Comibaena parallela Xian & Han, 2022

Pan, Zhaohui, Xian, Chunlan & Han, Hongxiang, 2022, Two new species of the genus Comibaena Hübner, 1823 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from China, Zootaxa 5190 (1), pp. 147-150 : 148-150

Comibaena parallela Xian & Han sp. nov.

( Figs 5–8 , 15–16, 20 )

Type material. Holotype ♂ ( TAAHU), CHINA: Tibet, Yi’ong , 11.VII.2017, STS 6925, leg. Pan Zhaohui. Paratypes ( TAAHU): Tibet, 2♀, Zayü, Cibagou , 3–9.VII.2016, STS 6926, 6928, leg. Pan Zhaohui ; 1♂, Pêlung, 6.VII.2018, STS 6929, leg. Pan Zhaohui.

Diagnosis. On the wing pattern, the broad and white postmedial line, the small tornal and apical patches on both wings of C. parallela are very similar to C. campolinea . However, in C. parallela , the white scales basal to the antemedial line and distal to the postmedial line are more sparsely diffused, and the inward postmedial line below vein CuA 2 is more indistinct than in C. campolinea . In the male genitalia, the terminal part of the costal lobe is blunter than in C. campolinea , and vinculum is more widely concave than in C. campolinea . In addition, the shape of the sterigma in the female genitalia is also different. Compared to C. tibetensis ( Figs 9–12 , 17–18 ), the forewing tornal patch and hind wing apical and tornal patches are much smaller, the distance between the antemedial and postmedial lines is narrower, and the discocellulars is white on hind wing but almost same colour with wings in C. tibetensis . The male genitalia share a blunt apical part of the costal lobe with C. tibetensis , however, the dorsal process of the costal lobe is absent in C. parallela but present in C. tibetensis , and the vinculum of C. parallela is more deeply concave.

Description. Head. Antenna in male bipectinate for about basal two-thirds, filiform terminally, outer rami longer than inner rami; antenna filiform in female. Frons green, with lower margin white. Labial palpus with first segment brown, second and third segments white. Vertex green.

Thorax. Dorsal side of thorax green, white ventrally. Patagia yellow-green. Tegula green, sub-basally yellow-green in male, dull whitish in female. Hind tibia with two pairs of spurs in both sexes, that of male dilated with hair pencil, terminal extension absent.

Forewing length: ♂ ♀ 15–17mm. Wings green, decorated with whitish scales and short white transverse stripes. Forewing with costal area a straw-yellow band, tapering towards apex, band dull whitish in female; antemedial line white, straight and oblique; postmedial line broad, white and straight, reaching tornal angle, almost parallel to antemedial line, a sharp inward turn trace visible below vein CuA 2, then straight to inner margin; outside postmedial line tinged with little white scales; submarginal line indistinct; terminal line white; two tiny dark patches present near tornal angle. Hind wing with one elongate reddish-brown patch at apex and tornal angle, more or less interrupted; terminal line white as forewing. Discocellulars white on hind wing and only anteriorly half white on forewing. Discal spots on both fore- and hind wing a tiny dark-brown dot, very weak. Fringes on both wings green at basal half and paler at distal half. Underside whitish, discal spot clearer than on upperside.

Abdomen. Dorsal side of abdomen green (discoloured in holotype), with white intersegments and white dorsal line; ventral side of abdomen white. Characters of third sternite and eighth segment in male unknown.

Male genitalia. Uncus well divided, tapered. Socii longer than uncus, basal part broad, terminal part hooked. Costal lobe petal-like, terminal part blunt; ventral margin strongly sclerotized, with a blunt process at middle; area from the process to apex wrinkled. Valva terminally rounded with seta, ventral margin slightly concave. Vinculum widely concave at middle, lateral branches broad and blunt. Aedeagus slender, spinulose; cornutus absent.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor lobes short and wide. Apophyses posteriores longer than apophyses anteriores. Sterigma irregularly shaped, with posterior margin concave. Ductus burse long and slender. Corpus bursae small and weak, signum absent.

Distribution. China (Tibet).

Etymology. The specific name is from the Latin words parallelus, referring to the paralleled antemedial and postmedial lines.

Figures

FIGURES 1–12. Adults of Comibaena. 1–4, C. campolinea sp. nov. 1, male, holotype, upperside; 2, ibidem, underside; 3, female, paratype, upperside; 4, ibidem, underside; 5–8, C. parallela sp. nov. 5, male, holotype, upperside; 6, ibidem, underside; 7, female, paratype, upperside; 8, ibidem, underside; 9–12, C. tibetensis. 9, male, holotype, upperside; 10, ibidem, underside; 11, female, paratype, upperside; 12, ibidem, underside. Scale bar = 1 cm.

FIGURES 13–20. Genitalia. 13–18, male genitalia, including aedeagus. 13–14, C. campolinea sp. nov., holotype; 15–16, C. parallela sp. nov., holotype; 17–18, C. tibetensis, holotype. 19–20, female genitalia. 19, C. campolinea sp. nov., paratype; 20, C. parallela sp. nov., paratype.