Scopula vojnitsi Inoue

Beljaev, Eugene A., 2006, Descriptions of a new species of Idaea Treitschke and the female of Scopula vojnitsi Inoue (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Sterrhinae) from the Russian Far East, Zootaxa 1364, pp. 51-57 : 55-56

Scopula vojnitsi Inoue

( Fig. 3 )

Scopula vojnitsi Inoue, 1992 : Insecta Koreana, 9, 105–107, figs. A, B, C. Holotype (Hungarian Natural History Museum, Budapest) — male, Korea (North), South Hwanghae Prov., Songhwa.

Description. Female. Wingspan 20–21 mm. Labial palpi moderate in size, extended slightly beyond frons, covered with brown appressed scales; third segment very short. Proboscis well developed. Frons black, vertex brownish-white with series of dark-brown scales posteriorly, basal segments of antenna brownish-white, simple, flagellum filiform. Occiput brown, patagia, thorax, tegulae, and wings pale rose-brown with sparse blackish scales, abdomen brown with pale brown scales along posterior margin of segments. Wings wide, with outer margin rounded. Forewing with subterminal transverse line visible, sinuous; postmedial line distinct, almost straight, slightly sinuous, angled inward beyond the vein M1; medial line wide, diffused, almost straight, oblique; antemedial line distinct, gently arched. Terminal line represented by a series of bright black dots between ends of veins. Fringe concolorous with wing in basal 2/3, whitish in distal 1/3. Discal spot distinct, large. Hindwing as forewing, but postmedial line not curved inward anteriorly, antemedial line absent. Frenulum well developed, consisting of numerous long setae in moderately dense tuft. Hind tibia longer than tarsus, with 2 pairs of long spurs.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 7 ). Anterior apophyses conspicuously shorter than posterior apophyses. Ventral side of eighth abdominal segment simple, membranous, anteriorly with transverse narrow, ribbonlike sclerotization, moderately arched posterad at middle. Antrum sclerotized, funnel-shaped, simple, moderate in size. Ductus bursae short, narrow, membranous. Corpus bursae ovate, finely scobinate; signum broad, covering most of ventral side of corpus bursae, with broad median indentation; spinules small, sparse.

Material examined. 2 Ψ: Russia, Far East, Primorsk Territory, Barabash-Levada, 44°45'55" N, 131°25'12"15 E, 17.viii.1989 (E. Beljaev leg.).

Distribution. Russian Far East (Southwest) (new record), Korea (North) ( Fig. 8 ). The species probably is distributed in northern and northeastern China.

Habitat. In the Russian Far East specimens were collected at light near stony southern slopes in an oak-pine community ( Quercus mongolica , Pinus densiflora ).

Biology. Probably univoltine. Flight period: mid August–mid September.

Remarks. This species was described from 3 males from the type locality. Two females were collected in the Far East of Russia, 900 km northeast of the type locality. The females conform well with the original description and the photograph of the holotype; they differ only by the more rounded outer margin of the wings.

This species could be included in the " rubiginata species-group" of Hausmann (2004) (IV group of Scopula following Sterneck, 1941) based on the following characters: vertex brownish, proboscis developed, socii distant from eachother, sacculus (fibula) short and broad, and base of sternum A8 concave. The possession of a terminal spine on the valva may be an synapomorphy for the rubiginata species-group (the species-group and the character not treated in Sihvonen, 2005). However Scopula vojnitsi has the palpi shorter and not bushy (in female); the terminal spine of the valva is minute; the socii are very short and reminiscent those in Oar Prout and Cinglis Guenée (in their consideration as separate genera following Hausmann, 2004); sternum A8 is similar to that in Cinglis in possessing a vestigial left ceras and long, distally dilated right ceras. Sacculi are unique, needlelike and pointed. Females possess a signum with a broad median indentation, which also is unusual for Scopula . Scopula vojnitsi is possibly an early diverged and specialized species in the rubiginata species-group.

Figures

FIGURE 8. Distribution of Idaea khankaensis sp. n. (rings) and Scopula vojnitsi Inoue (squares): black symbol — type locality; white symbol — other collection localities.

FIGURES 1 – 3. Adults. 1 – 2, Idaea khankaensis sp. n.: 1, male; 2, female; 3, Scopula vojnitsi Inoue, female.

FIGURES 4 – 7. Genitalia. 4 – 6, Idaea khankaensis sp. n.: 4, male genitalia, ventral view; 5, aedeagus, lateral view; 6, female genitalia; 7, Scopula vojnitsi Inoue, female genitalia.