Argyrocosma, TURNER, 1910

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 : 764-765

ARGYROCOSMA TURNER, 1910

Argyrocosma Turner, 1910: 562 (key), 609. Type species: Euchloris argosticta Turner, 1904 , by original designation. Australia: Queensland, Townsville.

Adults: Antenna of male bipectinate; outer rami longer than inner rami; filiform in female. Frons smooth-scaled. Labial palpus with the third segment in female elongate. Hind tibia of male dilated, with hair-pencil and terminal extension, with two pairs of spurs in both male and female.

Wing shape and pattern. Outer margin of forewing slightly curved, smooth; apex and outer margin of hindwing round. Wings green. Forewing with costa white, bordered with red or brown; antemedial and postmedial lines usually composed of white dots on veins, bordered with red or not; terminal line also composed of similar white dots on veins; sometimes transverse lines indistinct, wings scattered with white dots ( Argyrocosma argosticta , Argyrocosma phrixopa ). Hindwing with terminal line similar to that of forewing. Discal spot on both wings present or not. Underside paler than upperside; occasionally discal spot present; other streaks absent.

Third sternite of male abdomen with a pair of setal patches; eighth segment with posterior margin protruding and concave at middle ( A. phrixopa ), tergite concave and sternite flat in Argyrocosma inductaria .

Male genitalia. Uncus bifid terminally. Socii similar to uncus. Gnathos obsolete. Valva with costa strongly sclerotized, with tooth, small spines, or serrate. Transtilla membranous. Vinculum broadly bifurcate. Coremata very weak. Aedeagus quite small and thin, sclerotized terminally, spinose posteriorly, or spinose and expanded at middle; coecum penis long and narrow.

Female genitalia. Apophyses anteriores and posteriores slender. Ductus bursae long and slender or very short. Corpus bursae small; signum absent.

Diagnosis: The genus Argyrocosma is close to Chlorochromodes in wing pattern in that the antemedial and postmedial lines (particularly the postmedial line) are composed of small dots on veins. However, in the male genitalia, the vinculum of Argyrocosma is more widely concave than that of Chlorochromodes . The aedeagi of A. inductaria and Argyrocosma consobrina are medially expanded and spinose, differing in this respect from most other genera in the tribe Comibaenini , and similar only to Comibaena nigromacularia .

Biological notes: Holloway (1996) stated that the larva of A. inductaria lives in the flowers of the host plant ( Anacardiaceae : Buchanania ); its body is light, dull, fawnish green, suffused darker dorsally and laterally, and with a subdorsal white line; the larva is rugose with many small conical spines; subdorsal and dorsolateral tubercles are present on each segment; the spiracles are small but prominent, reddish-brown; the pupa is in a light cocoon that contains detritus, usually amongst the flower panicles.

Distribution: Oriental region and Australian tropical area.

ARGYROCOSMA INDUCTARIA ( GUENÉE, 1858)

( FIGS 50 , 103 , 151 , 206 )

Phodoresma inductaria Guenée, 1858: 370 . Holotype ♀, Borneo : Sarawak. (BMNH)

Eucrostis smaragdus Hampson, 1891: 28 , 110, pl. 151, figure 15. Syntype (s) ♂, India: Nilgiri district , north slopes. (BMNH)

Comibaena inductaria: Inoue, 1992: 121 .

Argyrocosma inductaria: Holloway, 1996: 247 , figures 253, 264, pl. 8.

Diagnosis: This species is almost identical to Argyrocosma consobrina (Borneo, Java, and Australia) in wing pattern, with the antemedial and postmedial lines composed of three white, red-bordered dots. In the male genitalia, the space between the two protrusions of the vinculum is much wider in A. inductaria ; the aedeagus is also more expanded at the centre in A. inductaria . In the female genitalia, the antrum is bell-mouthed and slightly sclerotized; the lamella antevaginalis is quadrate, far from the ostium; the ductus bursae is slender; and the corpus bursae is very weak.

Type material examined: Indonesia: holotype, ♀ , Sarawak, Ex. Musaeo, Ach. Guenée, Ex. Oberthür Coll. Brit. Mus. 1927-3 ( BMNH); 1♂, one syntype of Eucrostis smaragdus, Nilgiris , north slopes, 3500 ft, Hampson Coll. 89–129, BMNH slide no. 8616 ( BMNH) .

Additional material examined: China: 8♂ 8♀, southern China, March , May to July, November ( IZCAS) ; Sri Lanka: 1♂ ( BMNH) ; Malaysia: 1♂ , Sarawak, September ( BMNH) .

Distribution: China ( Taiwan, Hainan, Yunnan), India, Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia.

Remarks: Holloway (1996) stated that A. inductaria differs from A. consobrina in the costal ornamentation of the male valve, which consists of a single, rather distal, basally directed spine in A. inductaria , whereas in A. consobrina there are up to three spines that are more centrally placed, and dorsally directed. The specimens from Hainan [IZCAS slide no. Geom- 00488 and 1055 ( Fig. 103 )] have more developed costal ornamentation than the Bornean population ( Holloway, 1996: fig. 253), but nevertheless still less developed than in A. consobrina ( Holloway, 1996: fig. 252). It seems therefore that the costal ornamentation in A. inductaria is variable between different populations.

Species not occurring in China

Argyrocosma argosticta ( Turner, 1904) [specimen(s)]

Euchloris argosticta Turner, 1904: 220 . ( Australia: Queensland)

Argyrocosma consobrina ( Warren, 1897a) [specimen(s); male genitalia photograph, Holloway (1996: fig. 252)]

Comostolodes consobrina Warren, 1897a: 210 . ( Australia: Queensland)

Argyrocosma phrixopa ( Meyrick, 1897) [specimen(s); male genitalia]

Thalassodes phrixopa Meyrick, 1897: 73 . (Lesser Sunda Islands)

Prasinocyma albipunctata Warren, 1897b: 390 . (Lesser Sunda Islands)

Argyrocosma strepens Prout, 1932a [specimen(s); male genitalia, female genitalia photograph, Holloway (1996: fig. 260)]

Argyrocosma phrixopa strepens Prout, 1932a: 46 , pl. 11, figure 7. (Borneo)

Figures

Figures 27–54. Comibaenini moths. 27, Comibaena nigromacularia; 28, Comibaena subdelicata; 29, Comibaena procumbaria; 30, Comibaena subprocumbaria; 31, Comibaena tenuisaria; 32, Comibaena cenocraspis; 33, Comibaena hypolampes; 34, Comibaena latilinea; 35, Comibaena swanni; 36, Comibaena birectilinea sp. nov., holotype; 37, Microbaena pulchra minor; 38, Thetidia albocostaria; 39, Thetidia correspondens; 40, Thetidia atyche; 41, Thetidia chlorophyllaria, 42, holotype of Thetidia pekingensis; 43–44, Thetidia kansuensis, 43, from Gansu, 44, from Tibet; 45, Thetidia smaragdaria; 46, Proteuchloris neriaria; 47, Linguisaccus subhyalina; 48, Linguisaccus minor sp. nov., paratype; 49, Chlorochromodes rhodocraspeda sp. nov., holotype; 50, Argyrocosma inductaria; 51, Protuliocnemis castalaria; 52, Protuliocnemis falcipennis; 53, Protuliocnemis candida sp. nov., paratype; 54, Protuliocnemis dissimilis sp. nov., paratype. Scale bar = 13 mm.

Figures 103–107. Male genitalia. 103, Argyrocosma inductaria; 104, Protuliocnemis castalaria; 105, Protuliocnemis falcipennis; 106, Protuliocnemis candida; 107, Protuliocnemis dissimilis. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figures 132–155. Aedeagus. 132, Comibaena subdelicata; 133, Comibaena procumbaria; 134, Comibaena subprocumbaria; 135, Comibaena tenuisaria; 136, Comibaena cenocraspis; 137, Comibaena hypolampes; 138, Comibaena latilinea; 139, Comibaena swanni; 140, Comibaena birectilinea; 141, Microbaena pulchra; 142, Thetidia albocostaria; 143, Thetidia atyche; 144, Thetidia chlorophyllaria; 145, Thetidia kansuensis; 146, Thetidia smaragdaria; 147, Proteuchloris neriaria; 148, Linguisaccus subhyalina; 149, Linguisaccus minor; 150, Chlorochromodes rhodocraspeda; 151, Argyrocosma inductaria; 152, Protuliocnemis castalaria; 153, Protuliocnemis falcipennis; 154, Protuliocnemis candida; 155, Protuliocnemis dissimilis. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figures 200–210. Female genitalia. 200, Thetidia chlorophyllaria; 201, Thetidia smaragdaria; 202, Proteuchloris neriaria; 203, Linguisaccus subhyalina; 204, Linguisaccus minor; 205, Chlorochromodes rhodocraspeda; 206, Argyrocosma inductaria; 207, Protuliocnemis castalaria; 208, Protuliocnemis falcipennis; 209, Protuliocnemis candida; 210, Protuliocnemis dissimilis. Scale bars = 1 mm.