Plutodes transmutata Walker, 1861: 976

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 : 514

Plutodes transmutata Walker, 1861: 976

( Figs 22–23 , 50–51 )

TL: North Hindostan [North India]

= Comibaena gavisata Walker, 1862: 1566 (TL: North Hindostan [North India])

Material examined: India, Himachal Pradesh: Kangra dist.: 1 ♂, Bir , 20.ix.2007, leg. M. Kaur (13679/H10, NZCZSI); 1 ♂, Andretta, 17.ix.2007, leg. M. Kaur (13680/H10, NZCZSI) . Odisha, Keonjhar dist.: 3 ♂, Joda, Kiriburu , 14.vii.2021, leg. A. Raha & party (13678/H10, NZCZSI) .

Diagnosis: Forewing length: ♂ 12–13 mm. This species is distinct from all other Plutodes by its characteristic “amoeboid” distal patch on the forewing. Its differential diagnoses with the closely allied P. quadratus sp. nov. and the Sri Lankan P. exiguifascia Hampson, 1893 are discussed under the next species.

Distribution: India: Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha ( Chandra 2007, Sondhi et al. 2018, Pathania et al. 2021). Global: China, Nepal, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand ( Moore 1887, Swinhoe 1900, Yazaki 1994, Kendrick 1998, Koçak & Kemal 2010).

Remarks: The species has a very wide distribution in India and occurs in the low to mid altitude tropical and subtropical forests. Although reported in several studies, the male genitalia of this species are illustrated here for the first time. The female genitalia are very similar to those of P. quadratus sp. n. (D. Sţning, pers. comm.).

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 50–54. Genitalia of Plutodes spp. 50–51, P. transmutata, male, Bir: 50, ventral view, 51, aedeagus (vesica not everted); 52–53, P. quadratus sp. nov., male, Kabirdham Bhoramdeo WLS (Holotype): 52, ventral view, 53, aedeagus, 54, ditto, female (Paratype), Lemru FRH. (diagnostic characters indicated by black lines).