Problepsis conjunctiva Warren 1893
Creators: name: Xue, Dayong
name: Cui, Le
name: Jiang, Nan
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2018
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Problepsis
Problepsis conjunctiva

description: Problepsis conjunctiva Warren, 1893
Figs 15–17, 42, 43, 63, 64, 84, 101
Problepsis conjunctiva Warren, 1893, Proc. zool. Soc. Lond., 1893 (2): 358. Syntypes ♂, India: Sikkim (NHM). Problepsis conjunctiva subjunctiva Prout, 1917, Novit. zool., 24: 309. Syntypes ♂, China: Hainan, Cheng-Mai (NHM). Syn. nov.
Diagnosis. The species can be distinguished by the following characters: the male antenna is dentate; the vertex is black; the hind tarsus of the male is about one-half the length of the tibia; the ocellus of the forewing is almost rounded, consists of an incomplete silvery inner ring, and two black patches on both sides of CuA1, the ocellus of the hind wing is similar to that of forewing, but drip-like without black patches; a grey band is present between the ocellus of the fore- and hind wing, extending to the anal margin; the postmedial lines of both wings are broad, dark grey and indistinct. In the male genitalia, the fused socii are very broad at basal half, tapered at apical half, and have a pair of lateral small triangular lobes subapcially; the juxta is very broad apically; the vesica has three sclerotized bands and two spine-like cornuti; the eighth sternite of the male is narrow and long, the lateral process are shorter than the central one. In the female genitalia, the lamella postvaginalis and the lamella antevaginalis are fused and cup-like, the posterior margin of the lamella postvaginalis is concaved and has two narrow and long digitiform process; the ductus bursae is sclerotized on posterior two-thirds, and with two spines and a patch of teeth centrally.
Material examined. CHINA: Gansu (IZCAS): 3 ♂ 1♀, Wenxian, VI.–IX.2002, coll. Wang Hongjian; 1 ♂, Wenxian, Qiujiaba, 2200–2300 m, 16–19.VII.2003, coll. Wang Hongjian. Hubei (IZCAS): 2 ♂ 1♀, Xuan’en, Liangxihe, 796 m, 20–22.IX.2015, coll. Zhao Kaidong. Hunan (IZCAS): 1 ♂, Yongshun, Shanmuhe Linchang, 600 m, 2.VIII.1988, coll. Chen Yixin; 1 ♂, Heng Shan, 27.VIII.1979, coll. Zhang Baolin; 1 ♂ 1♀, Mang Shan, 4.VII.1981, 11.VIII.1981; 1 ♂, Zhangjiajie, Wulingyuan, Wenfeng, 350 m, 17.IX.2015, coll. Zhao Kaidong. Fujian (IZCAS): 1 ♂, Jiangle, Longqi Shan, 800 m, 15.IX.1990, coll. Yang bin; 1 ♂ 1♀, Wuyi Shan, 14, 20.IX.1982, coll. Zhang Baolin, IZCAS slide no. Geom-03385, 03386; 1 ♂, Wuyi Shan, Dazhulan, 1150 m, 28.VII.2006, coll. Yang Chao; 1 ♂, Wuyi Shan, Huangxizhou, 500 m, 16.VII.2013, coll. Pan Xiaodan; 1 ♂, Jianyang, Huangkeng, 4.IX.1982, coll. Wang Jiashe; 1 ♂, Jianyang, Huangkeng, Aotou, 26.VIII.1989, coll. Lin Bin. Guangdong (IZCAS): 1 ♂, Shixing, Chebaling, 330 m, 1–2.VIII.2013, coll. Pan Xiaodan; 1 ♂, Shenzhen, Dapeng Bandao, 4 m, 10–13.V.2015, coll. Cheng Rui. Hainan (IZCAS): 1♀, Tongshi, 340 m, 28.V.1973, coll. Chen Yixin; 1 ♂, Lingshui, Diaoluo Shan, 920 m, 3.V.2007, coll. Han Hongxiang, IZCAS slide no. Geom-03387. Yunnan (IZCAS): 1 ♂, Hekou, Xiaonanxi, 200 m, 10.VI.1956, coll. Huang Keren; 1 ♂, Baoshan, Bawan, 1040 m, 8–10.VIII.2007, coll. Xue Dayong; 1 ♂, Baoshan, Baihualing, 1520 m, 11–13.VIII.2007, coll. Wu Chunguang, IZCAS slide no. Geom- 03388; 1♀, Cangyuan, Manglai, 690 m, 30.VII.–1.VIII.2016, coll. Ban Xiaoshuang & Xiang Lanbin. Tibet (IZCAS): 1 ♂, Mêdog, Lagong tea plantation, 1250 m, 15.VIII.2015, coll. Yao Jian; 1 ♂, Mêdog, Jiagagou Bridge, 805 m, 18–19.VI.2016, coll. Li Xinxin.
Distribution. China (Gansu, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian, Taiwan, Guangdong, Hainan, Yunnan, Tibet), India (Sikkim), Myanmar.
Remarks. Problepsis conjunctiva subjunctiva was originally described by Prout (1917). He mentioned the subspecies can be distinguished from the nominate subspecies by the smaller size, the narrower band between the ocellus of the fore- and hind wing, and the less darkly marked underside of the wings. In our study, we found one male specimen from Hainan (Lingshui, Diaoluo Shan, figs 17, 42, 63) well agree with the description of Prout (1917). In addition, we also found one female from Hainan (Tongshen, fig. 16), together with the specimens from Yunnan and Tibet (figs 15, 43, 64), well agree with the description of the nominate subspecies. The specimens from Hunan, Fujian and Guangdong shows transitions between the two subspecies in different extent. The genitalia of the above specimens shows no differences. Therefore, we consider the varied character of subjunctiva as intraspecific individual variations, and treat P. conjunctiva subjunctiva Prout, 1917 as a junior synonym of Problepsis conjunctiva Warren, 1893.
We also found the venation also varies in the species: the forewing of some specimens from Gansu, Hubei, Yunnan and Tibet (about one-third of all examined material) has no areole and R1 is free from R2-5, in contrast, the forewing of the remaining specimens has one areole. However, these specimens do not show any differences on the external charcters and the genitalia.
description: Published as part of Xue, Dayong, Cui, Le & Jiang, Nan, 2018, A review of Problepsis Lederer, 1853 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from China, with description of two new species, pp. 101-127 in Zootaxa 4392 (1) on pages 116-118, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4392.1.5, http://zenodo.org/record/1195157