Plutodes discigera Butler, 1880: 223

Singh, Manpreet, Raha, Angshuman, Mallick, Kaushik, Kirti, Jagbir Singh & Singh, Navneet, 2023, A review of the genus Plutodes Guenée (Geometridae: Ennominae) from India with description of one new species, Zootaxa 5323 (4), pp. 499-523 : 512-514

Plutodes discigera Butler, 1880: 223

( Figs 20–21 , 48–49 )

TL: India

Material examined: India, Mizoram, Aizawl dist,: 1 ♂, Lengpui , 15.ix.2012, leg. A. Saxena (13676/H10, NZCZSI) . West Bengal, Darjeeling dist.: 1 ♂, Chatakpur , 19.ix.2018, leg. R. Lenka & party (13677/H10, NZCZSI) .

Diagnosis: Forewing length: ♂ 14 mm. Plutodes discigera is a member of the ‘ P. cyclaria species- group’ and is most closely allied to P. cyclaria and P. philornis . In P. discigera , all the patches on both the wings look similar to those in P. cyclaria , except that the distal patch on the hindwing is distinctly smaller and well separated from the basal area. In P. philornis , all the wing patches are smaller than those in P. discigera , exposing more of the yellow ground colour of the wings. Also, the rufous line traversing the distal patch on the forewing has a single angle in P. philornis (indicating the body of a flying bird) which is irregular, devoid of any distinct angle in P. discigera . In the latter, the male genitalia are strikingly similar to those of P. cyclaria , except that the saccular spines are more robust in P. discigera . However, the arrangement of spines and scobination on the pickaxe-shaped aedeagus vesica being very similar in both species.

Distribution: India: Meghalaya, Mizoram, Sikkim, West Bengal ( Cotes & Swinhoe 1887, Joshi et al. 2021). Global: Papua New Guinea ( Meyrick 1889, surely a misidentification).

Remarks: Hampson (1895) and Swinhoe (1900) treated P. discigera and P. flavescens as a single species. Prout (1929) treated an Indonesian species, P. argentilauta Prout, 1929 ( Holloway 1982: 252) , as a subspecies of P. discigera . Both treatments are definitely wrong as we know at present.

Our study provides the male genitalia illustration of this species for the first time, unfortunately partly damaged. However, important characters are visible. According to D. Sţning (pers. comm.) the apex of valva is evenly rounded and the uncus moderately spatulate and truncate distally.

Figures

FIGURES 18–23. Habitus of Plutodes spp. 18–19, P. pseudocyclaria, male, Munnar; 20–21, P. discigera, male, Chatakpur; 22–23, P. transmutata, male, Bir. Ventral sides: 19, 21, 23.

FIGURES 44–49. Genitalia of Plutodes spp. 44–45, P. flavescens, male, Singtam: 44, ventral view, 45, aedeagus; 46–47, P. pseudocyclaria, male, Munnar: 46, ventral view, 47, aedeagus (vesica not fully everted); 48–49, P. discigera, male, Chatakpur: 48, ventral view, 49, aedeagus.