Eupithecia prochazkai, Mironov & Šumpich, 2022

Mironov, Vladimir & Šumpich, Jan, 2022, New species of the genus Eupithecia (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) from China. Part VII, Zootaxa 5154 (3), pp. 289-304 : 290

Eupithecia prochazkai sp. n.

( Figs 1–4 , 20 , 28 , 37 )

Type material: Holotype, ♂, China, NW. Yunnan, Nu Jiang valley, Road Lushui / Gulang , 25°58,15ʺ N, 98°47,40 ʺ E, 4.iii.2019, H— 2000 m, leg. A. Saldaitis. Gen. prep. J. Procházka 20045, Photo J. Šumpich 21404 ( NMPC) . Paratypes 5 ♂, 2 ♀, same data as holotype , 3 ♂, 1 ♀, same locality and collector but date 10.iii.2019. Gen. prep. J. Procházka 20154 (♂) and 20044 (♀), Photo J. Šumpich 21406, 21405 and 21410 ( NMPC) .

Diagnosis. This species belongs to the fletcherata species-group ( Bolte 1990) on the basis of the structure of the male and female genitalia. It is externally most similar to the female of Chinese species E. amandae Galsworthy & Mironov, 2011 ( Mironov & Galsworthy 2014). The male and female genitalia of this new species are very characteristic. The combination of the shape of the valves, the cornuti on the vesica and the shape of eighth sternite in the male, and the shape of the bursa copulatrix and unique disposition of the spines in the bursa in the female distinguish E. prochazkai sp. n. from all other allied species.

Description. Adults. ( Figs 1–4 , 20 ). Male and female. A relatively small, broad-winged species, wingspan 16.5-17.0 mm, fore wing 9.5 mm. Head and notum covered with yellowish scales. Fore wing elongate, rather narrow; costal margin slightly bowed; apex narrowly rounded. Ground colour pale brownish grey; transverse lines not well visible but marked by blackish costal blotches: elongate basal, antemedial, medial and postmedial lines; costa in apical part brown; terminal area blackish with two brown blotches, medial and subtornal, and tornal white spot; discal dot black, narrow, ovoid-acuminate; terminal line narrow, brown, interrupted by veins. Hind wing ovoid, pale grey, with traces of dark transverse lines along anal margin; terminal line as on forewing; discal dot well visible, narrow, elongate, and paler than on the forewing. Fringe chequered with brownish and pale dirty whitish.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 28 ). Uncus narrow, elongate, biapical. Valve broadened at the middle; dorsal margin straight; ventral margin with prominent sclerotized process in the middle, slightly asymmetrical on left and right valvae; apex of valve rounded; sacculus heavily sclerotized from base of valve to process. Vinculum rather short, semicircular. Papillae on anterior arms of labides elongate, narrow, covered with normal-sized setae. Aedeagus short, thick, stout. Vesica multiply granulate, armed with two stout, horn-like apical cornuti, one of which is curved near apex, and with one folded, irregular cornutus near ductus ejaculatorius base. Sternite A8 peg-like, elongate, broadened basally, with two short, blunt, sclerotized apical horns; basal hollow broad and shallow.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 37 ). Bursa copulatrix almost pouch-like, sclerotized, about 2/3 covered with spines in posterior part; anterior end of bursae blunt; in the middle of one side there is a broad, sclerotized diverticulum with a patch of large and heavily sclerotized spines at the base. Colliculum membranous. Antrum short and broad. Tergite A8 square. Anterior and posterior apophyses rather narrow. Papillae anales slightly elongate, narrowly rounded at apices, covered with long setae.

Bionomy. Host plant unknown. Type material was collected by light in early March at an elevation of 2000 m ( Fig. 42 ).

Distribution. China. Known only from Yunnan province.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of the Czech lepidopterist Ing. Josef Procházka (Nižbor, Czech Republic) who was interested in Geometridae and built a large collection of Palaearctic species.

Figures

FIGURES 1–7. Eupithecia adults, China (scale bar = 10 mm). 1–4. E. prochazkai sp. n. 1. Holotype. 2–4. Paratypes; 5–6. E. anickae sp. n. 5. Holotype. 6. Paratype; 7. E. divertenta sp. n. (holotype).

FIGURES 20–27. Heads of Eupithecia species, China, holotypes. 20. E. prochazkai sp. n.; 21. E. anickae sp. n.; 22. E. divertenta sp. n.; 23. E. saldaitisi sp. n.; 24. E. ludificata sp. n.; 25. E. butvilai sp. n.; 26. E. ursina sp. n.; 27. E. nesciaria sp. n.

FIGURES 28–31. Male genitalia and sternite A8 of Eupithecia species (scale bar = 1 mm; detail of uncus enlarged). 28. E. prochazkai sp. n. (holotype); 29. E. divertenta sp. n. (holotype); 30. E. saldaitisi sp. n. (holotype); 31. E. ludificata sp. n. (holotype).

FIGURES 37–41. Female genitalia of Eupithecia species (scale bar = 1mm). 37. E. prochazkai sp. n. (paratype); 38. E. anickae sp. n. (holotype). 39. E. oxycedrata (Rambur, 1833); 40. E. phulchokiana Herbulot, 1984. 41. E. pannosa Mironov & Galsworthy, 2008.

FIGURES 42–49. Habitats of newly described Eupithecia species, China. 42. Yunnan, Nu Jiang valley, 9.iii.2019, locality of E. prochazkai sp. n.; 43. Yunnan, surroundings of Yongseng, 11.v.2018, locality of E. anickae sp. n.; 44. Sichuan, surroundings of Derge, 15.viii.2009, locality of E. divertenta sp. n.; 45. Gansu, near surroundings of Xiahe, 4.x.2013, locality of E. saldaitisi sp. n.; 46–47. Sichuan, surroundings of Maniganggo, 16.viii.2009, locality of E. ludificata sp. n. and E. nesciaria sp. n.; 48. Yunnan, surroundings of Gongshan, 2.vii.2008, locality of E. butvilai sp. n.; 49. Sichuan, surroundings of Batang, 19.ix.2019, locality of E. ursina sp. n.