Chlorochromodes, WARREN, 1896

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 : 762-763

CHLOROCHROMODES WARREN, 1896 A

Chlorochromodes Warren, 1896a [March]: 103. stat. rev. Type species: Chlorochromodes tenera Warren, 1896a , by original designation. India: Khasi Hills.

Comostolodes Warren, 1896b [September]: 308. syn. nov. Type species: Comostolodes albicatena Warren, 1896b , by original designation. India: Khasia Hills.

Hercoloxia Prout, 1916a: 12 . Type species: Hercoloxia chlorochromodes Prout, 1916a , by original designation. Java, Preanger R., G. Kendang, Dradjad.

Adults: Antenna of male bipectinate; outer rami longer than inner rami; filiform in female. Frons smooth-scaled. Labial palpus with third segment in female elongate. Thorax and abdomen without dorsal crests. Hind tibia of male with terminal extension present or not, with four or two spurs.

Wing shape and pattern. Two forms of wing pattern are present in this genus. In Chlorochromodes chlorochromodes , Chlorochromodes tenera , and Chlorochromodes rhodocraspeda , outer margin of forewing is only slightly curved, almost straight; tornal angle almost quadrate; apex of hindwing protruding; forewing with antemedial line straight, oblique outwards; postmedial line composed of small dots, not bordered with red; discal spot distinct on both wings. In Chlorochromodes albicatena and Chlorochromodes dialitha , outer margin of forewing curved; apex of hindwing rounded; antemedial and postmedial lines of forewing composed of dots ringed with red; discal spot only present on hindwing of Ch. dialitha ; forewing costa and outer margin of both wings similar to Linguisaccus and Argyrocosma .

Third sternite of male abdomen with a pair of setal patches; Eighth sternite with posterior margin concave and eighth tergite slightly protruding.

Male genitalia. Uncus vestigial, or bifid terminally but small. Socii very well developed. Valva with a developed hooked costal lobe, or simple but with apex excavate. Vinculum very deeply bifurcate, with lateral branches quite slender, very close to each other. Aedeagus slender, bearing a subposterior spine cluster in Ch. albicatena ; spinose in Ch. chlorochromodes and Ch. tenera ; rounded and expanded at posterior end and spinose in Ch. rhodocraspeda .

Female genitalia. In Ch. dialitha , ostium very large; ductus bursae long and narrow, not distinct from corpus bursae.

Diagnosis: The wing pattern of Ch. albicatena and Ch. dialitha is similar to that of Argyrocosma and Linguisaccus in that the similar marginal area and transverse lines are composed of white, redbordered dots. The male genitalia of Chlorochromodes are distinctive in the tribe Comibaenini in that the vinculum is narrowly bifid, and the lateral branches are extremely slender and long.

Distribution: Oriental region.

Remarks: We agree with Holloway (1996) that Ch. tenera Warren, 1896a and Comostolodes albicatena Warren, 1896b , are congeneric, and therefore also with the synonymic relationship between Chlorochromodes and Comostolodes that he proposed. However, Chlorochromodes was published in March and Comostolodes in September of the same year in the same journal, by the same author. According to the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature (1999), Chlorochromodes should have priority, and we therefore restore it as the senior name.