Cyphoedma Matson 2024, n. gen.
Creators: name: Matson, Tanner Alex
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2024
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Cyphoedma

description: Cyphoedma Matson, n. gen.
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 22432483-C4F8-483A-9CE5-6411ACEDAA65
Type species: Cimicodes transvolutata Walker, 1860: 40; by original designation.
Diagnosis. The wing shape and pattern of Cyphoedma are similar to some members of Cimicodes Guenée, Acrotomodes Warren, and Polla Herrich-Schäffer (Pitkin, 2002). However, it should be noted that while Cyphoedma and Cimicodes appear to be sister genera, Polla and Acrotomodes are not closely related (Brehm et al., 2019) and the resemblance in wing shape is likely fortuitous or a result of convergent evolution on appearing to be a dead leaf to a foraging predator. One distinguishing feature of Cyphoedma is the presence of silvery-white, arcing, transverse medial line on the hindwing, which connects with the antemedial line of the forewing. In contrast, this line is either absent, straight, or does not traverse the entire wing in the other aforementioned genera. In Cyphoedma, the male valve appears unmodified, i.e., lacking significant processes or ridges. However, the valvae of Polla and Acrotomodes are divided and possess prominent processes, while the valve of Cimicodes features a large, sclerotized region with a spinose or setose ridge (Pitkin, 2002). In females, the absence of a signum further separates Cyphoedma from Polla. When at rest (Fig. 1), the forewing costal margin of Cyphoedma is often perpendicular to the body axis. The recognition of Cyphoedma as a distinct genus among related or visually similar genera is also supported by the mito-nuclear phylogenetic results of Murillo-Ramos et al. (2019) and Brehm et al. (2019).
Male description (Figs. 2 a-b, 2e-f, 2i-j, 3). Forewing length 20–25 mm. Head: Antenna filiform, brown scales above. Vertex dark brown with lighter brown scales near scape. Frons mostly dark brown, but with lighter brown scales medially; ventral margin white. Labial palpus porrect, slightly longer than diameter of eye, cream to white on inner surface, and variably brown and white on outer surface. Proboscis well developed. Chaetosemata well separated. Thorax: Patagium mostly gray. Tegula brown. Mesothorax brown above, white below. Foreleg with large epiphysis; tibial spur formula 0–2–4; hindtibia swollen, bearing plume of long androconia folded into longitudinal groove on inner surface (when not deployed). Legs often whiter on internal surface and variably banded or speckled with yellow and dark brown on external surface; hind leg generally less speckled. Forewing: Predominantly brown with slightly falcate apex speckled with white and yellow. Costal and subapical areas given toward mustard-brown; costa often with frosty highlights. Curved, transverse silvery-white antemedial and postmedial lines. Dark brown medial transverse line through frosted central part of wing. Small black discal spot. Irregular, central, light brown patch distad to postmedial line. Subterminal area sometimes with jagged silvery-white line, especially toward apex. Outer margin with silvery-white highlight. Underside pale brown to white in proximal half; transitioning to dark brown in distal half. Fringe brown.Hindwing: Concolorous with forewing, but more frosted in basal half; bearing arcing, medial, transverse silvery-white line that joins with antemedial line of forewing. Small black discal spot present. Subterminal area sometimes with small, lighter brown flecks. Outer margin with silvery-white highlight. Underside pale brown to white in proximal two-thirds; transitioning to dark brown in distal third. Fringe brown. Abdomen: Dark brown above, pale white to cream below. Third sternite with comb of setae. Male Genitalia: (Fig. 3): Uncus short and tapered toward apex. Valva without processes. Juxta plate-like and not strongly sclerotized. Vesica with two separate fields of small dentate cornuti on adjacent diverticula. Female description (Figs. 2 c-d, 2g-h, 2k-l, 4). Forewing length 23–26 mm. Head: As in male. Thorax: As in male; though lacking hindtibial androconia.Forewing: As in male, but often with lighter brown ground color and less pronounced central light brown patch distad to postmedial line above. Underside brown to tan in proximal half; transitioning to darker brown in distal half. Hindwing: As in male, but underside brown to tan in proximal half and transitioning to darker brown in distal half (less contrasted than male). Abdomen: As in male but lacking third sternite comb of setae. Female Genitalia:(Fig.4): Papillae anales rounded; posterior apophysis 2.5–3x longer than anterior apophysis. Ductus bursae more heavily sclerotized at junction with corpus bursae. Corpus bursae pyriform with lightly wrinkled surface; signum absent.
description: Published as part of Matson, Tanner Alex, 2024, Cyphoedma n. gen. now described after a century of use, with the addition of a new species from Central America (Geometridae, Ennominae), pp. 1-7 in Revista Brasileira de Entomologia (e 20230088) (e 20230088) 68 (1) on page 2, DOI: 10.1590/1806-9665-RBENT-2023-0088, http://zenodo.org/record/10665223