Sciadia septaria ( Guenée, 1858 ), Guenee, 1858

Huemer, Peter & Hausmann, Axel, 2009, A new expanded revision of the European high mountain Sciadia tenebraria species group (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), Zootaxa 2117, pp. 1-30 : 20-21

Sciadia septaria ( Guenée, 1858) ( Figs 17–20 , 37 , 45 )

Dasydia septaria Guenée, 1858: 316 .

Material examined. France: 1 ɗ, Pic du Midi, 2700–3000 m, 24.vii.1950, leg. le Charles ( ZSM); 1 ɗ, Hautes-Pyrénées, Gèdre ( ZFMK); 7 ɗ, 1 Ψ, same data ( ZSM); 1 Ψ, same data, but vii.1896, leg. Rondou ( ZFMK); 1 Ψ, same data, but vii.1910, leg. Rondou ( ZSM); 1 ɗ, Hautes-Pyrénées, Lac de Gaube à Gavarnie, 31.vii. –1.viii.1916, leg. Powell & Oberthür ( ZFMK); 5 ɗ, 2 Ψ, Hautes-Pyrénées, vii.1927, leg. Wagner ( ZSM); 2 ɗ, Hautes-Pyrénées, coll. Staudinger ( ZSM). Spain: 1 ɗ, Panticosa, 3000 m, 20.vii.1928 ( ZFMK).

Diagnosis. This species is easily recognized by the almost unicolorous dark brown wings of the male with hardly contrasted medial fascia and with at most scarcely visible narrow whitish lines on the underside of the wings. The greyish-brown rather than dark brown female is distinctly smaller than the male and exceptionally brachypterous within the S. tenebraria species group. The male genitalia differ from those of S. tenebraria by the extremely short and pointed ventral juxta lobes and by the complete absence of an additional cornutus, otherwise only observed in populations from Switzerland. The female genitalia are particularly characterized by the small antrum, the wrinkled and membranous posterior part of the corpus bursae and the absence of a signum.

Description. Adult ( Figs. 17–20 ). Wingspan ɗ 27–29 mm; Ψ 22–23 mm; apex of forewing distinctly rounded in Ψ; ground colour of wings dark brown in ɗ, lighter greyish-brown in Ψ; without gloss, discal spots well developed on upperside of wings, hardly discernible on underside. Forewing upperside with hardly contrasting medial fascia, edged by narrow and faint whitish antemedial and postmedial lines; distal and proximal areas of forewing scarcely lighter. Hindwing upperside with faint whitish postmedial line. Forewing and hindwing undersides with hardly discernible subterminal line, curved towards costa, proximal area concolourous with terminal area in male, lightened in female. Male genitalia ( Fig. 37 ). Uncus moderately slender, rounded; costa of valva without distinct hump; ventral juxta lobes short, apically distinctly pointed; dorsal juxta lobes rather small; saccus rather short; vesica with about one dozen mainly moderately long and stout spine-like cornuti; additional cornutus absent. Female genitalia ( Fig. 45 ). Antrum comparatively small, funnel-shaped and strongly sclerotized, posterioventral margin emarginated, lateral sclerotized margins reverted dorsally; posterior part of corpus bursae membranous, wrinkled, overlapping anterior part of antrum; dorsal part and anterior half of corpus bursae membranous; signum absent.

Distribution. Known from the French and Spanish Pyrenees, but also recorded from Andorra ( Dantart and Roche 1992).

Remarks. Dasydia septaria was described from a single male specimen from the collection of Bellier without indication to the type-locality ( Guenée 1858). The holotype is now deposited in ZFMK and we have been able to examine colour photographs of it.

Figures

FIGURES 17 – 24. Adults of the Sciadia tenebraria species group. 17 – 18, S. septaria (Guenée), ♂; 19 – 20, ditto, Ψ; 21 – 22, \ (Herrich-Schäffer), ♂; 23 – 24, ditto, Ψ; (left upper side, right underside).

FIGURES 37 – 40. Male genitalia of the Sciadia tenebraria species group. 37, S. septaria (Guenée), slide G 1442; 38, S. innuptaria (Herrich-Schäffer), slide G 1413; 39, S. slovenica Leraut, slide G 1414; 40, S. dolomitica sp. nov., holotype, slide G 1415.

FIGURES 45 – 48. Female genitalia of the Sciadia tenebraria species group. 45, S. septaria (Guenée), slide G 1451; 46, S. innuptaria (Herrich-Schäffer), slide G 1436; 47, S. slovenica Leraut, slide G 1428; 48, S. dolomitica sp. nov., paratype, slide G 1434.