Problepsis batangnensis, Xue & Cui & Jiang, 2018

Xue, Dayong, Cui, Le & Jiang, Nan, 2018, A review of Problepsis Lederer, 1853 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from China, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4392 (1), pp. 101-127 : 111-114

Problepsis batangnensis sp. nov.

Figs 9 , 37 , 58, 79, 97

Description. Head: Antennae bipectinate in male, pectination short, as long as diameter of shaft; filiform in female; dorsal surface black, blackish grey or dark yellowish brown, pectination blackish grey to yellowish brown in male. Frons and vertex black, frons sparsely diffused with white on ventral surface. Labial palpus blackish brown, suffused with yellowish white ventrally.

Thorax: Patagia, tegulae and dorsal side of thorax white, ventral side of thorax dark grey. Hind tarsus about two-sevenths to three-sevenths length of tibia in male. Forewing length: male 17–19 mm; female 17–19 mm. Wings ground color greyish white. Forewing diffused with dark greyish brown scales on costal area between base and postmedial line; ocellus almost oval, posterior half part narrower than anterior half part, inner margin concaved centrally, outer margin often forming two small protrusions at M2 and M3, dark greyish brown; sparse silvery scales present on ocellus, not forming a ring, inside with sparse black scales; a small rounded dark greyish brown marking present behind ocellus, covered with black and silvery scales, fusing to ocellus and extending to anal margin; postmedial line narrow, arched and incurved between M veins, situated close to submarginal spots; submarginal line composed of two rows of cloud-like grey spots, outer ones more continuous; terminal line greyish brown, forming black spots among veins above M2; fringes mostly grey to dark grey. Hind wing with a ocellus, posterior half part broader than anterior half part, greyish brown, outer margin forming one protrusion centrally; sparse silvery and black scales covered on ocellus; marking behind ocellus similar to that of forewing, but without black scales; other transverse lines similar to those of forewing. Underside with costa dark greyish brown; principal markings dark grey, similar to those of upperside. Abdomen. Dorsal surface dark grey.

Male genitalia: Tegumen slightly protruding at apex, without spines on internal margin. Socii fused at apex, stout and setose. Valvula strongly curved, very broad at base half, tapered and actue at apex; sacculus spine-like and curved at apex. Juxta forming an inverted triangular lobe, anterior margin concaved centrally, fused to sacculus. Saccus broad and rounded at apex. Aedeagus narrow, bifurcate, with several thorns on one terminal part, coecum penis dilated; vesica with a semicircular cornutus and a narrow and long sclerotized band. Anterior margin of eighth sternite bifurcate, forming two square lateral protrusions and one large central process with actue apex.

Female genitalia: Lamella postvaginalis fan-shaped, fused to ductus bursae, with a small concaved frill on each lateral side. Ductus bursae stout and short, sclerotized, width about one-half of all length; a triangular sclerite on ventral side of anterior part of ductus bursae extending to corpus bursae. Corpus bursae oval, often membranous; signum an oval patch of partly fused spines, central part longitudinal band-like, situated on dorsal surface of right side, separate from ductus bursae.

Diagnosis. See the above species.

Type material. Holotype, ♂, CHINA: Sichuan ( IZCAS): Batang, Xiaqiong, 2662 m, 28–29.VII.2014, coll. Pan Xiaodan . Paratypes. CHINA: Sichuan ( IZCAS): 12 ♂ 5♀, same as holotype, IZCAS slide no. Geom-04566, 04567; 4 ♂ 2♀, Batang, 1974, IZCAS slide no. Geom-03415, 03416; 2 ♂ 2♀, Xiangcheng, 2841 m, 9.VIII.2013, coll. Cheng Rui ,, IZCAS slide no. Geom-04673 . Sichuan ( ZFMK): 2 ♂ 6♀, Batang, Im Tal des Yangtze, 2800 m, VI–IX, H. Höne ; 8 ♂, Untere Urwaldzone , 3800 m, IX.–X.1936, H. Höne.

Distribution. China (Sichuan).

Etymology. From the Latin word batangensis, referring to type locality.

Remarks. Specimens collected from lower elevation ("Tal des Yangtze" means "bottom of Yangtze valley") are slighly smaller and lighter, the three females collected from June and July are worn, i.e. at the end of their flight period. Specimens collected from August and September is fresh, i.e. next generation. All males from higher elevation from September and October are slightly larger and with stronger, darker pattern, fresh, i.e. probably also second generation (D. Stüning, pers. comm.).

Figures

FIGURES 1–22. Adults of Problepsis. 1, P. albidior, male, Yunnan; 2–3, P. eucircota, male, Zhejiang, 2, upperside, 3, underside; 4–5, P. stueningi sp. nov., male, holotype, Gansu, 4, upperside, 5, underside; 6, P. vulgaris, male, Tibet; 7, P. paredra, male, Sichuan; 8. P. subreferta, male, Yunnan; 9, P. batangnensis sp. nov., male, holotype, Sichuan; 10, P. plagiata, male, Shaanxi; 11, P. apollinaria apollinaria, male, Hainan; 12–13, P. delphiaria auriculifera, male, Hainan, 12, upperside, 13, undside; 14, P. transvehens, male, Guangdong; 15–17, P. conjunctiva, male, 15, Tibet, 16–17, Hainan; 18, P. crassinotata, Tibet; 19–20, P. diazoma, male, Fujian, 19, upperside, 20, underside; 21–22, P. discophora discophora, male, Beijing, 21, upperside, 22, underside. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 31–39. Male genitalia of Problepsis. 31, P. albidior, Sichuan; 32, P. eucircota, Jiangxi; 33, P. stueningi sp. nov., holotype, Gansu; 34, P. vulgaris, Tibet; 35, P. paredra, Gansu; 36. P. subreferta, Yunnan; 37, P. batangnensis sp. nov., paratype, Sichuan; 38, P. plagiata, Shaanxi; 39, P. apollinaria apollinaria, Hainan. Scale bar = 1 mm.