Eupithecia florianii, Mironov & Šumpich, 2022

Mironov, Vladimir & Šumpich, Jan, 2022, New species of the genus Eupithecia (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) from China Part IX, Zootaxa 5219 (3), pp. 276-286 : 279-280

Eupithecia florianii sp. n.

( Figs 3 , 9 , 24 )

Type material: Holotype, ♀, China, W. Yunnan, Salween valley mt., 2000 m, Luzhangzhen vill., 30 km Nord Liukuzhen, 25°58ʹ15ʺ N, 98°47ʹ40ʺ E, 16.xi.2017, A. Floriani leg. Gen. prep. J. Procházka 20169; Photo J. Šumpich 22/126 ( NMPC).

Diagnosis. We cannot attribute this species to any group. The holotype is worn, but the elongate discal dot and the narrow hind wings with a concave termen give it a distinctive appearance. The female genitalia are rather similar to those of Eupithecia amicula Mironov & Galsworthy, 2004 , but can be distinguished by the position and shape of the spines in the bursa copulatrix and also by the shape of the eighth tergite. The genitalia are very distinctive and could not be confused with genitalia of any other Asian species of the genus.

Description. Adult. ( Figs 3 , 9 ). Female. Wingspan 17.5 mm, fore wing 10.0 mm. Head and notum covered with ochreous scales. Fore wing elongate, costal margin almost straight, apex narrowly rounded. Ground colour pale brownish grey; transverse lines not visible, except for traces of five dark costal blotches; discal dot black, narrow and elongate. Hind wing paler, with shallowly concave termen in the middle and narrowly rounded apex; terminal area darker than rest of wing; discal dot narrow and elongate. Fringe missing on all wings.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 24 ). Bursa copulatrix with a large, membranous, spineless diverticulum near base. The other basal part has a row of large, stout spines and a sclerotized area; posterior ½ of corpus bursae covered with numerous small spines. Ductus bursae short, membranous, narrowed posteriorly. Colliculum not expressed. Antrum narrow, elongate, membranous. Tergite A8 rectangular, narrow and elongate. Anterior and posterior apophyses relatively narrow, elongate. Papillae anales rather short, narrow, apically rounded.

Male. Unknown.

Bionomy. Host plant unknown. The holotype was collected by light in mid-November at an elevation of 2000 m.

Distribution. China. Known from Yunnan province.

Etymology. This species is named in honour of the Italian lepidopterologist Alessandro Floriani (Milan, Italy) who collected the holotype of this species and many other Chinese moths.

Note. The single type specimen is very worn.

Figures

FIGURES 1–6. Eupithecia adults, China (scale bar = 10 mm). 1. E. remissata sp. n. Holotype; 2. E. fericlava sp. n. Holotype; 3. E. florianii sp. n. Holotype; 4. E. concostivexa sp. n. Holotype; 5. E. voraria sp. n. Holotype; 6. E. khama sp. n. Holotype.

FIGURES 7–12. Heads of Eupithecia species, China, holotypes. 7. E. remissata sp. n.; 8. E. fericlava sp. n.; 9. E. florianii sp. n.; 10. E. concostivexa sp. n.; 11. E. voraria sp. n.; 12. E. khama sp. n.

FIGURES 22–26. Female genitalia of Eupithecia species (scale bar = 1mm). 22. E. remissata sp. n.; 23. E. fericlava sp. n.; 24. E. florianii sp. n.; 25. E. concostivexa sp. n.; 26. E. khama sp. n.; a—frontal view; b—view from a different angle; c—output of ductus seminalis of the same genitalia preparation.