Episothalma cuspidata Xue & Wang

Xue, Dayong, Wang, Xuejian & Han, Hongxiang, 2009, A revision of Episothalma Swinhoe, 1893, with descriptions of two new species and one new genus (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Geometrinae), Zootaxa 2033, pp. 12-25 : 20-23

Episothalma cuspidata Xue & Wang , sp. nov.

Fig. 8

Description. Head: Antenna ciliate in male. Frons reddish brown, smooth-scaled. Labial palpus darkish brown, ventrally whitish, very short and not extending beyond frons in male. Thorax: Hind tibia in male with one pair of terminal spurs. Length of forewing: ɗ 19 mm. Forewing with apex pointed; outer margin under apex slightly concave; outer margin of hind wing concave between M1 and M3, forming a process on both veins. Wings: ground colour grass green. Costa of forewing diffused with black scales. Transverse lines indistinct because of discoloration. Discal spot black. Terminal line dark brown, interrupted on veins. Fringes dark brown. Ventral side pale green, diffused with dark brown scales, denser proximate to postmedial line on forewing; distinct discal spot dark brown; postmedial line dark brown, dentate. Abdomen: Male genitalia ( Figs. 21 , 32 ). Uncus sclerotized, with apex blunt. Socii slightly sclerotized, tapered, with a process at middle proximately. Gnathos with lateral arms very short, not joined in the middle. Valva broad, with terminal part membranous, tapered but blunt; costa margin with basal two-thirds sclerotized, slightly convex; irregularly wrinkled ridge with dense hair present in the middle; a pointed sclerotized hook-like tooth present near center, posterior to which is, a transverse sclerotized band extending to ventral margin of valva, with a series of large teeth on the margin and a large pointed posterior process. Transtilla a large, slightly sclerotized plate. Juxta sclerotized, posterior margin a reversed U-shape. Saccus not protruding. Coremata developed. Aedeagus developed, with terminal part strongly sclerotized, vesica densely wrinkled, manica with one large sclerotized posterior process and a small pointed one near middle. Female genitalia unknown.

Diagnosis. This new species is close to E. cognataria but can be distinguished by the following differences: on the wing shape, E. cuspidata is larger than E. cognataria , and the outer margin posterior to the apex on the forewing and between M1 and M3 on hind wing is more deeply concave than in E. cognataria . The most important difference is in the male genitalia: the posterior end of the transverse sclerotized band in the middle of the valva is pointed ( Fig. 21 ), but it is quite blunt and rounded in E. cognataria ( Fig. 20 ). In addition, the costal margin of E. cuspidata is convex, but it is almost straight in E. cognataria ; the valva is much longer and broader than that of E. cognataria .

Material examined. Holotype, ɗ, CHINA: Hainan: Jianfengling Tianchi, 13.IV.1980, coll. Zhang Baolin ( IZCAS); paratype, ɗ, Hainan: Jianfeng, 10.XI.1983, coll. Liu Yuanfu ( IZCAS).

Etymology. The species name is from the Latin cuspidatus, which means pointed, referring to the pointed process on the valva.

Distribution. China (Hainan).

Biology. Collecting data (April–November) suggests that the species may have two generations.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 22. Male genitalia. 17 – 18. E. robustaria. 17, From Thailand; 18, From Xishuangbanna Bubeng, Yunnan, China; 19, E. irrobustaria sp. nov.; 20, E. cognataria; 21, E. cuspidata sp. nov.; 22, Pseudepisothalma ocellata. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 23 – 33. 23. Female genitalia of E. robustaria. 24 – 29. Aedeagus of E. robustaria. 24, From Xishuangbanna Bubeng, Yunnan, China; 25, From Vietnam; 26, From South India; 27, From Hainan, China. 28, From Thailand; 29, From Xishuangbanna Bubeng, Yunnan, China; 30, E. irrobustaria sp. nov.; 31, E. cognataria; 32, E. cuspidata sp. nov.; 33. Pseudepisothalma ocellata. Scale bar = 1 mm.