Hierochthonia Prout, 1912

Viidalepp, Jaan & Kostjuk, Igor, 2021, Taxonomic notes on two endemic geometrine genera from Middle Asia (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Geometrinae), Zootaxa 5052 (1), pp. 137-144 : 140

Hierochthonia Prout, 1912 and “ H.” alexandraria Prout, 1912

Prout diagnosed the genus Hierochthonia (Type species: Microloxia pulverata Warren, 1901 ) using external characters as antennae bipectinate up to the last apical segments; hindwing with the subcostal vein fused with the fore margin of the discal cell near to its end; hindtibia provided with one pair of spurs (Prout 1912: 204). Hausmann (1996) redescribed the genus Hierochthonia using H. pulverata Warren and H. semitaria Püngeler. Comparison of the characteristics of H. alexandraria (also Figs 9–11 , 23 ) with those of southern species ( Figs 7, 8 , 22 ) indicates the following differences.

Both Hierochthonia-- H. pulverata and H. semitaria-- possess long, flat postvaginal lamellae and roundish lateral sclerites attached to the ostium in female genitalia ( Hausmann 1996, Figs 144, 145). These structures are missing in “ H.” alexandraria and “H.” petitaria females ( Figs 24, 25 ).

The valva in male genitalia of typical Hierochthonia has a medial harpe ( Figs 22 ), and aedeagus is spoon shaped (distally dilated) with a complex apical sclerotization. However, “ H.” alexandraria has a tubular aedeagus with two thorn shaped cornuti on the vesica, and a simple valva ( Fig. 23 ). Prout (1912) stressed the peculiar venation of hindwing with Sc free when characterizing “ Hierochthonia ” alexandraria . We use this synergy of differences in wing venation and in male and female genitalia characteristics to separate “ H.” alexandraria in a new genus of its own, Ratsa Viidalepp & Kostjuk , gen. nov. will be described below for this species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–13. Adult moths of the studied taxa. 1–2: Hissarica postalbida: 1—male, Tajikistan, Kondara 2—female, Kondara; 3–4: Xenochlorodes albicostaria: 3—male, Iran, Comèe, 4–female, Comèe; 5–6: Xenochlorodes olympiaria: 5—male, Dalmatia, Gravosa, 6–female, Griechenland, Delphi; 7–8: Hierochthonia pulverata, 7—male, Syria, 8—female, Syria; 9–11: Ratsa alexandraria: 9—Holotype, female, “Alexandergebirge”, 10—male, Kazakhstan, Kentau, 11—female, Kentau; 12–13: Ratsa? petitaria: 12—Lectotype, female, “Askhabad” 13—female, Turkmenistan, Imam-Baba.

FIGURES 22–26. Genitalia structures of Hierochthonia, Ratsa, gen. nov. and Xenochlorodes. 22: Hierochthonia pulverata: 22a—male armature, 22b—aedeagus, 22c—VIII sternite, 22d—lateral view; 23–24: Ratsa alexandraria: 23a—male armature, 23b—aedeagus, 23c—VIII sternite, 23d—lateral view, 24a—female genitalia, lateral view, 24b—female genitalia, ventral view; 25—female genitalia of Ratsa? petitaria; 26—female genitalia of Xenochlorodes albicostaria. Scale bar, 1 mm.