Chlororithra fea Butler 1889

Chlororithra fea Butler, 1889

Figs. 1–5

Chlororithra fea Butler, 1889, Illust. typical Specimens Lepid. Heterocera Colln Br. Mus. 7: 22, 106, pl. 136, fig. 9. Lectotype male (BMNH), [India]: Kangra district, Dharmsala. Here designated.

Geometra fea: Hampson, 1895, Fauna Br. India (Moths) 3: 497.

Redescription

Head: Antennae in male bipectinate to three­fouths, ciliate apically; with shaft pale brown and pectinations dark brown. Frons dull yellow, middle width about 3/5 horizontal diameter of compound eye. Vertex pale brown. Labial palpus with all the segments whitish on both outer and inner surfaces; segment I and II rough­scaled, segment III smooth and elongate in female compared to male, exposed. Tegula whitish intermixed with yellow green.

Thorax: Dorsum whitish intermixed with pale yellow green; venter white. Length of forewing (base to apex) 16–17 mm in both male and female. Lines white, edged with darkgreen line or patch, which forming patches on costa. Subbasal line wavy; antemedial line wavy, edged with dark­green outward; postmedial line serrated, edged with dark­green inward; antemedial and postmedial lines approaching to each other towards inner margin; submarginal line fairly wavy, extending inwards along veins, connected with postmedial line and forming oval patches between these two lines, accompanying dark­green patch on both sides; terminal line forming white, round patch between veins. Discal spot darkgreen, slender and bent, extending to costa. Fringe white between veins and grey­green on veins. Hindwing with streaks quite similar to forewing. Usually with dark­green patch near apex much darker, looks like black­brown patch (when black­brown patch on underside discernable). Underside: whitish, pale to dark, hindwing much paler than forewing; streaks on upperside visible; generally the row of patches between postmedial and submarginal lines much stronger on forewing. Usually apex of hindwing with distinct black­brown patch (while this patch on upperside also discernable, but a little weaker) except for the specimens from Burma.

Abdomen: Dorsum and upper lateral side yellow­green with white intersegment; venter and lower lateral side whitish. Male genitalia (Figs. 9–13) with uncus long and narrow, rod­like, usually bent, sclerotized. Socii similar in length and shape to uncus, setose, slightly to moderately broader than uncus. Gnathos with slender, rod­like median process bearing a short pointed tooth subapically. Valva with costal lobe broad, well sclerotized, expanded subapically, and with apex rounded to pointed, spinose, extending from remainder of valva, bearing a finger­like, spinulose, sclerotized process near base. Sacculus sclerotized, unmodified. Transtilla a pair of membranous processes. Juxta sclerotized, arc­liked. Anellus a pair of sclerotized slender processes extending posteriorly, connected to gnathos by membrane. Saccus not protruding. Coremata present, weakly to strongly developed. Aedeagus long and narrow, with posterior half well sclerotized and spinulate; cornuti absent. Sternite 3 of abdomen with a pair of setal patches. Segment 8 (Fig. 21) modified, sternite narrow, deeply depressed, with its inner margin smooth and curved, posterior margin with lateral sides blunt and spinulose; tergite much broader than sternite, almost roundly depressed, lateral blunt process sclerotized. Female genitalia (Fig. 14) with apophyses posteriores about 4 times of apophyses anteriores in length. Sternite 7 partly sclerotized, with a pair of lateral sclerotized processes posteriorally, process triangular and pointed. Ostium slightly sclerotized. Ductus bursae long, more narrow anteriorally, about one and a half times of corpus bursae in length. Corpus bursae oval, membranous; signum absent.

Biology

Larvae feed on Quercus alba and have a resting posture that is similar to a flower of the tree (Prout, 1935). Adults are active from April to September. According to label data, the species ranges from 1800–2600 m above mean sea level.

Material examined

BHUTAN: Pankasari­Hill, Brit. Buthan, 9/57, ex coll. R. Oberthür, 1 female (ZFMK). BURMA: Mt. Victoria, Pakokku Chin Hills, 2600 m. 2–31.v.1938 (G. Heinrich), Brit.Mus.1938­689, 3 males (BMNH); W. Myanmar, Chin State Ca. 1.5 km, W. Hakha, 22°38’N, 93°36’E, 2260 m, 23–24.v. 2001, leg. S. Naumann, 1 male (ZFMK). CHINA: Gansu Diebuanzigou, 2005. VII.12, 2100 m, 1 female (IZCAS); Sichuan Dukou, 1981. VI.4, leg. Zhang Baolin, 1 male (IZCAS); Xizang Zhangmukoan, 1981. VI.6 (abdomen missing), 1 male (IZCAS); Tsekou, P. Dubernard, 1898, Ex. Oberthür Coll. Brit. Mus. 1927­3 (one labeled: Chlororithra fea Butler var. missioniaria Oberthür) (originally as syntypes of missioniaria), 2 males (BMNH), 1900 (originally as syntype of missioniaria), 1 male (BMNH); Chine [China], Yunnan, Tsetchong, Près, Weisi, R.P. Ouvrard, Ex. Oberthür Coll. Brit. Mus. 1927­3, 1 male (BMNH); Tsékou, 1900, R.P. J. Dubernard (other labels: yellow label: missionaria Obthr. Type, abgebildet Seitz IV. Suppl. fig.; Chlororithra fea Butler, var. missioniaria Obthr. male) (originally as syntype of missioniaria), 1 male (ZFMK); [Yunnan], Tsekou, 1900, R.P. Dubernard (originally as syntype of missioniaria), 1 male (ZFMK), R.P. Dubernard, 1895 (originally as syntypes of missioniaria), 2 males (ZFMK); Westchina, 9/57, excoll. R. Oberthür, 1 male (ZFMK). INDIA: Kangra district, Dharmsala, lectotype male (BMNH), 87.59 (664), larva on Quercus alba (other labels: Pseudasthena fea Butler, male, type; red type label), 1 male (BMNH); paralectotype, ibidem (other labels: Pseudasthena fea Butler, female, type; red type label), 1 female (BMNH); paralectotypes?, ibidem (other label: Pseudasthena fea Butler), 2 males (BMNH); Khasis, Sept. 1896, Nat. Coll, Rothschild Bequest, B.M.1939­ 1, 1 male (BMNH), April 1897, Nat. Coll. Rothschild Bequest, B.M.1939­1, 1 male (BMNH); Inde Anglaise Pedong, Région de Darjeeling, Chasseurs indigènes, 1934, 1 female (ZFMK); Inde Anglaise Pedong, District de Darjeeling, Chasseurs indigènes, 1931, 1 female (ZFMK); Khasis, Nat. Coll., Davidson Coll. B.M.1925­574, 1 male (ZFMK). NEPAL: Kathmandu Valley, Godavari, Phulchoki, 2150 m, 10.5.1989, leg. Schnitzler, Museum A. Koenig Eing. Nr. 89/244, 1 male (ZFMK). PAKISTAN: Murree, 92–98, Harford, Coll. 1887, 1 male, 1 female (BMNH); ibidem, 1900, 1 female (BMNH); Kashmir Himalays Mts., 30 km N. Murree, near Nathia Ghali Ayubia Vill, 2600 m, 20.vi.2000, leg. Varga & Ronkay, 1 male (ZFMK). SIKKIM: Gopaldhara, Mirik (H. Stevens), Rothschild Bequest, B.M.1939­1, 1 male, 1 female (BMNH); Indien Sikkim, Peneryangtao, 2000 m, 20–27.viii.1988, leg. W. Thoman, Museum A. Koenig Eing. Nr. 90/263, 1 female (ZFMK); Indien Sikkim, vic Pelling, 1800 m, 27.VIII.1988, leg. W. Thomas, Museum A. Koenig Eing. Nr. 90/263, 1 male (ZFMK).

Remarks

A lectotype is designated in order to provide nomenclatural stability to this taxon. The hindwing of this species usually bears a black­brown patch on the underside that is discernable on the upperside, except in specimens from Burma (Fig. 3) (in one specimen the patch is visible only on the underside and in another it is absent on both sides). In specimens from Burma, the apex of the valva in the male genitalia is rounded and the coremata are very weak; in specimens from Dharmsala (Fig.10), Sikkim (Fig. 11), and Tsetchong (Yunnan, China) (Fig. 12) the apex is much more pointed and coremata are well developed. In specimens from Dharmsala and Tsetchong the costal basal process is much broader than in specimens from elsewhere. Owing to subtle differences in the genitalia, specimens from Burma may represent a distinct species; however, the examination of more material, especially females, is necessary before such a conclusion can be drawn.