A review of the genus Plutodes Guenée (Geometridae: Ennominae) from India with description of one new species
Author
Singh, Manpreet
0000-0001-7538-3147
Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata- 700053, West Bengal, India & Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala- 147002, Punjab, India & manpreet 500777 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 7538 - 3147
manpreet500777@gmail.com
Author
Raha, Angshuman
0000-0001-6992-7056
Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata- 700053, West Bengal, India & adroitangshuman @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 6992 - 7056
adroitangshuman@gmail.com
Author
Mallick, Kaushik
0000-0001-7376-2776
Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata- 700053, West Bengal, India & kaushik 11. cc @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0001 - 7376 - 2776
kaushik11.cc@gmail.com
Author
Kirti, Jagbir Singh
0000-0002-9670-5931
Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala- 147002, Punjab, India & prjagbir 2005 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 9670 - 5931
prjagbir2005@gmail.com
Author
Singh, Navneet
0000-0002-6657-7983
Zoological Survey of India, New Alipore, Kolkata- 700053, West Bengal, India & nsgill 007 @ gmail. com; https: // orcid. org / 0000 - 0002 - 6657 - 7983
nsgill007@gmail.com
text
Zootaxa
2023
2023-08-03
5323
4
499
523
http://dx.doi.org/10.1094/PDIS-04-22-0755-PDN
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5323.4.3
1175-5326
8212358
0001D6C5-9616-44A3-98F4-CE4CCA0F2826
Plutodes warreni
Prout, 1923: 322
(
Figs 4–5
,
31–32
)
TL:
Sabathu (
Himachal Pradesh
,
India
)
Material examined:
India
,
Arunachal Pradesh
,
Dibang Valley dist.
: 1 Ô,
Dibang valley
,
12.xi.2018
, leg.
A. K. Sanyal
& party (13652/H10, NZCZSI);
Tawang dist.
: 1 Ô,
Jang
,
18.iii.2019
, leg.
M. Singh
(13654/H10, NZCZSI);
West Kameng dist.
: 2 Ô, Lama Camp, Eaglenest WLS,
29.v.2019
, leg.
R
. Lenka & party (13655–56/H10, NZCZSI)
.
Himachal Pradesh
,
Kullu dist.
: 1 Ô,
GHNP
,
Ropa
FRH,
26.viii.2016
, leg.
A. K. Sanyal
& party (13649/H10, NZCZSI);
Kangra dist.
: 1 Ô,
Dharamshala
,
1.xi.2018
, leg.
A. Raha.
,
K. Mallick.
&
Bandhopadhyay
& party (13653/ H10, NZCZSI)
.
Sikkim
,
West Sikkim dist.
:
1 ♀
,
Yuksom
,
22.xi.2019
, leg.
A. K. Sanyal
& party (13651/H10, NZCZSI);
North Sikkim dist.
:
1 ♀
, 1 Ô,
Rabum
,
13.xii.2019
, leg.
A. K. Sanyal
& party (13650/H10, NZCZSI)
.
West Bengal
,
Darjeeling dist.
:
1 ♀
,
Singalila National Park
,
Gairibas
,
21.v.2018
, leg.
K. Bhattacharaya
& party (13647/H10, NZCZSI); 1 Ô,
Singalila National Park
,
Manedara
,
27.x.2018
, leg.
A. K. Sanyal
& party (13648/H10, NZCZSI)
.
Diagnosis:
Forewing length: Ô
19–21 mm
,
♀
20–21 mm
. The diagnosis of this species is discussed under the preceding species.
Distribution
:
India
:
Assam
,
Arunachal Pradesh
,
Himachal Pradesh
,
Sikkim
,
West Bengal
(
Prout 1923
,
Prout 1926b
).
Global
: China, Nepal (
Yazaki 1993
,
Yazaki & Wang 2004
)
Remarks
: While working on different populations of
Plutodes warreni
, we encountered
one male
specimen (
Figs 6–7
,
33–34
) out of two collected on same date i.e.,
29.v.2019
from Lama Camp locality in the West Kameng district of
Arunachal Pradesh
showing notable variations in the external appearance from the typical
P. warreni
. The most noticeable difference is observed in the yellow costal margin on the forewing which, in this specimen, has shallow or blunt antemedial, postmedial and submarginal protrusions on its irregular inner border. Whereas, in typical
P. warreni
(both male and female), the costal yellow margin has more or less straight inner border with distinct and sharp triangular antemedial, postmedial and submarginal indentations, of which the postmedial one is distinctly larger than the other two. This close form is slightly smaller and paler with distinct sinuous antemedial line on forewing which is indistinct and does not cross the cell in typical
P. warreni
as well as in
P. costatus
. Further, the apical yellow patch on hindwing is much narrower than in
P. warreni
. Other
P. warreni
specimens in our collection follow the same wing pattern as discussed above for typical
P. warreni
without any considerable variation. The male genitalia, in this specimen, although looks very similar to that in
P. warreni
, but can be separated by minor differences when observed closely, like slightly broader uncus, more quadrate gnathos, and valva with shorter, more sclerotized, curved sacculus, and a larger distal part with a small, digitate subapical process. Also, the aedeagus vesica has a smaller distal patch of short spines which, in
P. warreni
, is broader, situated more basally with minute spines. However, due to shortage of materials and minute genital variations, we are not assigning this as a separate species, but a close form of
P. warreni
. Further studies involving additional materials and molecular analyses will be required to eventually erect it as a distinct species.
Plutodes warreni
flies sympatrically with
P. costatus
in the rain fed mid and upper montane undisturbed forests throughout the year. This study also marks the report from
Arunachal Pradesh
and
West Bengal
and thereby expanding the known distribution range of this species in
India
.