Visiana morobensis Schmidt

Schmidt, Olga, 2013, Review of the species of Visiana Swinhoe from the Papua New Guinea region (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Larentiinae), Zootaxa 3693 (2), pp. 189-199 : 197-198

Visiana morobensis Schmidt sp. nov.

( Figs 2 , 10 , 24, 25)

Type Material. Papua New Guinea. Holotype male, Morobe district, Edie Creek, 2134 m, 18.–22.ix.1964, M.E. Bacchus, B.M. 1965-120 (BMNH).

Description. Labial palpi dark brown, with some pale ochreous and fuscous scales especially towards the apex. Legs pale ochreous to brown, without distinct rings of lighter scales. Wing expanse 35 mm (n = 1). Forewings above pale ochreous to brown, with median band distinct, light brown to brown, edged with several wavy brown lines, with traces of whitish scales outwards, with a medial, not prominent, tooth-like projection outwards, with a distinct, black, oval discal dot, underneath ochreous-brown, with pale ochreous, brown and pinkish scales, with several wavy, brown median lines, forming a faint, rounded medial projection outwards, with a medium sized blackish discal dot. Hind wings above brown at base, similar to V. variovinosa but somewhat lighter, with wavy, alternative, brown and pale-ochreous lines in the basal half, with almost indistinct, whitish, wavy medial line, underneath coloured and patterned similar to forewings, but with median lines hardly distinct, with small brownish dots along veins medially, with a discal dot slightly broader than in V. v a r io v in os a ( Figs 2 , 10 ). Male genitalia (Figs 24, 25). Uncus larger than in V. variovinosa , shaped like a slightly elongated triangle, with apex sharp; tegumen short, without distinct lateral prominences at base of uncus, with lateral arms slightly longer than in V. v a r i o v i n o s a, directed towards the juxta; valvae similar to V. ranensis , but slightly broader medially, with costa less curved, sclerotised, with medium-sized, slightly curved, tapering projecting apical process, with rather indistinct, flat subapical prominence and with medium-sized rather straight basal projection; saccus medium-sized, triangular shaped, somewhat narrowed, slightly longer than in V. v a r i o v i n o s a; juxta with medium-sized (slightly shorter than in V. v a r i o v i n o s a), apically flat lateral papillae; aedeagus straight, slightly longer than in V. variovinosa , with anellus covered with spines, without cornuti but with a large patch of distinct scobination in vesica. Female unknown.

Diagnosis. Forewings above pale ochreous to brown, with median band distinct, more reddish than in other species, with basal band lighter. Uncus larger than in V. v a r i o v i n o s a, shaped like a slightly elongated triangle, tegumen without distinct lateral prominences at base of uncus, valval costa with finger-shaped subapical prominence less distinct than in V. variovinosa and similar to V. ranensis but not as broad and prominent, aedeagus relatively thin, without cornuti but with a large patch of distinct scobination in vesica which is a distinguishing character.

Distribution. Papua New Guinea (Morobe province).

Etymology. The species name refers to the type locality (Morobe district).

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 8. Visiana spp., wings above: 1. V. variovinosa, male, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Kumusi River; 2. V. morobensis, male, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Morobe district; 3. V. r a n e n s i s, male, Moluccas, Buru, Rana; 4. V. grandivinosa, female, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, New Britain, Mt Sinewit; 5. V. v i n o s a, male, Papua New Guinea, Upper Mambaré River; 6. V. ho r i st a, female, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Bougainville Island; 7. V. hyperctenista, male, Bismarck Archipelago, Vulcan Island; 8. V. hyperctenista, female, Bismarck Archipelago, Vulcan Island.

FIGURES 9 – 15. Visiana spp., wings underneath: 9. V. v i n o s a, male, Papua New Guinea, Upper Mambaré River; 10. V. morobensis, male, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Morobe district; 11. V. ranensis, male, Moluccas, Buru, Rana; 12. V. variovinosa, male, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Kumusi River; 13. V. hyperctenista, male, Bismarck Archipelago, Vulcan Island; 14. V. horista, female, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, Bougainville Island; 15. V. grandivinosa, female, sp. nov., Papua New Guinea, New Britain, Mt Sinewit.