Pachyodes novata, H.X.Han & D.Y.Xue, 2008

HAN, HONGXIANG & XUE, DAYONG, 2008, A taxonomic review of Pachyodes Guen e, 1858, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Geometrinae), Zootaxa 1759 (1), pp. 51-68 : 59-65

Pachyodes novata sp. nov.

Figs. 12–13

Description. Head: Antenna bipectinate in basal two-thirds, filiform in terminal one-third in male, the longest pectination about 1.5 times diameter of antennal shaft; filiform in female. Frons extremely protrudent; ventral two-thirds black, dorsal one-third grass-green, ventral margin yellow, laterally tinged with reddish brown on dorsal and ventral margins. Labial palpus blackish brown mixed with reddish brown dorsally, dull yellow mixed with some reddish brown ventrally, extending just beyond frons. Vertex grass-green. Thorax: Tegula grass-green; dorsum grass-green mixed with dark reddish brown; venter yellow, mixed with some reddish brown anteriorly. Hind tibia not dilated, without hairpencil, with two pairs of spurs. Forewing length 23–26 mm in ♂, 26–28 mm in ♀. Wings grass-green, suffused with reddish brown and black streaks. Forewing with apex blunt; costa suffused with longitudinal dark reddish brown mixed with black striations, extending posteriorly outside antemedial line and inside discal spot, tapering gradually, extending and tapering posteriorly under apex, reaching M 3; subbasal line black, dark reddish brown mixed with black inside; antemedial line black, curved; area between antemedial and subbasal line grass-green, mixed with a few black scales; postmedial line black, dentate, distally edged with silver grey in anterior half, white in posterior half; submarginal line white, distinct only from M 3 to inner margin, two patches, dark reddish brown mixed with black, between CuA 1 and CuA 2, and CuA 2 and vein A; terminal line black, broad, interrupted at termination of veins; discal spot black, indistinct. Hindwing base inside discal spot dark reddish brown, mixed with black; discal spot long, narrow, barlike; postmedial line black, dentate, with distinct silver grey scales along out edge; a longitudinal purplish brown patch between CuA 1 and CuA 2 outside postmedial line; submarginal line white, dentate, indistinct; terminal line same as that of forewing. Fringe of both wings pale grey in basal half, grey-white in terminal half between veins, pale grey and mixed with reddish brown basally at termination of veins. Venter with wing base yellow; white suffused with black mostly, inside discal spot more grey-black; terminal band broad, black, reaching outer margin at least upper half on forewing, not reaching outer margin on hindwing. Band occasionally interrupted on hindwing or tapering towards anal angle on forewing; forewing with discal spot rather oblong, that of hindwing long narrow bar-like. Abdomen: Dorsum grass-green mixed with black and brown; dorsal crests present on segment 1 to 5, dark reddish brown mixed with black, the crest on segment 1 smaller, others developed. Male genitalia ( Figs. 22 , 29 ) with socii fused in basal two-thirds, tapering distally, closely converging apically. Gnathos with median process long, narrow, pointed, spinulose. Valva strongly sclerotized, divided into distinct costal lobe and sacculus, the former with apical margin and ventral area near apex spinose and wrinkled, bearing a large triangular sclerite, tapering from base of costal lobe to median point, bearing a row of large spines on ventral margin two thirds along length. Sacculus broad with rounded, narrower apex; ventral margin with a small depression medially; anterior half smooth, posterior half spinose to apex. Transtilla with a pair of short slightly sclerotized processes. Saccus not distinctly protruding, vinculum with conspicuous apex rounded. Coremata developed. Aedeagus short, broad, more sclerotized and narrower posteriorly, with large number of spinules; posterior apex relatively narrow; cornuti absent. Female genitalia ( Fig. 36 ) with apophyses posteriors long narrow, apophyses anteriores very short. Ostium located at middle of segment 7 and 8; ventral side slightly sclerotized, wrinkled; dorsal area strongly sclerotized and wrinkled, with a small rounded process at middle, posterior margin broadly V-shaped, with dense short hair. Ductus bursae very short, membranous, longitudinally wrinkled. Corpus bursae relatively long, boot-shaped, membranous; signum absent.

Diagnosis. Pachyodes novata is distinguished by a large triangular sclerite on the costal lobe of the male genitalia; other members of Pachyodes have only ridges which extend anteriorly forming relatively shallow, shorter processes. In addition, the posterior end of the aedeagus of Pachyodes novata is much narrower than that of the other species. Superficially, most specimens of P. novata can be distinguished from other species by the complete black terminal band on the forewing venter. P. leucomelanaria has a broad terminal band on the venter of the forewing, but the band also is present on the dorsum, whereas in P. novata the terminal band is not present on the dorsum. Some older specimens lack the grey-green suffusion on the dorsum of the wings, but nearly all of these have a wide terminal band on the venter.

The broad terminal band on underside of wings is similar to members of the genus Pingasa Moore. But the presence of a pair of hair brushes on hindwing immediately separates Pingasa from Pachyodes . Pachyodes novata is also distinguished from Pingasa by features of the male genitalia. For example, the gnathos of Pingasa possesses a pair of processes, while it only bears a spinulose pointed process in P. novata .

Holotype, ♂, CHINA: Fujian: Wuyishan Huangxizhou , 500 m, 29.VII.2006, coll. Xie Juan ( IZCAS).

Paratypes (28♂, 4♀): CHINA : Fujian: Wuyishan Huangxizhou , 500 m, 29.VII.2006, coll. Xue Dayong, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Fujian: Wuyishan Sangang , 700 m, 9.VII.2006, coll. Wang Jiashe, 1♂ ( IZCAS), 13– 15.VIII.2006, 2♂ ( IZCAS), 25.VII.2006, coll. Xie Juan, 1♂ ( IZCAS), 10.VI.2006, coll. Wang Jiashe, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Fujian: Wuyishan , 11–12.IX.1982, coll. Zhang Baolin, 2♂ ( IZCAS) ; Fujian: Chongan Xingcun Sangang , 740 m, 24.VI.1960, coll. Zhang Yiran, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Fujian: Daan , 19.VI.1981, coll. Jang Fan, 1♀ ( IZCAS) ; Hubei: Shennongjia Jiuchong , 700 m, 17.VII.1998, coll. Luo Tianhong, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Hubei: Xingshan Longmenhe , 730 m, 22.VI.1993, coll. Yao Jian, 1♂ ( IZCAS), 630 m, 1♂ ( IZCAS), 1350 m, 17.VII.1993, coll. Song Shimei, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Hubei: Shennongjia Guanmenshan , 1240 m, 25.VII.1998, coll. He Junjian, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Hunan: Tianpingshan , 14.VI.1981, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Hunan: Sangzhi Tianpingshan , 22.VII.1988, coll. Li Yongkun, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Guangxi: Jinxiu Luoxiang , 200 m, 15.V.1999, coll. Zhang Xuezhong, 2♂ ( IZCAS), coll. Han Hongxiang, 2♂ ( IZCAS) ; Guangxi: Jinxiu Luoxiang , 400 m, 15.V.1999, coll. Li Wenzhu, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Guangxi: Jinxiu Luoxiang , 450 m, 30.VI.2000, coll. Li Wenzhu, 1♂ 1♀ ( IZCAS), coll. Yao Jian, 2♂, 1♀ ( IZCAS) ; Guangxi: Jinxiu Shengtangshan , 900 m, 17.V.1999, coll. Liu Dajun, 1♂ ( IZCAS), coll. Li Wenzhu, 1♀ ( IZCAS), 18.V.1999, coll. Huang Fusheng, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Guangxi: Jinxiu Tiantangshan , 900 m, 17.V.1999, coll. Liu Dajun, 1♂ ( IZCAS) ; Guangxi: Shangsi Nanpingxiang , 350 m, 10.VI.2000, coll. Li Wenzhu, 1♂ ( IZCAS) .

Etymology. The species name is from the Latin novus, which means fresh or new.

Distribution. China (Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Guangxi).

Figures

FIGURES 10–17. Moth of Pachyodes. 10–11, P. haemataria: 10, dorsum; 11, venter; 12–13, P. novata sp. nov., holotype: 12, dorsum; 13, venter; 14–15, P. subtrita: 14, dorsum; 15, venter; 16–17, P. jianfengensis sp. nov., holotype: 16, dorsum; 17, venter. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 18–23. Male genitalia of Pachyodes. 18, P. amplificata; 19, P. ornataria; 20, P. pratti; 21, P. haemataria; 22, P. novata sp. nov.; 23, P. subtrita. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 24–31. 24. Male genitalia of P. jianfengensis sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm. 25–31. Aedeagus of Pachyodes. 25, P. amplificata; 26, P. ornataria; 27, P. pratti; 28, P. haemataria; 29, P. novata sp. nov.; 30, P. subtrita; 31, P. jianfengensis sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 32–36. Female genitalia of Pachyodes. 32, P. amplificata; 33, P. ornataria; 34, P. pratti; 35, P. haemataria; 36, P. novata sp. nov. Scale bar = 1 mm.