Prometopidia conisaria Hampson, 1902

Dey, Pritha, Uniyal, Virendra Prasad, Hausmann, Axel & Stüning, Dieter, 2021, Revision of the genus Prometopidia Hampson, 1902, with description of the new species P. joshimathensis sp. nov. from West-Himalaya and its subspecies P. j yazakii ssp. nov. from Nepal (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae), Zootaxa 4980 (1), pp. 28-44 : 35-37

Prometopidia conisaria Hampson

Figs 2a–g ; 4a, d, g, i ; 5a–d ; 6a–c

Prometopidia conisaria Hampson, 1902 , J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 14: 509, fig. ( India, Kashmir : Narkundah; McArthur [leg.]). Lectotype male (NHMUK, photos of adult and genitalia examined).

Type-material examined. Lectotype ♂, “Narkundah, H. McArthur coll., April, 1888; Leech Coll. 1900-64”, lectotype designated, genitalia dissected (NHMUK Geometridae genitalia slide 17626) by Yazaki (1995: 18, 27, fig. 579; pl. 128, fig. 5; erroneously indicated as “ Calocalpe anestia Prout ”). Lectotype and genitalia are here figured again.

Additional material examined. 10♂, 2♀, North-western India, Uttarakhand, Joshimath : 1♂, 2424 m, 12.IV.2015, coll. NCBS (NRC-AA-1690) ; 1 ♂, 2238 m, 19.IV.2015, genitalia slide No. ZSM G 21262 ; 1♂, 2210 m, 09.IV.2015, coll. NCBS (NRC-AA-1701) ; 4♂, 2414 m, 12.IV.2015, coll. NCBS (NRC-AA-1696,1697,1698,1702) ; 1♂, 2053 m, 14.IV.2015, coll. NCBS (NRC-AA-1699) ; 1♂ 2422 m, 23.IV.2015, coll. NCBS (NRC-AA-1700) ; 1♂, 2424m, 12.IV.2015, Barcode No. : BC ZSM Lep 94422, coll. NCBS (NRC-AA-1694) . 1♀: 2414 m, 12.IV.2015, Barcode No. : BC ZSM Lep 94421, coll. NCBS (NRC-AA-1693) ; 1♀: 2210 m, 09.IV.2015, Barcode No. : BC ZSM Lep 94423, genitalia slide No.: ZSM G 21263 .

Specimens examined from other regions are: 1♀, E. Afghanistan, Prov. Kunar, Nuristan, 1600m, 14.iv.71, leg. C. Naumann; 1♂, NW. Pakistan, 20 km W of Besham, Karaora , 1200m, 27.v.1992, leg. Hreblay & Csorba, genitalia slide No. 2186-DS; BC ZFMK Lep 00598 (failed) ; 1♀, Simla, Punjab, 2500m, Mai, genitalia slide No. KYS-1021 ( ZFMK) ; 4♂, Pakistan, Prov. NW-Frontier, Kagan valley, 1750m, 6.iv., genitalia slide No. 2187-DS; BC ZFMK Lep 00599; 10.iv., 14.–15.iv.1999, leg. B. Benedek & A. Szabó ; 2♀, Pakistan, Himalaya Mts., Kaghan valley , 2900m, 17.v.1998, leg. Gyula M. László & G. Ronkay, genitalia slide No. 2188-DS; BC ZFMK Lep 00600 (failed); 1♂, 1♀, dto., Kaghan valley , 2150 m, 16.iv.1999. ( CMS) .

Original description. “Brownish-grey irrorated with brown; frontal prominence black; wings irrorated with some large black scales. Forewing with waved blackish antemedial line; a small discoidal tuft of black scales; an oblique postmedial line slightly dentate at the veins and incurved between the veins 3 and 1; a terminal series of black points; the cilia intersected with white. Hindwing with black discoidal point; a slightly dentate postmedial line and traces of a subterminal line; a terminal series of black points; cilia whitish at base.

Habitat. —Kashmir, Narkundah (McArthur), Exp. 30 mill. Type —in B.M.”

Additional characters revealed by present studies. Small moths, wingspan 22–25 mm. Expanse of 30 mm in original description is probably due to a mistake of measurement.

Head. Scales on palps mixed white and dark grey or lighter grey and dark grey; frontal process stout, short, tip broadly rounded in females, longer and slightly narrower in males, covered with small, dark greyish-brown scales; vertex scales larger, white anteriorly, grey and white posteriorly.

Thorax. Patagia and tegulae of the latter colours, tegulae partly with elongated scales. Legs chequered with dark grey and whitish scales. Forewings almost triangular, termen only slightly oblique, smooth and evenly curved. Ground colour light grey, densely dusted with dark grey scales. Antemedial and postmedial fasciae present, distinct, a submarginal fascia vaguely visible. Antemedial fascia angled four times, postmedial dentate on the veins and incurved at posterior half. Hindwings with an evenly curved, also dentate postmedial fascia, a submarginal fascia also present, but the antemedial line absent. Discal dots present on both wings, weaker on hindwing. Termen slightly undulating, at margin with short, black streaks always opposite to white fringe sections; fringes long, shorter white and longer dark grey sections alternating. Underside lighter, less densely dusted with dark grey scales. Forewings with postmedial fascia only, but less distinct compared to upper side, postmedial fascia of hindwings indistinct, interrupted. Discal dots present, similar to upper side. Base of hindwings swollen between the basal parts of veins Sc+R1 and the upper vein of cell, more strongly so in males than in females.

Pregenital abdomen. Externally with almost white ground colour, but heavily dusted with dark grey scales. Otherwise as described in the generic description. The spatulate process of the distal margin of female 7 th sternite semi-circular ( Fig. 4g ).

Male genitalia as described in the generic description, not clearly distinguishable from P. joshimathensis sp.nov, only slight, gradual differences present in the genitalia capsule which is also a little smaller than the capsule of the next species. The narrower central part and the smaller baso-lateral incisions of the juxta may also be diagnostic. Aedeagus also a little narrower and shorter, but the group of teeth on vesica more numerous, teeth smaller and reaching widely towards base of vesica, getting gradually smaller.

Female genitalia. Largely as described in generic description, but ductus bursae without colliculum; the long, fluted posterior part of corpus bursae with a longitudinal sclerotized band and only moderately getting wider near anterior part of corpus bursae, there without a broad, more strongly and irregularly fluted area as present in the next species. Moreover, the membranous anterior part of bursa is small and globular or slightly oval. The signum is small, with large marginal teeth on distal half only, proximal half with tiny little teeth, the central opening rounded on proximal side, straight on distal side.

Modified 8 th segment and papillae anales with floricomus as described above in additional characters of the genus.

Diagnosis. See P. joshimathensis .

Distribution. Afghanistan, Pakistan, NW. India: Kashmir, Punjab (now Himachal Pradesh), Uttarakhand

Genetic data. BIN: BOLD:ADF3039 (n=3 from India, Uttarakhand). Intraspecific variation 0.15%. Genetic distance to one barcoded specimen from Pakistan 4.4% (BC ZFMK Lep 00599), the latter, however, just sequenced to a 407 bp fragment, requiring confirmation by additional specimens and full DNA barcodes. At present, we do not consider this singleton as a member of a different taxon, but it is possible, as the female is unusually large and the distal sclerotized process of 7 th sternite is shaped differently. A subspecific state may also be possible. Genetic distance to P. joshimathensis 6.8%.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Adults (a–f), including lectotype (g1, g2) of Prometopidia conisaria, adults of P. joshimathensis (h–o). a: P. conisaria, female (Afghanistan, ZFMK); b: P. conisaria, male, (Pakistan, CMS); c: P. conisaria, female (Pakistan, CMS); d: P. conisaria, female (Pakistan, ZFMK); e: P. conisaria, male (India, Uttarakhand; NCBS); f: P. conisaria, female (India, Uttarakhand; NCBS); g1: P. conisaria, male lectotype (Narkundah, Kashmir); g2: P. conisaria, labels of male lectotype; h: P. joshimathensis, male holotype (Uttarakhand; NCBS); i: P. joshimathensis, male paratype (Uttarakhand; NCBS); j: P. joshimathensis, female paratype (Uttarakhand; NCBS); k: P. joshimathensis, female paratype (Punjab; ZFMK); l: P. joshimathensis ssp. yazakii, male holotype (E. Nepal; ZFMK); m: P. j. yazakii, male paratype (E. Nepal; ZFMK); n: P. j. yazakii, female paratype (E. Nepal; ZSM); o: P. j. yazakii, female paratype (E. Nepal; ZFMK).

FIGURE 4. Prometopidia spp., morphological characters. a: P. conisaria, head, lateral view; b: P. joshimathensis yazakii, head, lateral view; c: P. j. yazakii, head, dorsal view; d: P. conisaria, process of 7th sternite, ventral view; e: P. j. yazakii, process of 7th sternite, ventral view; f: P. j. yazakii, process of 7th sternite, lateral view; g: P. conisaria, female, 7th tergite (left, showing rows of modified scales) and 7th sternite with distal process (left side descaled); h: P. joshimathensis, 7th sternite with distal process; i: P. conisaria, female, anterior abdominal segments (left side: sternites with tympanal organs; right side: sternites with supporting sclerites of first phragma; k: P. j. yazakii, abdomen in fluid, 7th segment with distal process (at bottom) and papillae anales with long, curved setae and rows of hooked setae (“Prometopidia-floricomus”).

FIGURE 5. Prometopidia spp., male genitalia. a: Prometopidia conisaria, lectotype (Kashmir; vesica of aedeagus everted); b: P. conisaria, (Uttarakhand; vesica not everted); c: P. conisaria, (Pakistan; vesica not everted, apical region of aedeagus enlarged to show arrangement of cornuti); d: P. conisaria, (Pakistan; vesica everted); e: P. joshimathensis (Uttarakhand; vesica incompletely everted); f: P. j. yazakii (E.Nepal; vesica everted).

FIGURE 6. Prometopidia spp., female genitalia. a: P. conisaria (Pakistan); b: P. conisaria (Punjab); c: P. conisaria (Uttarakhand); d: P. joshimathensis joshimathensis (Punjab); e: P. j. yazakii (E.Nepal); f: P. arenosa (NE Afghanistan).