Scopula anfractata Sihvonen, sp. n.
Creators: name: Pasi Sihvonen
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2005
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Scopula
Scopula anfractata

description: Scopula anfractata Sihvonen sp. n.
Figs. 1–4, 9–11, 15–17
Type material. Holotype: Male, labeled: ” Holotype [red rectangle label]; Li­kiang. [= Lijiang, = Dayan, 26°48’N 100° 16’E] (China). x [= 2800m, according to a letter from H. Höne to E. Wehrli, dating 28.10.1934, in coll. ZFMK] / Provinz Nord­Yuennan / 28.3.1935. H. Höne; Heterolocha m / (Phylletis) / monbeigi Obrhr. / (Boarmiinae!) / det. H. Reisser, Wien; Genitalia prep. m / No. 918 / Pasi Sihvonen.” Paratypes: Female, labeled: ” Paratype [red rectangle label]; Li­kiang. [=Lijiang, = Dayan, 26°48’N 100° 16’E] (China) [blank = 3200–3500m, according to a letter from H. Höne to E. Wehrli, dating 28.10.1934, in coll. ZFMK] / Provinz Nord­Yuennan. / 12.5.1935. H. Höne; Genitalia prep. f / No. 919 / Pasi Sihvonen.” Male, labeled: ” Paratype [red rectangle label]; Li­kiang [=Lijiang, = Dayan, 26°48’N 100° 16’E] (China) x [= 2800m, according to a letter from H. Höne to E. Wehrli, dating 28.10.1934, in coll. ZFMK] / Provinz Nord­Yuennan / 22.3.1935. H. Höne.” All specimens in the collection of ZFMK.
Diagnosis. Scopula anfractata is externally similar to Loxaspilates obliquaria (Moore) and L. arrizanaria Bastelberger (Ennomiinae), figured in Yazaki (1994) and Prout (1934–39), respectively. The transverse posterior line of the forewing is spotted in S. anfractata, but absent, or if present, solid in L. obliquaria and L. arrizanaria; and the median shade is brown in S. anfractata, red­brown in L. obliquaria and L. arrizanaria. Within Scopula, S. anfractata is most similar to S. dubernardi (Oberthür), but the transverse posterior line is spotted in S. anfractata and solid in S. dubernardi; the forewing margin is slightly concave in S. anfractata, straight or convex in most specimens of S. dubernardi; and the frons is white in S. anfractata, brown with black scales in S. dubernardi (Figs. 1–8). The socii of the male genitalia are large, long, and acute in S. anfractata, but small, short, and blunt in S. dubernardi; the valvuli are soft and blunt in S. anfractata, chitinized and acute in S. dubernardi; and the sacculi are large and asymmetrical in S. anfractata, and vestigial in S. dubernardi (Figs. 9–14). In S. anfractata the vesica of the aedeagus opens distally and is concave and tubular in shape; in S. dubernardi the vesica opens laterally (Figs. 10, 13). The cerata of the male 8th sternite are straight and the right arm is shorter than left in S. anfractata, while in S. dubernardi the right ceras is longer and curved inwards (Figs. 11, 14). The lamella antevaginalis is a wide, elongated plate in S. anfractata and vestigial in S. dubernardi (Figs. 15–18).
Description. Wing expanse: male 33–35 mm; female 27 mm. Females smaller with transverse median line sharper. Head: Labial palpi with erect, appressed scales, white, except basal part brown. Proboscis long. Front, interantennal ridge and scape smoothscaled, white. Collar light brown. Antennae coloured above light, mixed with dark brown scales. Male antennae fasciculate; female antennae filiform. Thorax: With appressed scales, together with hair scales in patagia, thorax beige to beige­white, sparsely mixed with brown scales. Legs beige, sparsely mixed with brown; fore­ and midleg femur and tibia dark brown cephally; male hind tibia slightly compressed, without terminal spurs, female hind tibia with 2 + 2 spurs. Wings beige, slightly scattered with brown scales, more pronounced towards forewing costa (Figs. 1–4); all lines darker than ground colour; transverse anterior line of forewing weakly developed, visible in hind margin only; all other lines of forewing slightly concave; median transverse line widest, suffuse; transverse posterior line narrow, with distinct dark spots; subterminal and adterminal lines suffuse, brown; terminal line weakly developed, distinct black spots between vein endings; fringes beige, distal margin dark brown; discal spots small, round, distinct; lines continued on hind wings except transverse anterior line; transverse median and transverse subterminal lines most pronounced; transverse posterior line narrow, with distinct dark spots; wings coloured below as above, but more heavily suffused with brown scales. Abdomen. Beige, sparsely mixed with brown scales, concolorous with thorax and wings. Tympanal organs FIGURES 15–17. Female genitalia of Scopula anfractata Sihvonen. 15, genitalia; 16, signum; 17, lamella antevaginalis and 7th sternite (all from slide PS919, paratype). Figures not to scale.
large, cavi tympani nearly touching each other medially; ansa narrow at base, widening above, tip hammer­headed; medial pouch between cavi tympani small, round, with smooth surface, absent in female. Sternites 3–7 of male weakly sclerotized; sternite 8 with anterior margin medially elongated; cerata straight, unequal in length, right longer, both with few apical setae; mappa small, posterior margin slightly concave medially (Fig. 14); tergites 1– 2 of male undifferentiated, 3–8 with posterior margin medially elongated. Female sclerites undifferentiated.
Male genitalia (Fig. 9): Socii separate, long,
weakly setose, slightly curved ventrally near apex.
Posterior margin of tegumen between socii medi­
ally slightly elongate, tegumen sclerotised. Valvula
symmetrical, soft, setose, blunt ending, few spines
on distal end. Sacculus asymmetrical, blunt end­
ing, ventral area of base with setae; left slightly
turned medially; right forked, ventral arm short,
dorsal arm concave and turned medially. Ventral
margin of juxta narrow, sclerotised; lateral arms of
juxta long, symmetrical, widening above base,
round ending. Lateral arms of transtilla sclerotised,
straight; anterior margin narrow, slightly elongated
medially. Vinculum large, about half the lenght of
genitalia, margin evenly round. Coremata arise
from base of sacculi. Aedeagus (Fig. 10) not dors­
oventrally flattened, bent ventrolaterally at ante­
rior opening of ductus ejaculatorius; caecum
elongated, rounded apically; apex on dorsal side
medially slightly elongated. Vesica (Fig. 10) open­
ing ventrally, with large concave tubular divertic­
ula on both lateral sides, slightly folded; aedeagus
and vesica together T­shaped; right diverticulum
(when viewed dorsally) turning slightly dorsally,
round, blunt ending, round plate­shaped sclerotiza­ FIGURE 18. Female genitalia of Scoption at distal end; left diverticulum straight, blunt ula dubernardi (Oberthür) (slide ending, with round plate­shaped sclerotization at PS916).
distal end ventrally, additional diverticulum dorsally; ductus ejaculatorius opening from distal end of left diverticulum, base slightly sclerotised.
Female genitalia (Figs. 15–17): Papillae anales rounded, fused dorsally, covered with distally projected setae, surface with weak longitudinal grooves. Apophyses posteriores and apophyses anteriores straight except cephalad end turned dorsally. Lamella postvaginalis a narrow, weakly sclerotized plate; lamella antevaginalis a large, rectangular plate; sternite 7 sclerotized, forming a medially pointed ridge (Fig. 17). Ostium bursae in 7th sternite, laterally widened, concealed by lamella antevaginalis; colliculum concave, weakly thickened laterally; ductus bursae short, narrow, membraneous; ductus seminalis opening from caudal end of corpus bursae; corpus bursae a rounded, elongated sac; signum large, spines separate, pointing away from center (Fig. 16).
Distribution and biology. The species is known only from the type locality of Dayan (Lijiang) in northern part of Yunnan province, China. Elevation of the type locality is approximately 2800 m. The biology of S. anfractata is unknown.
Etymology. The specific name refers to the bent shape of the vesica.
description: Published as part of Pasi Sihvonen, 2005, Scopula anfractata sp. n., a new geometrid moth from Yunnan, China (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Sterrhinae), pp. 1-8 in Zootaxa 943 on pages 2-7, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.171175