Pelagodes bellula Han & Xue

Han, Hongxiang & Xue, Dayong, 2011, Thalassodes and related taxa of emerald moths in China (Geometridae, Geometrinae), Zootaxa 3019, pp. 26-50 : 37

Pelagodes bellula Han & Xue , sp. nov.

Figs 15 , 34 , 52 , 74 , 92

Description. Head: Antenna in male with basal half bipectinate, terminal half filiform, dorsally tinged with green; filiform in female. Frons dark green. Labial palpus pale green, ventral surface whitish, the third segment in female slightly elongate. Vertex with anterior half white, posterior half bluish green.

Thorax: Dorsal side of thorax deep bluish green, ventral side white. Hind tibia with two pairs of spurs in both sexes. Forewing length: 319–20.5 mm, Ƥ 22 mm. Wings deep bluish green, diffused with white striations. Apex of forewing pointed, that of hind wing rounded; outer margin of forewing slightly curved, that of hind wing forming a blunt protrusion at end of M3. Forewing with costa yellow; antemedial line slightly curved outwards; postmedial line straight, broadening from costa to inner margin. Hind wing with postmedial line slightly bending inwards from costa to vein M3, then wavy and bending inwards to inner margin. Fringes of both wings yellow. Abdomen: Dorsal side of thorax deep bluish green, ventral side white. In male, the eighth tergite roundly protruding; the eighth sternite with two long, smooth, curved lateral processes, middle part of posterior margin concave, with two small blunt sublateral processes. Male genitalia: Uncus slightly tapering. Socii very broad, nearly quadrate. Gnathos with small basal protrusion and small rod-like median process. Valva with broad basal half and narrow distal half; costal extension small, smooth, incurved. Saccus roundly protruding. Aedeagus broad, with posterior half sclerotized; cornutus a blunt process. Female genitalia: Sterigma a quite complex area, with irregularly shaped sclerotized structure; lamella antevaginalis wrinkled longitudinally, margin irregularly dentate; lamella postvaginalis a pair of lateral sclerites connected to lamella antevaginalis, projecting posteriorly, margin serrate. Ductus bursae very short, indistinct. Corpus bursae very long, with posterior part folded and sclerotized partly; signum absent.

Material examined. Holotype, 3, CHINA: Tibet ( IZCAS): Mêdog, Yarang, 790 m, 19.VIII.2006, coll. Lang Songyun. Paratypes: Tibet ( IZCAS): Mêdog, Yarang, 1091 m, 20–23.VIII.2006, coll. Lang Songyun, 231Ƥ (Slide No. 1155(3), 1196(Ƥ)).

Diagnosis. This species is similar to P. aucta ( Prout, 1912) ( India) on external features, especially body size, and the male eighth sternite for both having smooth, curved lateral processes. But these two species can be distinguished on the following features of the male genitalia: the costal extension of P. bellula is basally broader, more tapering and pointed than in P. aucta (BMNH Slide No. 4092); the ventral margin of the valva is only slightly concave medially in P. aucta , but strongly expanded in the basal half in P. bellula ; and, importantly, the sacculus has a sclerotized area in P. aucta , which is absent in P. bellula .

Distribution. China (Tibet).

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin bellus, beautiful.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 20. Adults of Thalassodes, Orothalassodes, Pelagodes and Remiformvalva. 1, Thalassodes immissaria; 2, T. intaminata; 3, T. maipoensis; 4, T. opalina; 5, Orothalassodes hypocrites; 6 – 7. O. floccosa. 6, male; 7, female; 8, O. pervulgatus; 9, O. falsaria; 10, Pelagodes antiquadraria; 11, P. proquadraria; 12 – 13, P. semengok; 14, P. paraveraria sp. nov., holotype; 15, P. bellula sp. nov., holotype; 16, P. simplvalvae sp. nov., holotype; 17, P. subquadraria; 18, P. sinuspinae sp. nov., holotype; 19, P. clarifimbria; 20, Remiformvalva viridicaput. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 33 – 39. Male genitalia of Pelagodes and Remiformvalva. 33, Pelagodes paraveraria sp. nov.; 34, P. bellula sp. nov.; 35, P. simplvalvae sp. nov.; 36, P. subquadraria; 37, P. sinuspinae sp. nov.; 38, P. clarifimbria; 39, Remiformvalva viridicaput. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 40 – 57. Aedeagus of Thalassodes, Orothalassodes, Pelagodes and Remiformvalva. 40, Thalassodes immissaria; 41, T. intaminata; 42, T. maipoensis; 43, T. opalina; 44, Orothalassodes hypocrites; 45, O. floccosa; 46, O. pervulgatus; 47, O. falsaria; 48, Pelagodes antiquadraria; 49, P. proquadraria; 50, P. semengok; 51, P. paraveraria sp. nov.; 52, P. bellula sp. nov.; 53, P. simplvalvae sp. nov.; 54, P. subquadraria; 55, P. sinuspinae sp. nov.; 56, P. clarifimbria; 57, Remiformvalva viridicaput. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 73 – 83. The eighth segment of Pelagodes and Remiformvalva. 73, P. paraveraria sp. nov.; 74, P. bellula sp. nov.; 75, P. simplvalvae sp. nov.; 76 – 79, P. subquadraria; 80, P. sinuspinae sp. nov.; 81 – 82, P. clarifimbria; 83, Remiformvalva viridicaput. Scale bars = 1 mm.

FIGURES 84 – 96. Female genitalia of Thalassodes, Orothalassodes, Pelagodes and Remiformvalva. 84, Thalassodes immissaria; 85, T. intaminata; 86, T. opalina; 87, Orothalassodes hypocrites; 88, O. floccosa; 89, O. pervulgatus; 90, Pelagodes antiquadraria; 91, P. proquadraria; 92, P. bellula sp. nov.; 93, P. simplvalvae sp. nov.; 94, P. subquadraria; 95, P. clarifimbria; 96, Remiformvalva viridicaput. Scales bars = 1 mm.