Comibaena decora, 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 : 747

COMIBAENA DECORA SP. NOV. ( FIGS 18 , 72 , 122 )

Description (male): Antenna in male with basal threequarters bipectinate, terminal one-quarter ciliate. Frons and labial palpus pink. Vertex white. Dorsal sides of thorax and abdomen discoloured. Hind tibia in male dilated, with hair-pencil, terminal extension longer than half length of the first tarsus.

Forewing length: ♂ 13.5 mm. Wings green. Forewing: a pale yellowish-green band along costa; white antemedial line slightly convex; white postmedial line curved, slightly concave from M 1 to M 3; pink tornal patch rounded; terminal line reduced to two small black dots near tornal angle, indistinct elsewhere; fringes pale green. Terminal area of hindwing a yellowish band, bordered with pink; veins interior to band pink; inner margin of band, i.e. submarginal line, originating at about terminal one-third of costa, extending obliquely outwards to M 1, then slightly convexly outwards to M 2, and very convex outwards between M 3 and CuA 2, bending inwards again along CuA 2, then turning at a right angle to meet inner margin at about two thirds; fringes yellowish, mixed with pink on vein ends. Both wings with small black discal spots.

Third sternite in male with a pair of setal patches. Eighth sternite of male with posterior margin well sclerotized.

Male genitalia. Uncus horn-shaped. Socii tapering, strongly bent. Valva small, apex blunt, with a small subapical sclerite at centre; costal lobe very large, basal two-thirds swollen, terminal one-third a long horn-like process. Vinculum deeply bifurcate, with two blunt branches. Aedeagus needle-like, terminal one-third spinose.

Female unknown.

Diagnosis: In wing pattern, Comibaena decora is unique in Comibaena in the yellowish terminal band on the hindwing with pink veins inside the band, and the characteristic shape of the submarginal line. In the male genitalia it is distinctive in having a very developed terminal process on the costal lobe, and in the absence of a ventral process near the middle.

Holotype, ♂, Henan: Nanyang, Baotianman , 11.vi.2006, coll. Shen Xiaocheng, Sun Hao, and Zhao Huadong ( IZCAS) . Paratypes: 1♂, Gansu: Zhouqu, Shatan Linchang , 2400 m, 14.vii.1999, coll. Yao Jian, IZCAS slide no. Geom-01060 ( IZCAS) ; 1♂, Chasseurs indigènes de Tâ-tsien-lou, Récolle de 1910 ( ZFMK) .

Distribution: China (Henan, Gansu, Sichuan).

Etymology: The specific name is from the Latin word decorus, which means beautiful.

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.