Gandaritis Moore, 1868

CHOI, SEI-WOONG, 2001, Phylogeny of Eulithis Hübner and Related Genera (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), with an Implication of Wing Pattern Evolution, American Museum Novitates 3318, pp. 1-40 : 31

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.1206/0003-0082(2001)318<0001:POEHBA>2.0.CO;2
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D46587B9-FFEF-3B17-FF56-A889FB8AF956
treatment provided by	Felipe
scientific name	Gandaritis Moore
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Gandaritis Moore View in CoL

Figures 1 View Fig , 10A View Fig , 11A, B View Fig , 12B, C View Fig , 13D, F View Fig , 14C, D View Fig , 16C, D View Fig

Gandaritis Moore, 1868 , Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1867: 660. Type species: Gandaritis flavata Moore, 1868 , Proc. Zool. Soc. London 1867: 660, by monotypy.

Calleulype Warren, 1903, Novit. Zool. 10: 264. Type species: Abraxas whitelyi Butler, 1878, Illust. Typical Specimens Lepid. Heterocera Coll. Br. Mus. 2: 52, pl. 37, fig. 4, by original designation. NEW SYNONYMY

Eucosmabraxas Prout, 1937, GrossSchmett. 4 (Suppl.): 107. Type species: Abraxas placida Butler, 1878, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (5)1: 441, by original designation. NEW SYNONYMY

DIAGNOSIS: Wings are white ( whitelyi , maculata , placida , agnes ), yellow ( fixseni , flavata , sinicaria ), or orange ( octoscripta , intersectaria , flavomacularia ) (fig. 1). The central fascia of the forewing, comprising dots or a band, is strongly projected outwardly on the middle of veins M 2 or M 3. Termen of both fore and hindwings usually shows an orange band with blackish dots. Male genitalia (figs. 10A, 11A, B, 12B, C, 13D, F) are similar to Eulithis , but distinguished by the long anellus lobe that exceeds the half length of tegumen, the broad apical part of the anellus lobe with long, dense hairs, the medially slightly expanded costa of the valva, and the lack of cornuti in the vesica. Female genitalia (figs. 14C, D, 16C, D) are indistinguishable from Callabraxas , except by larger size, and the signa.

BIOLOGY: In Europe, G. pyraliata feeds on Galium ( Rubiaceae ) (Skinner, 1984). In Japan, several species of Gandaritis feed on Actinidia ( Actinidiaceae ) ( whitelyi , fixseni , agnes ). G. placida , and G. evanescens feed on Hydrangea and Schizophragma ( Saxifragaceae ) (Sato and Nakajima, 1987).

DISTRIBUTION: The genus is Holarctic. Most species are known from East Asia, except G. pyraliata (Europe), and G. powellata and G. atricolorata (North America). G. powellata is only known from California, whereas G. atricolorata occurs along the East coast, from Quebec to Georgia and west to Missouri (Forbes, 1948).

DISCUSSION: Inoue (1944) compared the species of Gandaritis with Lygris (a junior synonym of Eulithis ) and separated them by the shape of the valva and cornuti. In the present analysis, many cladograms derived from an equal weighting supported the grouping of Gandaritis and Eulithis . Although my preferred cladogram derived from successive weighting (fig. 18) supported the monophyly of Gandaritis sensu stricto (node 83), the concept of this genus is now broadly redefined, comprising species from western Palearctic and Nearctic (nodes 80 and 86). Two synapomorphies are present: the narrowed basal part of the anellus lobe, and the absence of cornuti. Hampson (1895) includ ed the following species of Gandaritis ( fixseni , pyraliata , flavata , and agnes ) based on the absence of sexual characters of the forewing. Here, a striking placement is Gandaritis atricolorata . Since Forbes (1948) placed this species in Diactinia Warren (= a junior synonym of Ecliptopera ) based on wing pattern, the status of this species has never been questioned. However, careful examination of the morphology, including male and female genitalia, suggests that this species belongs to Gandaritis , not Ecliptopera .