Oenochroma vinaria Guenée, 1858

Hausmann, Axel, Hebert, Paul D. N., Mitchell, Andrew, Rougerie, Rodolphe, Sommerer, Manfred, Edwards, Ted & Young, Catherine J., 2009, Revision of the Australian Oenochroma vinaria Guenée, 1858 species-complex (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Oenochrominae): DNA barcoding reveals cryptic diversity and assesses status of type specimen without dissection, Zootaxa 2239, pp. 1-21 : 18-19

Oenochroma vinaria Guenée, 1858 , redefined

Oenochroma vinaria Guenée, 1858 : in Boisduval & Guenée, Hist. nat. Insectes (Spec. gén. Lépid.) 9: 185, pl. 7, fig. 2. Syntypes 231Ƥ (MNHN), lectotype Ƥ designated by Viette (1950) using the term ‘type’ (cf art. 74.5, Code ICZN 1999), Nouvelle Hollande [ Australia], Barcode no. BC-MNHN 0 0 0 7 ( Figs 4, 5 ). One further paralectotype, mentioned in Viette (1950) as ‘paratype’, could not be traced in MNHN and may be lost or destroyed.

Monoctenia decora Walker, 1869 : Charact. Undescr. Lepid. Heterocera: 76 ( Australia, not exactly specified, but very likely ‘Victoria’ (TE)). Syntype (s) Ƥ (MVMA). At MVMA only one syntype could be traced, which is designated herewith as lectotype (cf. Figs 6, 7 ), in accordance with Article 74.7.3 of the Code (ICZN), in order to define the herewith presented synonymy. Synonymization with true vinaria (cf. McQuillan & Edwards 1996, Scoble 1999) is supported by the straight postmedial line of the forewing, and structure of genitalia (examination by CY).

Redescription. Wingspan 40–50 mm. Habitus and external characters ( Figs. 4 , 6 ) very close to Oenochroma barcodificata . Ground colour variable, usually wine-red, sometimes brown or sand colour. Postmedial fascia of the forewing straight, often with a continuous dark proximal border. Dark suffusion of ground colour and blackish dotting of forewing costa usually reduced. Tasmanian populations of Oenochroma vinaria are characterised by a darker ground colour than in the nominotypical continental populations. It is worth noting that the figure in Boisduval & Guenée is too drab and not enough rosy as Guenée himself asserts in the original description. 3 genitalia ( Fig. 9 ): Uncus slightly longer and narrower than in Oenochroma barcodificata . Valvae broader. Process of left valva slightly larger. Right valva without the two spines arising from the edge subapically but with vestigial spinules on the inner surface of valva. Tip of aedeagus narrower than in Oenochroma barcodificata . Sclerite of vesica much smaller. Ƥ genitalia ( Fig. 11 ): Differing from those of Oenochroma barcodificata in the strong sclerotisation of corpus bursae at the junction with the ductus bursae. Anterior and posterior dilatations of corpus bursae less pronounced.

Distribution. Tasmania and mainland Australia, widely distributed from Murchison River in West Australia through South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales to the Atherton Tableland in northern Queensland.

Biology. Larvae of ‘ O. vinaria ’ are recorded as feeding on various species of the Proteaceae genera Hakea , Grevillea and Banksia ( McFarland 1988. Herbison-Evans & Crossley 2006; T. Edwards pers. obs.), for details see McFarland (1988). All these data refer to populations outside the known range of the sister species O. barcodificata , and for material from the host-plant genera Hakea , and Grevillea species identity as O. vinaria could be verified definitely (T. Edwards).

Remarks. Both McFarland (1988) and Herbison-Evans & Crossley (2006) highlight the large variability of larvae in colouration and even in shape e.g., length of fleshy dorsal appendages on segment A3. Further research is needed to examine if this variation refers to the presence of different taxa also in South Australia and Victoria.

The following illustrations in the literature refer to true O. vinaria after re-examination: McFarland (1988: 157), Common (1990: pl. 10, fig. 12; pl. 26, fig. 10), Coupar & Coupar (1992: 48), Zborowski & Edwards (2007: 143), Daley (2007: 194), Richardson (2008: 19), Willan (2008).

Unipectinate antennae, although rare in the Geometridae , are characteristic of Proteaceae-feeding oenochromines ( Scoble & Edwards 1990). Oenochroma vinaria , O. barcodificata and other Oenochrominae s. str. possess two wing venational characters usually present in Geometrinae : R separate from Rs and anastomosing with Sc for a short distance in the forewing and R2–5 stalked in the forewing ( Young 2006b). Also, the ansa is similar to the geometrine type i.e., narrow at the base, widening mesally and again tapering apically, and is not the more typical tapering ansal morphology characteristic of Oenochrominae s. l. ( Cook & Scoble 1992). As in the Geometrinae , the caecum of the aedeagus is long, slender and tapered and cornuti are reduced, tending not to be discrete rods and spines ( Young 2006b). Similar aedeagus characteristics are found in the Australian oenochromine s. str. Monoctenia falernaria Guenée, 1858 ( Young 2006b). This apparently close relationship between the Oenochrominae s. str. and the Geometrinae is also supported by molecular data ( Young 2006b, Yamamoto & Sota 2007). The mature larva of O. barcodificata was exceptional among other geometrids examined in a study of Australian Geometridae by Young (2006b) by possessing trisetose SV setae on A1. The bifurcate cremastral spines, punctation, dorsal and lateral grooves and mesothoracic spiracles described in O. barcodificata here were also noted in the oenochromines Arhodia lasiocamparia, Guenée, 1858 , Monoctenia falernaria Guenée, 1858 , M. smerintharia Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875 , Dinophalus drakei ( Prout, 1910) , Hypographa Guenée, 1858 , Parepisparis lutosaria (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875) and Phallaria ophiusaria Guenée, 1858 ( McFarland 1988) .

Figures

FIGURES 9. Male genitalia. Oenochroma vinaria, Tasmania (genitalia from slide TMAG F 4720; aedeagus from gen. prp. ZSM G 13969) (photo CY / AH). Scale bars 2 mm.

FIGURES 4, 5. Oenochroma vinaria, Ƥ lectotype of Guenée (photos RR / AM). 4: dorsal view. 5: labels (photos AM, RR). Scale bar 2 cm.

FIGURES 6, 7. Oenochroma vinaria, Ƥ lectotype of Monoctenia decora Wlk. 6: dorsal view. 7: labels (photos Peter Marriott and Peter Lilywhite, MVMA, Melbourne, Australia).

FIGURES 10, 11. Female genitalia. 10: Oenochroma barcodificata sp. nov., Tasmania (paratype, DNA barcode LOTSA 125 - 06 / 06 - TASA- 00125) (photo CY). 11: Oenochroma vinaria, South Australia (gen. prp. ZSM G 13864) (photo AH). Scale bars 2 mm.