Comibaena parornataria, Han & Galsworthy & Xue, 2012

Han, Hongxiang, Galsworthy, Anthony C. & Xue, Dayong, 2012, The Comibaenini of China (Geometridae: Geometrinae), with a review of the tribe, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 165 (4), pp. 723-772 : 745-746

COMIBAENA PARORNATARIA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 16 , 70 , 120 , 185 )

Description: Antenna in male bipectinate for about basal two-thirds, filiform terminally. Frons white, mixed with a few brown scales. Labial palpus blackishbrown, elongate in female, second and third segments densely scaled. Vertex white. Tegula green, sub-basally paler corresponding with costal area of forewing. Dorsal side of thorax green, metathorax white. Dorsal side of abdomen green, with white intersegments, and white dorsal line. Hind tibia in male dilated, with hair-pencil, terminal extension more than half length of first tarsus.

Forewing length: ♂ 13–14 mm, ♀ 16 mm. Wings green, diffusely scattered with a few weak, short, white transverse stripes. Forewing with costal area a dull pale greenish band, darker on costal margin, tapering towards apex; antemedial line white, weak, oblique, forming a small tooth on lower margin of cell; postmedial line white, distinct, narrower towards tornus, slightly concave around M 2, turning inwards at right angles below CuA 2 and connected with a narrow, dark brown tornal patch; not bounded externally by white area; submarginal line absent; fringes green, distal half paler. Hindwing with a green-centred brown to reddish-brown patch on apex, vein Rs dark brown; submarginal line running parallel to terminal line, only visible on inner margin of apical patch; a small, reddish-brown tornal patch present; terminal line black, almost linear above M 2, but becoming small dots between veins below M 2; fringes reddish-brown, terminal half paler. Discal spots on both wings black, small. Underside paler than upperside.

Third sternite in male with a pair of setal patches; eighth sternite of male with posterior margin sclerotized.

Male genitalia. Uncus well divided. Socii longer than uncus, with basal two-thirds broad, terminal one-third tapering and hooked. Costal lobe with terminal part spinose, very sharply pointed, ventral margin with an acute tooth at middle, with a blunt sclerotized process basally. Vinculum developed, widely bifurcate, lateral branches broad and blunt, area between two branches flat. Aedeagus slender, spinose.

Female genitalia. Sterigma large, rounded, and solid, with posterior margin slightly concave and spinulose. Ductus bursae tapering. Corpus bursae small and weak, signum absent.

Diagnosis: Very close to Comibaena ornataria , but the forewing postmedial line is much closer to the outer margin, and is bent much further inwards near CuA 2. The forewing tornal patch stretches less far from the dorsum. The diffuse white area outside the postmedial line is absent in Comibaena parornataria , but present in Comibaena ornataria . In addition, the terminal line on the forewing is composed of small dots between veins in Comibaena ornataria , but absent in Comibaena parornataria ; the forewing antemedial line of Comibaena parornataria is indistinct, whereas distinct in Comibaena ornataria . In the male genitalia, Comibaena parornataria is distinctive in that the branches of the vinculum are very broad compared to other known allied species (with the exception of Yazaki, 2000: fig. 1249 for Comibaena pictipennis , which bears remarkably broad branches on the vinculum), and are identical in two examined preparations. The female genitalia are close to those of Comibaena pictipennis , but the sterigma is much larger and the ductus bursae is much broader posteriorly.

Holotype ♂, China: Tibet: Nyingchi, Bayi , 2999 m, 3.viii.2006, coll. Lang Songyun ( IZCAS) . Paratypes ( IZCAS): China: 2♂, same data as holotype ; 5♂, Tibet: Nyingchi, Bayi , v.1990, coll. Deji Meiduo , IZCAS slide no. Geom-00712, Geom-01061; 6♂, same locality, 2999 m, 1–3.viii.2006, coll. Lang Songyun ; 1♂, Tibet: Mainling, Paixiang , 2883 m, 4–6.viii.2006, coll. Lang Songyun ; 1♂ 1♀, Tibet: Mêdog, Lage , 3213 m, 7–8.viii.2006, coll. Lang Songyun (IZCAS slide no. Geom-01397 for female).

Distribution: China (Tibet).

Etymology: A combination of the Greek prefix para - and the specific name ornataria , indicating that this species is similar to Comibaena ornataria .

Figures

Figures 1–26. Comibaenini moths. 1, Comibaena quadrinotata; 2, Comibaena fuscidorsata; 3, Comibaena cassidara; 4, Comibaena attenuata; 5, Comibaena biplaga; 6, Comibaena apicipicta; 7, Comibaena striataria; 8, Comibaena delineata; 9, Comibaena dubernardi; 10, Comibaena ornataria; 11–15, Comibaena pictipennis; 11, from Darjeeling; 12, syntype of Comibaena pictipennis superornataria; 13, from Tengchong, Yunnan; 14, from Baoshan, Yunnan; 15, from Nanchuan, Sichuan; 16, Comibaena parornataria sp. nov., holotype; 17, Comibaena bellula sp. nov., holotype; 18, Comibaena decora sp. nov., holotype; 19, Comibaena auromaculata sp. nov., holotype; 20, Comibaena tibetensis sp. nov., holotype; 21, Comibaena tancrei; 22, Comibaena sheni sp. nov., holotype; 23, Comibaena argentataria; 24, Comibaena signifera subargentaria; 25, Comibaena takasago; 26, Comibaena flavicans. Scale bar = 13 mm.

Figures 67–78. Male genitalia. 67–69, Comibaena pictipennis. 67, from Dahaoping, Tengchong, Yunnan; 68, from Nyingchi, Tibet; 69, from Qingchengshan, Sichuan; 70, Comibaena parornataria; 71, Comibaena bellula; 72, Comibaena decora; 73, Comibaena auromaculata; 74, Comibaena tibetensis; 75, Comibaena tancrei; 76, Comibaena sheni; 77, Comibaena argentataria; 78, Comibaena signifera subargentaria. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figures 108–131. Aedeagus. 108, Comibaena quadrinotata; 109, Comibaena fuscidorsata; 110, Comibaena cassidara; 111, Comibaena attenuata; 112, Comibaena biplaga; 113, Comibaena apicipicta; 114, Comibaena striataria; 115, Comibaena delineata; 116, Comibaena dubernardi; 117, Comibaena ornataria; 118–119, Comibaena pictipennis; 118, from Tengchong, Yunnan; 119, from Nyingchi; 120, Comibaena parornataria; 121, Comibaena bellula; 122, Comibaena decora; 123, Comibaena auromaculata; 124, Comibaena tibetensis; 125, Comibaena tancrei; 126, Comibaena sheni; 127, Comibaena argentataria; 128, Comibaena signifera subargentaria; 129, Comibaena takasago; 130, Comibaena flavicans; 131, Comibaena nigromacularia. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figures 176–187. Female genitalia. 176, Comibaena quadrinotata; 177, Comibaena cassidara; 178, Comibaena attenuata; 179, Comibaena biplaga; 180, Comibaena striataria; 181, Comibaena delineata; 182, Comibaena dubernardi; 183, Comibaena ornataria; 184, Comibaena pictipennis; 185, Comibaena parornataria; 186, Comibaena bellula; 187, Comibaena tancrei. Scale bars = 1 mm.