Comibaena bellula, 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 : 746-747

COMIBAENA BELLULA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 17 , 71 , 121 , 186 )

Description: Antenna in male bipectinate, outer rami longer than inner rami; about terminal one-quarter simple in male; simple filiform in female. Frons and labial palpus black with a few white scales. Vertex black. Tegula pale yellowish-green. Dorsal side of thorax green. A white patch present between metathorax and the first abdominal segment. Abdomen with anterior three segments green, with white dorsal line and white intersegments, other segments possibly whitish, but perhaps discoloured in specimens examined. Hind tibia in male dilated, with hairpencil, terminal extension longer than half length of the first tarsus.

Forewing length: ♂ ♀ 14.5– 16 mm. Wings clear green, with diffuse, white, wavy transverse stripes in all but marginal areas. Forewing costa with a wide grass-green band, slightly tapering towards apex; anteromedial line white, slender, forming a tooth on lower margin of cell; postmedial line close to outer margin, white, slightly curved outwards, folded inwards on CuA 2, then merging with the dark reddish-brown subtornal patch, becoming red or reddish-brown inside the patch; area outside postmedial line from costa to M 3 paler and appearing as an indistinct white patch, white submarginal line visible; terminal line a series of black dots between veins; fringes pale green, terminal half much paler. Hindwing inner margin elongate; apex with a green patch, bordered by a dark brown to black submarginal line, Rs brown inside the patch; submarginal line very close to outer margin, forming a tooth on the end of vein M 3, another bigger tooth on anal fold, background colour visible inside; a pink patch present on tornal angle below the larger tooth; black terminal line linear above M 2, and appearing as a series of dots below it; fringes pinkish, basal part darker, middle part much paler, appearing as two rings, much darker on vein ends of Rs and M 1. Discal spots on both wings small black dots. Underside much paler than upperside, streaks on upperside discernible.

Third sternite in the male with a pair of setal patches; eighth sternite with posterior margin sclerotized, slightly protruding at middle.

Male genitalia. Uncus well divided. Socii broad basally, tapering and hooked apically, with a small blunt process at middle. Costal lobe with terminal part strongly sclerotized, spinose, and pointed, bearing a pointed tooth at middle of the ventral margin. Vinculum widely bifurcate, with the middle part flat, lateral branches tiny and blunt. Aedeagus slender.

Female genitalia. Sterigma strongly sclerotized, posterior margin of lamella postvaginalis with a small rounded concavity; lamella antevaginalis wrinkled, posterior margin sinuous, anterior margin with two tiny protrusions extending dorsally at middle (dark and indistinct in Fig. 186 ).

Diagnosis: Comibaena bellula is quite similar to Comibaena ornataria in wing pattern, but the submarginal line of the hindwing forms a tooth at the middle, which is absent in Comibaena ornataria , and the tornal patch is larger. Comibaena bellula is also similar to Comibaena pictipennis , but the apical and tornal patches, and the middle tooth on the hindwing are much smaller. Comibaena bellula resembles Comibaena parornataria in the similar hindwing apical patch, but differs in the tornal patch and terminal line on the forewing, and the middle tooth and tornal patch on the hindwing. In the male genitalia, Comibaena bellula is also similar to Comibaena ornataria in having the middle part of the vinculum shallowly concave and only very tiny lateral branches. In the female genitalia, the posterior margin of the sterigma is more deeply concave than in Comibaena ornataria .

Holotype, ♂, China: Yunnan: Lijiang, Mountain Vivarium , 3260 m, 20.vi.2009, coll. Qi Feng ( IZCAS) . Paratypes ( IZCAS): China: 8♂, same data as holotype, 15–18, 20.vi.2009, coll. Qi Feng, Han Hongxiang, Xue Dayong and Yang Chao ; 3♂, Yunnan: Lijiang, Wenhai , 3097 m, 19.vi.2009, coll. Yang Chao, Qi Feng, Xue Dayong , IZCAS slide no. Geom-01059; 3♂, Yunnan: Lijiang, Ganheba , 3296 m, 23.vi.2009, coll. Yang Chao, Han Hongxiang ; 2♂, Yunnan: Lijiang, Yushuizhai , 2680 m, 21.vi.2009, coll. Yang Chao ; 5♂, Yunnan: Lijiang Yulongshan , 9, 22, 23.vii., 4.viii.1962, coll. Song Shimei , IZCAS slide no. Geom- 00204; 1♂, Yunnan: Lijiang Yulongshan , 3200 m, 14.vii.1984, coll. Liu Dajun ; 2♂ 2♀, same locality, 2800–2850 m, 11–20.vii.1984, coll. Liu Dajun & Chen Yixin , IZCAS slide no. Geom-00203.

Additional materials examined: China: 2♂, Yunnan: Lijiang Yulongshan , 2800 m, 15, 17.vii.1984, coll. Liu Dajun ( IZCAS) .

Distribution: China (Yunnan).

Etymology: The specific name is from the Latin bellulus, which means small and pretty.

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.