Ratsa alexandraria (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 : 142-143

Ratsa alexandraria (Prout, 1912) (comb. n.)

Hierochthonia alexandraria Prout, 1912

Description. Wingspan 23–28 mm ( Figs 9–11 ). Frons flat, light brown. Male antennae pectinate in both sexes, rami about 0.4 mm long in male ( Fig. 18a ) (about 2.5 times the length of antennomeres, ten apical segments dentate), rami shorter (two times the length of segments) in female ( Fig. 18b ). Palpi very short. Frenulum absent both in male and female. Wings unicoloroured vivid green, the fringe is greenish in its basal third, and white distally. Venation of forewing: R1 from foremargin of discal cell near its apex, fuses with Sc creating an accessory cell, sometimes ending in R2; R2–M1 stalked from cell apex. Discal vein thin, angled, M2 from near the R2–M1 stalk, tubular, veins M3 and CuA1 separate. Hindwing with Sc not connected to the foremargin of discal cell, discal vein slightly curved, thin, Rs and M1 stalked, M3 free. Hindtibia slender, with distal pair of spurs which are equal in size ( Fig. 21 ); length ratio of female tibia and tarsus is 4:5. Male genitalia with distinct anellar complex present ( Figs 23 ), the large transtilla and smaller juxta connected by lateral bars. Uncus and gnathos strong, valva with a small tooth at its ventral margin, without harpe, saccus oval, longish. Aedeagus tubular, curved, as long as valva, with one long and one short cornutus on vesica ( Fig. 23b ). Female genitalia ( Fig. 24 ,) membranous, ductus bursae tubular, with a bend in the middle, as long as corpus bursae, signum a small transverse stripe with dentate tubercle.

Material examined. Holotype ♀ of alexandraria , Asia centr., Alexandergebirge ( MfN); 2 ♂, Uzbekistan, Chimgan [Mt.], Jürivete leg. (slides 2446, 9096) ( IZBE); 1♀, [ Kyrgyzstan] Fergana sept., vallis fl. Padsha-ata , 1525 m, 29.V.1908, V. V. Sovinskij leg.; 18 ♂ ♀, S Kazakhstan, Karatau range N Kentau, 600 m, at light, 19–22, 29.V.1994, leg. I. Pljushtch & M. Nesterov (gen. prs. 643, 644, 645, 663); 1 ♂, Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda Region , SE Tasbaget, sands, at light, 122 m, 26.IV.2013, leg. D. Shovkoon; 2 ♀, Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda Region, S Zhalagash, riv. Syr Darya, 111 m, at light, 6.V.2013, leg. D. Shovkoon (gen. pr. 617); 2 ♂, Kazakhstan, 10 km SW Abay, Kelinshektau mts., 1024 m, 7.V.2015, leg. D. Shovkoon ( ZMKU).

Remark. “ Hierochthonia ” petitaria ( Christoph, 1887) is tentatively associated with the new genus Ratsa due the obvious similarity in the shape and unicolorous wings, and of female genitalia structues in R. alexandraria and petitaria ( Fig. 25 ), but this cannot be confirmed until male genitalic structures have been examined. R. petitaria female has an “ochreous“ frons (according to Christoph (1889), antennae with very short pectinations ( Fig. 19a ), green forewings, and slightly lighter hindwings, the fringe white on both wings and a signum missing in its bursa copulatrix. Female hindtibia and tarsus are equal in length (2 mm).

Material examined: “ Lectotypus ♀, Eucrostis petitaria Christ. Design. V. Mironov 2017 ”; [ Turkmenistan] Askhabad ( ZISP); 1♀, [ Turkmenistan] prov. Transcaspica, st. Imam-Baba, lum., 6. V.1908, V. V. Sovinskij leg. (gen. pr. 659) (ZMKU).

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 17–21. Some morphological characters of Hissarica and Ratsa, gen. nov.. 17—male antennae of Hissarica postalbida; 18–antennae of Ratsa alexandraria (a—male, b—female); 19–female antennae comparison of Ratsa? petitaria (a) and Ratsa alexandraria (b); 20—wing venation of Ratsa alexandraria; 21—hindleg of Ratsa alexandraria. Scale bar, 17, 18, 21—1 mm, 19, 20—not in scale.

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.