Introduction

The composition of the genus Scopula Schrank, 1802 in fauna of the Russian Far East is relatively well known, having been studied by VIIDALEPP (1996, 2006) and recently revised by SINEV (2008) and LELEJ (2016), including Scopula ornata (Scopoli, 1763), and S. decorata ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), two species resembling Scopula butleri Prout, 1913 in their wing pattern. The last species is added to the checklist now.

The species was initially described as Craspedia insolata (Butler, 1889) (BUTLER, 1889: 109- 110, pl. 136, fig. 17) from Dharmsala, North India. LEECH (1897: 20) described some years later Acidalia satsumaria (Leech, 1897) from Satsuma in Japan. PROUT (1913: 78), treating Craspedia Hübner, [1825] 1816 as a younger synonym of Acidalia Treitschke, 1825, and Acidalia insolata (Butler, 1889) as a younger homonym of Acidalia insolata (Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875), proposed for the junior homonym a replacement name: Acidalia butleri Prout, 1913.

Prout stressed the white ground colour and grey-brown pattern of wings of [Acidalia] butleri as differentiation characteristics against A. satsumaria which has similar wing pattern but brownish ground colour PROUT (1913: 78, pl. 5e). However, later PROUT (1934-1935: 220; 1935: 46; 1939: 198) he has treated the name Acidalia butleri Prout, 1913 as an unnecessary replacement name and restored Scopula insolata (Butler) as a valid name. YAZAKI (1994: 11) listed Scopula insolata insolata (Butler, 1889) from Nepal. HOLLOWAY (1997) described a subspecies Scopula insolata aequibrachiata Holloway, 1997 from Sarawak, Borneo. The last moth is light brown colored and has subequal, long lateral processes (brachia, or cerata) to the eighth sternite of male and differs from the Indian type of S. insolata which has its left cera short and curved inward (as in the species of the Scopula ornata species group).

Interestingly, PARSONS et al. (1999: 843) treated Scopula butleri Prout, 1913 as a valid name for Butler’s S. insolata, listed S. aequibrachia Holloway, 1997 as a subspecies of S. butleri, and placed S. satsumaria Leech, 1897 as a synonym of S. butleri aequibrachiata. Holloway, 1997. SIHVONEN (2005: 33), SCOBLE & HAUSMANN (2007) as well as CHOI & KIM (2016) thus refer to S. butleri in their works.

An eighth sternite with the left process strongly curved and short is illustrated by INOUE (1982: pl. 321, fig. 1) for japanese S. satsumaria and by CHOI & KIM (2016: figs 1B, 2D, 2E, 2F) for S. butleri from Korea. Consequently, S. aequibrachiata Holloway should be treated as a valid species with both processes to the male eighth sternite long and straight as in HOLLOWAY (1997: fig. 208).

Analysis

Material: 1 ♀, RUSSIA, Primorye Territory, Rettikhovka vil. 5-VII-2005 slide AEH 3291 and 1 ♀, 4-VII-2005 slide AEH 3295 in coll. Andrés Expósito-Hermosa.

The two adult specimens have a wing expansion of 14 and 16 mm respectively. The ground colour of wings is a white tone dotted with some dark scales that give it a more matte appearance. Apical points are visible on all wings. The postmedial bands are wide, more conspicuous and uniform than in S. decorata, somewhat irregular in shape, incurved towards the discal cell and along the anal fold in forewings and are more weakly marked in hind wings. Delicate basal, median and terminal bands parallel to the termen in forewings. In hind wings, a terminal band curves in the disc area without reaching the screw. There are blackish points along the termen coinciding with the termination of the veins on both wings. The underside of wings is similar, but with more muted drawings.

Female genitalia of S. butleri are described here the first time (figs 2-3): slides AEH 3291 (fig. 2) and AEH 3295 (fig. 3). The ovipositor papillae are roundish, the anterior and posterior apophyses short. The ductus bursae is short and corpus bursae short pyriform. The signum is lacking, a rare case in this genus, but known for the species of the Scopula cajanderi (Herz, 1905) group HAUSMANN (2004: 545). It has also a very striking shape of the antrum (fig. 3) with the appearance of “face of person: helmet, nose and eyes”.

Agradecimientos

The second author was supported by Institutional Research Funding (IUE21-1) of the Estonian Ministry of Education and Research.

Referencias

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Notas de autor

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