Calcyopa Stüning, 2000

Calcyopa Stüning, 2000 View in CoL

Calcyopa Stüning, 2000 View in CoL , Moths of Nepal, Part 6. Tinea Vol. 16 (Suppl. 1): 134. Type species: Boarmia (Calichodes) difoveata Wehrli, 1943 View in CoL .

Generic characters.

Small ennomine geometrid moths with forewing length 11–14 mm. Ground color light to dark grey or brown, with distinct black antemedial and postmedial lines on both wings. Head. Male antennae fasciculate, with two pairs of shortly conical, sclerotized, ciliate projections latero-ventrally on each segment. Cilia curved ventrad, 3–4 times longer (depending on species) than diameter of flagellomeres. Female antennae with cilia much shorter, the sclerotized projections absent. Vertex covered with lamellar scales. Frons smooth-scaled, not protruding. Labial palpi slightly extending beyond frons, basally with long scales. Proboscis rather short. Chaetosemata present, near eye margin. Thorax. Patagia and tegulae densely covered with somewhat longer lamellar scales, distal end of tegulae with a few long hair-scales. Legs slender, index of spurs 0-2 - 4, hind tibia not dilated, without scent brush (= hair-pencil of authors) in males. Forewings moderately elongate, apex angled, termen smoothly curved, with a double fovea in males. Antemedial and postmedial lines conspicuous on both wings. Postmedial line on forewing curved outward between M 1 and M 3, with the extent of curvature varying among species; outside postmedial line between veins M 3 and CuA 1 or even CuA 2 with a dark, round, oval or squarish patch (absent in C. rosearia only) and a faint, square pale patch outside the strongly dentate submarginal line (absent in C. rosearia ). Marginal line consisting of small, black dots in the middle between veins, alternating with groups of dark fringe-scales. Hindwing with apex rounded, termen minutely concave between vein-ends, marginal dots rather lunulate. Tornus without distinct spot (elongate black spot present near tornus in C. prasina and C. subprasina ) Postmedial line straighter than on forewing. Discal dot distinct, visible on both wings, but larger on forewing. Underside with pattern paler. Venation (Fig. 1 View Figure 1 ). R 1 and R 2 coincident (distal branch of R 1 reduced, only R 2 reaching costa closer to apex), the base of the combined veins running closely parallel to vein Sc and the stem of R 3-5. (R 1) + R 2 and the stalk of R 3-5 both arising from the same position, shortly before anterior angle of cell. M 2 from the middle of the discoidal vein. CuA 1 from shortly before posterior angle of cell. Hindwing: Sc + R 1 running closely parallel to upper vein of cell for a short distance; Rs arising widely before anterior angle of cell; M 2 absent, represented by a fold; CuA 1 from shortly before posterior angle of cell; 3 A absent. Folds through cells of both wings and those replacing CuP in forewings and M 2 in hindwings very vague. Pregenital abdomen. Tympanal organs of moderate size, without lacinia. Sterno-tympanal process and setal comb on third sternite absent. Lateral coremata on the posterior portion of the third segment only present in C. difoveata and C. hainana (very small and easily brushed off during abdominal preparation). Seventh segment strongly modified, short, sternite membranous, with a pair of external corematous lobes, both laterally with a dense row of fine setae; anterior invaginated coremata, with intersegmental opening between segments 6 and 7 absent (not “ weak, scarcely invaginated ” as described in Stüning (2000) for C. difoveata ) in all difoveata - group species (present in rosearia - group species).

Male genitalia. Uncus deeply divided, stout, triangular, apically straight, slightly curved ventrad in species of the difoveata - group (elongate, more deeply divided, distally slender, apical part strongly bent ventrad in rosearia - group species). Gnathos with broad, flattened lateral arms, central part strong, thorn-shaped, elongate, slightly curved, pointed in difoveata - group species (central part delicate, spine-shaped in rosearia - group species). Juxta small, basally a rounded plate, extended into a narrow arm distally, slightly cup-shaped and laterally bifurcate at apex. Valvae acutely triangular. Basal costal arm free, standing obliquely upright towards the upper valva margin, apically dilated, with long bristles. Saccular process stick-like, spined at apex only ( C. difoveata ) or without spines ( C. hainana and C. fansipana ) (spined over half or more of its length in rosearia - group species). Aedeagus short and stout, apically with a long, acutely triangular, sclerotized process, shaft distally with short spines or groups of strong teeth, vesica with a small row of cornuti or a round diverticulum covered with numerous spicules in difoveata - group species (aedeagus smaller, narrower, without distal extension and without teeth on shaft and vesica without cornuti in rosearia - group species).

Female genitalia. Ovipositor short, papillae anales rounded, scarcely setose. Needle-like sclerotization between their bases present. Anterior apophyses short, about ½ length of posterior apophyses. Lamella postvaginalis a rounded, rather small plate in difoveata - group species (a large, sclerotized plate with a wide rounded incision anteriorly in rosearia - group species). Introitus small, sclerotized; posterior part of bursa sclerotized, scobinate inside; anterior part of bursa swollen, broader than posterior part, signum consisting of 6 to 8 chains of small dentate projections in difoveata - group species (bursa short, rounded, signum built of dentate projections arranged to small chains or distributed over larger areas of the bursa surface in rosearia - group species).

Diagnosis.

The genus Calcyopa currently comprises a total of six species, including the newly described species presented in this study. These species can be distinctly divided into two groups, mainly based on the genitalia (both male and female) characters and the abdominal coremata. Despite their differences, all Calcyopa species share a deeply divided uncus, similarly triangular-shaped valvae, a free basal costal arm that is strongly setose at the apex, and a unique stick-like saccular process with or without spines in the male genitalia. These characters collectively set them apart from other related genera such as Paracalcyopa Sato, Myrioblephara Warren , and Chrysoblephara Holloway. The closely related genus Necyopa Walker exhibits most of these traits; however, its saccular process is replaced by a strong, longitudinal fold that extends close to the apex of the valva. In the present study, we separate all the known Calcyopa species into two groups: the C. difoveata species group, which includes C. difoveata , C. fansipana and C. hainana ; and the C. rosearia species group, which comprises C. rosearia , C. prasina and C. subprasina . The main diagnostic characters of these two species groups are outlined in Table 1 View Table 1 . While the two species groups share several common characters, they are also distinguished by a set of stable features. For the time being, we tentatively retain all of these species within the genus Calcyopa . However, depending on further molecular evidence, there might be a possibility of establishing a new genus for the C. rosearia species group or merging it with the genus Necyopa Walker.