Syzeuxis furcalineas Galsworthy & Han

Li, Jing, Xue, Dayong, Han, Hongxiang & Galsworthy, Anthony C., 2012, Taxonomic review of Syzeuxis Hampson, 1895, with a discussion of biogeographical aspects (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae), Zootaxa 3357, pp. 1-24 : 13-14

Syzeuxis furcalineas Galsworthy & Han sp. nov.

Figs 10 , 22 , 34

Type Material. Holotype, 3, Khasia Hills, Assam, Nissary, Joicey Bequest. Brit. Mus. 1934-120, Geometridae Genitalia slide no. 20322 ( BMNH).

Description. Antennae bipectinate in male, ciliate at tip and in female. Labial palpus, frons, vertex, and dorsal side of thorax brown. Labial palpus extending about 1/3 beyond frons. Wing pattern. Forewing length: 3 8 mm. Wings yellow brown, with diffuse dark speckles, hindwing much paler. Outer margin of forewing slightly protruding at middle, then straight towards anal angle. Forewing with costa black-brown; antemedial and postmedial lines indistinct, only a little darker than wing colour, but forming dark brown triangular patches on costa, costal patch of postmedial line reaching M2; terminal line present between M1 and M3, CuA1 and anal angle; discal spot invisible. Hindwing with postmedial line dark brown, X-shaped, the two branches having the same width; terminal line complete, but broken on vein ends; discal spot a small dark brown patch. Hindwing in male without basal lobe. Fringes of forewing dark brown where terminal line present, pale brown on other parts; on hindwing, dark brown below M2 and pale brown above M2. Underside: forewing paler than upperside; the upper half with denser dark speckles, but dark speckles almost absent in lower half; postmedial line dark brown, broad, not reaching inner margin; terminal line complete except near apex; hindwing similar to upperside, a little darker. Forewing with a single areole. Male genitalia. Uncus narrower than other species, with small and shallow concavity at apical end. Gnathos developed, tapered. Valva membranous, curved upwards, with terminal part a little narrower than basal part. Juxta not developed. Aedeagus membranous, with anterior part much broader than posterior part, without spines. Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis. The hindwing postmedial line of S. furcalineas is similar to those of S. nigrinotata and S. pavonata , which also have an X-shaped line, but is different from those two species in having two branches of the same width, connected only for a very short distance, while the other two species have one branch which is much broader than the other and the connection between the two is long. The present species also differs in the presence of an areole on the forewing, which is absent in the other two species. In the male genitalia, S. furcalineas differs from both in the lack of spines in the aedeagus, and the narrowness of the uncus.

Distribution. India (Khasi Hills).

Etymology. The specific name is derived from the X-shaped postmedial line on the hindwing.

Remarks. The type specimen was found among the BMNH series of S. seminanis .

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 13. Adults. 2. Syzeuxis trinotaria (Moore), female; 3. S. tessellifimbria Prout, holotype, female; 4. S. seminanis Prout, holotype, male; 5. S. extritonaria Xue, holotype, male; 6. S. neotritonaria Xue, holotype, male; 7. S. magnidica Prout, lectotype, male; 8. S. subfasciaria (Wehrli), paralectotype, male; 9. S. heteromeces Prout, holotype, male; 10. S. furcalineas sp. nov., holotype, male; 11. S. nigrinotata (Warren), lectotype, male; 12. S. pavonata sp. nov., holotype, male; 13. S. calamisteria Xue, holotype, female. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 20 – 25. Male genitalia. 20. Syzeuxis subfasciaria (Wehrli); 21. S. heteromeces Prout; 22. S. furcalineas sp. nov.; 23. S. nigrinotata (Warren); 24. S. pavonata sp. nov.; 25. S. calamisteria Xue. Scale bar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 26 – 37. Aedeagus. 26. Syzeuxis trinotaria (Moore); 27. S. tessellifimbria Prout; 28. S. seminanis Prout; 29. S. extritonaria Xue; 30. S. neotritonaria Xue; 31. S. magnidica Prout; 32. S. subfasciaria (Wehrli); 33. S. heteromeces Prout; 34. S. furcalineas sp. nov.; 35. S. nigrinotata (Warren); 36. S. pavonata sp. nov.; 37. S. calamisteria Xue. Scale bar = 1 mm (except scale bar = 0.5 mm for fig. 35.)