Scopula paraconfusa Kim & Choi

Choi, Sei-Woong & Kim, Sung-Soo, 2016, A checklist of the genus Scopula (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) including description of a new species and three newly recorded species from Korea, Zootaxa 4178 (1), pp. 131-137 : 131-133

Scopula paraconfusa Kim & Choi spec. nov.

( Figs 1 A, 2A, 2B, 2C, 3A)

Material examined. Holotype. Ƌ Mt. Bangtae-san , Bangdong-ri, GN: Inje 1 Ƌ, 17 July. 2011 (KSS). Paratypes . [GW] Mt. Bangtae-san , 1 ♀, 25 July 1994 (KSS) ; Mt. Bangtae-san , Bangdong-ri, GN: Inje 1 ♀, 6 Aug. 2011 (KSS) ; Mt. Baekdeok-san 1 Ƌ, 26 July 1985 (KSS); [GG] Mt. Chukryong-san 1 ♀, 9 July 1997 (KSS); Ƌ Mt. Soyo , GG: Dongducheon-si, 8.Sept. 1996 (JE Ryoo); [CB] Mt. Songni-san 1 Ƌ, 24 June 2014 (KSS); [GB] Uljin 1 Ƌ, 19 Aug. 2009 (KSS); [GN] Mt. Unmun, GN 1 ♀, 5 Sept. 2008 (KSS); Tongyoung-si, GN 1 Ƌ, 13 Aug. 2008 (KSS); Is. Geoje-do, GN: Geoje 2 Ƌ 1 ♀, 25 Aug. 2012 (KSS); Namhae, Aenggang service area 1 Ƌ, 22 sept. 2013 (KSS); [JN] Mt. Jirisan JN: Gurye 1 Ƌ, 29. July 1995 ; Mt. Duryun-san , JN: Haenam 1 ♀, 10. July 2009 (KSS); Is. Oenarodo, JN: Goheung , 1 ♀, 8 June, 2007; Mt. Seungdalsan , JN: Muan 1 Ƌ, 5 Jun. 2006 ( SWC).

Diagnosis. This species is distinguished by a whitish forewing that shows brownish ante- and postmedial lines, a large blackish discal dot and a costally and dorsally blackish subtermen, as well as a whitish hindwing with brownish medial lines and a large black discal dot. This species is externally very similar to Scopula confusa (Butler) , but can be distinguished by the smaller wingspan and two blackish or brownish dots on middle and dorsum of subtermen of the forewing. The male abdomen and genitalia can be distinguished by the short claw-like left and right cerata on the eighth sternite, the long digitate socii, and the spatulate, apically tapered fibula with thumb-like valvula. The short, claw-like cerata on the male abdomen and genitalia are similar to those of S. confusa , but can be distinguished by the long mappa, about twice to cerata. The female genitalia are distinguished by a funnel-shaped lamella antevaginalis with knob-shaped lamella postvaginalis, short ductus bursae and long ovate corpus bursae with two posterior humps and a long patch of spicules. The female genitalia are similar to those of S. confusa , but can be distinguished by the knob-shaped lamella postvaginalis and two posterior humps of corpus bursae.

Description. Wingspan 17–23mm. Male antennae ciliate-fasciculate, cilia almost twice the width of the flagellum; frons broad, covered with dark brownish scales; vertex whitish; labial palpi almost equal to eye diameter, projected beyond frons. Legs whitish with dark brownish scales, hind tibia with a bundle of long whitish hair pencils. Forewing ground color whitish; basal line light brownish, costally strongly projected; antemedial line light brownish, costally projected; discal dot large, blackish; postmedial line light brownish, costally projected; subtermen with two brownish undulating lines, inner line tinged with black or brown dots medially and dorsally; termen with a light brownish undulating line. Hindwing ground color whitish; antemedial line light brown, undulating; discal dot large, black; postmedial line light brown, undulating; subtermen with a relatively thick brown undulating line; termen with a light brown undulating line. Male abdomen and genitalia. Abdominal eighth sternite with large mappa with short, strongly tapered cerata. Socii long, digitate; tegumen triangular; saccus broad, apically rounded; lateral process of anellus short, digitate. Fibulae spatulate, apically tapered; valvula thumb-like, as long as fibulae. Phallus long, slender, distally bent, with one spinular cornutus and one short, linear sclerotized plate.

Female genitalia. Papilla anales simple, rounded; posterior apophyses twice as long as anterior apophyses; lamella antevaginalis funnel-shaped, sclerotized; lamella postvaginalis with a knob-like process; ductus bursae short, sclerotized; corpus bursae long ovate, with a long patch of spicules.

Etymology. Greek, para = nearby; referring to similar species, Scopula confusa .

Distribution. Korea.

Remarks. Since Leech (1898) who first reported the species Scopula confusa in Korea, the species has been known to be distributed in Korea ( Shin 1996). However, the close examination of the specimens in Korea revealed a new species different from S. confusa . The male abdominal sternite consistenly showed the large mappa with short cerata (n=4).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Adults of Scopula in Korea. Scale bar = 10 mm. A. Scopula paraconfusa (Holotype, Mt. Bangtae-san, GW: Inje, 17 Jul. 2011); B. S. butleri (Bijarim, JJ: Seogwipo, 1 Aug. 2002); C. S. disclusaria (Mt. Jungang, GW: Jeongseon, 14. Jun. 2013); D. S. hypochra (Gumsan, GN: Namhae, 14. Jun. 2013).