Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (Haworth)

Schmidt, Olga, 2020, The structure and musculature of male terminalia in the Palaearctic and Indo- Australian species of the eupitheciine genera Eupithecia Curtis, Gymnoscelis Mabille, and Pasiphila Meyrick (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae), Zootaxa 4896 (2), pp. 224-238 : 230-233

Gymnoscelis rufifasciata (Haworth)

( Figs 9–10 )

The uncus is short, finger-shaped, shifted to the ventral side of the tegumen. The tegumen is narrow, longer than the vinculum, with the apical ‘hood’ shorter and less prominent than in other Gymnoscelis species. The proximal area of the anal tube is connected to the thin gnathos arms. The muscles m1 extend medially from the anterior margin of the tegumen to the broadened base of the uncus. The muscles m2(10) run from the tegumen, close to the m1, to the inner surface of the setose subscaphium on the anal tube. The valva is narrow, especially in its apical part, with a rather well-defined costa. There is a short ridge at the area of connection of the valva to the tegumen. The muscles m3(2) are attached to the ventral part of the tegumen, close to the ridge, and consist of two bundles. The short bundle of m3(2) extends to the basal process of the costa valvae, quite similar to Eupithecia species, and the long bundle runs into the costa valvae and looks like the muscles m3(2) in G. confusata but slightly shorter. The base of the costa valvae is connected to the lateral region of the rather short, band-like, medially slightly thickened transtilla. The labides arising from the base of the costa valvae ventrally consist of thin, curved anterior arms running to the juxta, and thin posterior arms with, as is typical for the eupitheciines, medium sized papillae. The slightly twisted muscles m4 extend from the lateral corners of the anterior margin of the tegumen, ventrad of the m3(2) and close to the vinculum, to the medial, thickened part of the transtilla. The relatively small muscles m5(7) connect the mediobasal part of the valvae with the vinculum. The ventral part of the juxta is somewhat arch-shaped, with the muscles m8(3) attached to the medio-dorsal area of the juxta, with the ventral layer of the muscles curved, running towards the ventral margin of the juxta and attached ventrad of it, and the dorsal layer longer, broadly connected to the upper margin of the saccus. The large, rounded sacs of coremata with long, thick hairs are present at the lateral margin of the vinculum, close to the saccus. The aedeagus is medium sized, slightly narrowed medially, with the muscles m6(5) running from the dorsal part of the vinculum to the basal process of the aedeagus. The muscles m7a(6a) run from the saccus, ventrad of the long layer of muscles m8(3), to the medial part of the aedeagus. The twisted muscles m7b(6b) connect the medial part of the aedeagus, close to the m7a(6a), to the vinculum.

Note. The specimens in question were collected on Crete ( Greece). They slightly differ from the European populations outside the Mediterranean area in the shape of the tegumen, including the hood, valvae, labides, transtilla, juxta, and aedeagus. ReUexamination of the taxonomic status of the Crete population is beyond the scope of this study.

Figures

FIGURES 9–10. Gymnoscelis rufifasciata, male genitalia and muscles: 9. Armature (left valva partly removed, parts of the muscles m2(10) on the left side, muscles m6(5) on the right side, and distal part of coremata not shown). 10. Aedeagus.