Visiana incertata (Walker)

Schmidt, Olga, 2015, The genus Visiana Swinhoe (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae) in Australia: resurrection of two species from synonymy, Zootaxa 4021 (4), pp. 501-514 : 506-507

Visiana incertata (Walker)

( Figs 3, 4 , 8, 9 , 12 , 16 , 17, 19 ), stat. rev.

Scotosia incertata Walker, 1862: 1356

Visiana brujata (Guenée) : McQuillan & Edwards, 1996: 225, Scoble, 1999: 959 (as syn.) Tephrosia breviaria Walker, 1866: 1591 -1592 (syn. rev.)

Types. Scotosia incertata . Australia. [Queensland]. Holotype female, Moreton Bay, no further data ( Fig. 3 ) (BMNH, examined).

Remark. The abdomen of the type specimen of V. i n ce r t at a was glued to the thorax, however, it looks authentic.

Types. Tephrosia breviaria . Australia. Holotype male, no further data ( Fig. 4 ) (BMNH, examined).

Other material examined. Australia. Queensland. One male, one female, Mt Tamborine, 11.iv.1958, C.W. Frazier, Toowoomba, 12.i.1962, J. Macqueen ( ANIC), one male, three females, Brisbane, 6199, Turner, Kuranda, 1910, FPD, Herberton district, 1911, FPD ( BMNH), four males, five females, Picnic Crossing, Brigdon, Curtain Fig, 5.viii.1996 or 7.viii.1996, 11.viii.1996 or 6.ii.1997, BO, HM, Lamington NP, 15.x.2006, RLK, Bunya Mts, Wescott, Cunningham’s Gap, 5.xi.2005, 20.xii.2005, ex. l. or 23.iii.2008, OS (IBISCA, OSPC). New South Wales. Three females, Upper Allyn R., I.F.B. Common, M.S. Upton, 8.ii.1961, Antarctic Beech, Border Range NP, 6.ii.1999, E.D. Edwards, Mt Keira, V.J. Robinson, 4.xii.1963 ( ANIC).

Diagnosis. Forewings similar to V. brujata but slightly brighter, with fuscous scales, with the median band slightly broader than in V. repentinata , with the posterior projecting tooth usually sharper than in V. brujata . In the male genitalia, the valvae are longer than in V. brujata , as well as the projecting apical processes, the juxta is slightly broader than in V. brujata , and the aedeagus is usually distinctly longer than in V. brujata . In the female genitalia, the ductus bursae is medially thicker than in V. brujata , the corpus bursae and the diverticulum are larger than in V. brujata .

Description. Labial palpi brown, slightly darker than in V. brujata . Legs brown, with indistinct rings of ochreous-brown scales. Wing expanse 30-41 mm (n=10). Forewings above ochreous-brown to brown, with fuscous scales, darker in males, with basal band not quite distinct, with median band slightly narrowing to the hind margin, more distinct in males, with rather blunt medial projecting tooth, edged with a fine brown wavy line and a very fine broken whitish line, with whitish dots at the veins, with very short, blunt posterior projecting tooth partly edged with a rather distinct whitish line, with a small discal dot, more distinct in males, underneath ochreous-brown, with a thin, wavy, dark brown median line, with a small brown discal dot. Hind wings above ochreous-brown to brown with fuscous scales, with a few brownish wavy lines in the basal half, underneath coloured and patterned as forewings ( Figs 8, 9 , 12 ).

Male genitalia ( Figs 16, 17 ). Uncus long, robust, relatively broad at base, tapering towards the apex; tegumen long for the genus, with usually small shoulders at base of uncus, with long lateral arms of gnathos extended from the shoulders, reaching the level of the juxta; valvae elongated, with costa relatively narrow, sclerotized, slightly convex in its apical third, with thin, narrowly rounded distally, projecting apical processes with rather long and narrow basal projections towards the juxta; saccus long, shaped more or less like uncus but broader; juxta with small, somewhat oval lateral papillae; aedeagus usually more than 2.5 times as long as uncus (often three times as long as uncus), with anellus covered with fine spines, without cornuti or distinct scobination in vesica.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 19 ). Antrum somewhat funnel-shaped, gradually narrowing towards the ductus bursae; ductus bursae long, slightly narrowing towards the corpus bursae, evenly sclerotized; corpus bursae very small for the genus, slightly shorter than the ductus, oval, membranous, with a small rounded diverticulum connected between the ductus and corpus bursae by a short, thin tube, with ductus seminalis set medio-proximally on corpus bursae; signum a rather small, rounded patch of symmetrically arranged, inwardly directed spicules.

Distribution. Australia (Queensland, New South Wales).

Remark. Several specimens collected in Victoria and deposited in ANIC have a wing pattern very similar to V. incertata . The specimens have not yet been thoroughly examined.

Figures

FIGURES 2 – 5. Visiana spp., type specimens, wings above: 2. V. brujata, holotype female, ex. Musaeo Ach. Guenée, Tasmania; 3. V. incertata, holotype female, Moreton Bay, Queensland; 4. V. breviaria, holotype male, Australia; 5. V. repentinata, holotype female, Moreton Bay, Queensland.

FIGURES 6 – 10. Visiana spp., wings above: 6. V. brujata, male, Tasmania; 7. V. brujata, female, Queensland; 8. V. incertata, male, Queensland; 9. V. incertata, female, Queensland; 10. V. repentinata, female, Australia, Queensland.

FIGURES 11 – 13. Visiana spp., wings underneath: 11. V. brujata, holotype female, ex. Musaeo Ach. Guenée, Tasmania; 12. V. incertata, holotype female, Queensland, Moreton Bay; 13. V. repentinata, female, Queensland, Brisbane.

FIGURES 14 – 17. Visiana spp., male genitalia: (14, 16) armature, (15, 17) aedeagus: 14 – 15. V. brujata; 16 – 17. V. incertata (type specimen of V. breviaria).

FIGURES 18 – 20. Visiana spp., female genitalia, type specimens: 18. V. brujata, holotype; 19. V. incertata, holotype (the ductus seminalis is hidden behind the corpus bursae); 20. V. repentinata, holotype.