central concavity; subapical processes, short, setose and extend laterally. Gnathos triangular, strongly sclerotised, long median process with acute apex. Valva asymmetric; apical one-fourth narrow, sclerotised, spinulose and bilobed (only on the right side); right valva with longer, acute digitate process ventrad (comparatively longer and less spinose in R. similata ; while not bilobed in R. bicolor ; shorter, thin and less spinose in R. yunnanaria ); left valva with single thick, acute digitiform process (bilobed with a very short dorsal process in R. bicolor and R. similata , not bilobed in R. yunnanaria ). Costa with small protrusion at base, curved, apically elongated, separated from the valva, distal dorsal sclerite of valva costa quadrangle with rounded edges and a small protrusion dorsad. Sacculus narrow, smooth, sclerotised, folded ventrad over valva. Juxta tongue-shaped. Aedeagus ( Fig. 45 ) long, thin, sclerotised, curved medially followed by a moderate subapical turn. Posterior margin of the 8 th abdominal sternite ( Fig. 52 ) bilobed with a large, shallow central depression.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 59 ): Papillae anales rounded, setose, posterior margins with shallow central concavity; posterior apophyses four times the length of anterior apophyses. Ductus bursae long, sclerotised, strongly curved medially, with a non-sclerotised medial part; apically wide with a small protrusion near the antrum; length same as corpus bursae. Corpus bursae membranous, oval, collar-shaped signum next to the junction with ductus bursae. Posterior margin of the 7 th sternite irregular.

Differential diagnosis: R. stigmatica looks similar to R. similata and R. bicolor in its external appearance. However, it is comparatively larger; discocellular dot dark black; in postmedial area, the band is replaced by a single, distinct line followed by traces of a very indistinct shade which gives an impression of the outer margin of the postmedial band (distinct and well-defined or at least as a dark concolorous or black shade in others). The male genitalia has a uncus with rather shallow central concavity at the distal margin and longer subapical lateral processes; aedeagus more strongly bent subapically than in other three species. Female genitalia with shallow, apical central concavity in papillae anales (not distinguishable in R. bicolor and R. yunnanaria ); ductus bursae with a small non-sclerotised medial portion; posterior margin of 7 th sternite irregular.

Remarks: For the habitus and genitalia illustrations of the R. similata , R. bicolor and R. yunnanaria refer to Cui et al. (2019).

Distribution: India: Himachal Pradesh (Dharamshala, Sultanpur), Uttarakhand (Kumaon) ( Prout 1913, 1938; Smetacek 2008). Elsewhere: Nepal (Yazaki 1992).

Genetic data: Two BINs: BOLD:AFH7238 from India and BOLD:AAP2081 from Bhutan with 3.25% genetic divergence and diverge by 6.43% genetic distance from the nearest species R. tristrigalis .

Bionomics: A typical Himalayan species reported from Indian and Nepal Himalayan regions. In our primary field surveys in DMR, the adults were recorded between 800–2600 m, in the sub-tropical pine (9/C1a, C1b) and Himalayan (broad-leaved and coniferous) moist temperate forests (12/C1, C2). However, they tend to fly more commonly within the 1500–2000 m elevational range and appear to be bivoltine, with adults being active in both pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. There is no available information on the biology and larval stages of the species.

Figures

FIGURES 17–28. Habitus images of Rhodostrophia and Tanaotrichia spp. 17. R. pelloniaria (17a–17b: Male, Holotype, NHMUK). 18. R. khasiana (18a–18b: Female, Syntype, NHMUK). 19–22. R. stigmatica (19a–19b: Male, 20a–20b: Female, 21a–21b: Male, Syntype, NHMUK, 22a–22b: Female, Syntype, NHMUK). 23–26. R. tristrigalis (23a–23b: Male, 24a–24b: Female, 25a–25b: Male, Syntype, NHMUK, 26a–26b: Female, Syntype, NHMUK). 27–28. R. vinacearia (27a–27b: Female, 28a–28b: Male, Syntype, NHMUK).

FIGURES 34–47. Male genitalia images of Rhodostrophia and Tanaotrichia spp. 34–41. Male Clasping organ (CLA). 34. R. borealis, 35. R. cinerascens*, 36. R. herbicolens, 37. R. pelloniaria, 38. R. stigmatica, 39. R. tristrigalis, 40. T. prasonaria trilineata. 41–47. Male aedeagus. 41. R. borealis, 42. R. cinerascens*, 43. R. herbicolens, 44. R. pelloniaria, 45. R. stigmatica, 46. R. tristrigalis, 47. T. prasonaria trilineata. *Specimens and genitalia slide at ZSM-SNSB, Munich; slides and photos prepared by Dr Axel Hausmann.

FIGURES 48–62. Male genitalia images of Rhodostrophia and Tanaotrichia spp. 48–54. Male 8th Abdominal Sternite. 48. R. borealis, 49. R. cinerascens*, 50. R. herbicolens, 51. R. pelloniaria, 52. R. stigmatica, 53. R. tristrigalis, 54. T. prasonaria trilineata. 55–62. Female genitalia images of Rhodostrophia and Tanaotrichia spp. 55. R. borealis, 56. R. cinerascens*, 57. R. herbicolens, 58. R. pelloniaria, 59. R. stigmatica, 60. R. tristrigalis, 61. R. vinacearia, 62. T. prasonaria trilineata. *Specimens and genitalia slide at ZSM-SNSB, Munich; slides and photos prepared by Dr Axel Hausmann.