Kunanyia Byrne & Wei

Byrne, Catherine J. & Wei, Nasen, 2012, Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. & sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae): an unusual and rare diurnal moth from the mountains of Tasmania, Zootaxa 3503, pp. 25-46 : 28

Kunanyia Byrne & Wei , gen. nov.

Type species: Kunanyia stephaniae sp. nov., here designated.

Diagnosis. Frons rounded. Male antennae bipectinate with long rami. Thoracic crest absent. Areole, fovea absent in both wings. Male hind-tibia not dilated, lacking hair-pencil. In male genitalia valvae simple, lateral processes of anellus present, juxta well-developed. Aedeagal vesica bearing two subequal cornuti. Female genitalia with short ovipositor, medium-length, narrow ductus burse; corpus bursae, membranous, ovoid, with badge-shaped signum. Adults are unlikely to be confused with any other Australian geometrids because of the orange and dark brown colour of the similarly patterned forewings and hindwings, and the very distinctive bright orange of the ventral surface of both wings.

Description. Adult. Head: frons rounded; frons without basal shelf ( Figs 2 & 3 ) vestiture of frons mainly recumbent. Cuticular projection dorsal to antennal socket absent ( Fig. 2 ). Vestiture of crown dense with erect scales. Compound eyes relatively small; ocelli absent; chaetosemata present. Maxillary palpi uni-segmented. Labial palp, moderately long, porrect, densely rough-scaled; second segment with projecting scales below terminal joint moderate in length; terminal joint 0.4 x length of penultimate segment. Haustellum fully-developed, functional ( Fig. 3 ). Male antenna bipectinate with long rami about 3.5 times the diameter of shaft, gradually becoming shorter distally, bipectinate to apex ( Fig. 4 ); outer surface of rami not clothed with scales, numerous long setae on ventral, lateral surfaces ( Figs 5 & 6 ); rami inserted near base of each flagellomere, parallel-sided, apex rounded ( Fig. 6 ); apical sensilla chaetica, sensillae basiconicae absent ( Fig. 7 ); terminal sensilla absent ( Fig. 8 ); length of male antennae less than 2/3 of forewing length ( Fig. 9 ), 50–53 segments in male ( Fig. 4 ); scape cupuliform; pedicel small, broader than long ( Figs 2 & 3 ); flagellomeres each only slightly longer than broad, with two rows of dorsal lamelliform scales ( Fig. 5 ). Female antenna simple ( Fig. 10 ). Wingspan: 3 23.1± 1.6 mm (n=15), Ƥ 22±0.0 mm (n=2). Thorax: slender, smooth, densely clothed dorsally with long recumbent piliform scales, hairy on venter; lacking crest on dorsum of thorax. Forewing broad ( Figs 9 & 10 ), triangular, costa gently arched towards base, termen relatively short, slightly bowed, slightly oblique. Sc free, R1 closely adjacent R2, R2 closely adjacent R3, but not anastomosing; R3, R4, R5 long-stalked from before angle of cell ( Fig. 11). Areole, fovea absent in both wings. M2 arises from the middle point between M1 and M 3 in both wings ( Fig. 11). Hindwing broad, humeral lobe not expanded, M2 reduced to a thickened fold. Sc+R1 closely adjacent, not anastomosing ( Fig. 12). Scales on forewing rather uniform in shape, sub-rectangular, distal margin rounded, broadly dentate, uniformly 5–6 apical teeth ( Figs 13 & 14 ). Legs, fore tibia lacking apical spine, epiphysis moderate size, inserted mesally; hind tibia in male not dilated (ratio of width of length=0.1), lacking proximal hair pencil, two pairs of long unequal spurs, proximal spurs arise distally. Abdomen: sclerites melanised, broad at base, tapered distally ( Figs 9 & 10 ); dorsally smooth scaled; tympana large situated at the base of the abdomen; ansa narrowing basally, then expanded before narrowing apically ( Fig. 15). Male A3 lacking ventral transverse setal comb.

Male genitalia. Uncus moderate length (1.7) (ratio of length to basal width), simple, parallel-sided, tapered towards acute apex, fine long setae scattered dorsally. Socii small, pendulous, lightly sclerotised. Gnathos simple, V-shaped, lateral arms slender, more strongly sclerotised in distal end, with small cluster of 7 robust spines at apex, median row of 3 subequal spines, slightly larger; tegumen tall narrow. Juxta undivided, well-developed. Lateral processes of anellus small, with medial serrated margin, ankylosed with juxta. Cristate hairs dense, of moderate length, attached to lateral margins of juxta. Valvae simple, narrow (ratio of the mesal width to the length ≤ 0.27), parallel-sided, rounded distally, with well-defined patch of setae on ventral surface at the apex of costa ( Fig. 16); aedeagus slightly curved, an oblique distal orifice terminating in an acute apex produced ventrally; vesica slightly plicate, bearing cornuti consisting of two discrete, long subequal rods ( Figs 17 & 18 ).

Female genitalia. Ovipositor short, papillae anales wide, with rounded lobes, integument slightly papillate, moderately setiferous, setae long, moderately developed, ventral accessory sclerite absent, apophyses slender, posteriores about 1.4 times as long as anteriores; lamella postvaginalis (sternite 8) finely spiculate, lightly sclerotised; lamella antevaginalis membranous; antrum funnel-shaped, collicullum membranous. Ductus bursae medium length (approximately 2.0 X length of sternite A7), narrow (width/length: 0.1), straight, asymmetrically dilated anterior to antrum, membranous. Corpus bursae not well differentiated from ductus, ovoid, membranous; signum, moderately developed, badge-shaped, present on dorsal side; ductus seminalis inserted ventrally into distal end of ductus. Sternite A7 slightly sclerotised ( Fig. 19).

Figures

FIGURE 13. Wing scales of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. Scale bar 500 µm.

FIGURE 14. Wing scales of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. Scale bar 50 µm.

FIGURE 17. Aedeagus of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov.

FIGURE 18. Aedeagus with everted vesica of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov.

FIGURES 2 – 7. External structures of imago of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov., sp. nov. Fig. 2. Head, siblateral view, scales removed excepting palpus. Scale bar 400 µm. Fig. 3. Head, frontal view, scales removed excepting palpus. Scale bar 500 µm. Fig. 4. Whole male antenna. Scale bar 1 mm. Fig. 5. Dorsal view of male rami. Scale bar 100 µm. Fig. 6. Ventral view of male antennal rami. Scale bar 200 µm, Fig. 7. Apex of male antennal ramus. Scale bar 20 µm.

FIGURES 8 – 10. Fig. 8. Terminal male antennal segment. Scale bar 50 µm. Fig. 9. Imago of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. Dorsal view of pinned adult male. Fig. 10. Habitus of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. Dorsal view of pinned adult female.