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| Chloecolora vergetaria Englund & Staude, (b, f, j) Males; (c, g, k) females; (a, e, i) under side of the left pair of male wings; (d, h, j) under side of the right pair of female wings; (f) the holotype, all other specimens paratypes. in Englund, Lee, Staude, Duplouy, Hausmann, Laiho, Söderholm et Sihvonen, 2024. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12627 |
Abstract
X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) of dried and pinned museum specimens combined with advanced image processing can provide a useful, novel and non-destructive tool for integrative insect taxonomy. This paper demonstrates how micro-CT can be applied to provide unambiguous illustrations of diagnostic morphological characters for new taxa description and to understand how micro-CT imaging may complement other imaging techniques. Following micro-CT scanning, a semi-automatic segmentation and volume rendering protocol was used to portray the wing venation and diagnostic structures and ornamentation of male genitalia from multiple angles. Using micro-CT images, we provide the description of a conspicuous geometrid moth from southern Africa (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), which has been present in collections since 1894, but left without an available name. Using a multigenetic dataset comprising 273 terminal taxa from the superfamily Geometroidea, we constructed a molecular phylogeny to place our study species to an isolated lineage in Geometridae: Larentiinae, tribe Xanthorhoini sensu lato. We describe it as Chloecolora vergetaria new genus, new species Englund & Staude, and provide diverse ecological information on its distribution, habitat, host plant, adult and immature stages, and parasites. We found micro-CT imaging particularly useful in two- and three-dimensional imaging of wings, providing detailed information for instance on non-tubular folds that may be difficult to distinguish using other techniques.
Keywords: Geometridae, integrative taxonomy, Lepidoptera, micro-CT, non-destructive imaging
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| Type specimens of Chloecolora vergetaria. (b, f, j) Males; (c, g, k) females; (a, e, i) under side of the left pair of male wings; (d, h, j) under side of the right pair of female wings; (f) the holotype, all other specimens paratypes. |
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| Type material of ‘Xanthorhoë chloëphora Prout m.s.’ in NHMUK. (a) The type specimen; (b) the labels of the same specimen; (c) the unit box containing the three specimens in NHMUK (Photos: Hossein Rajaei). |
Chloecolora Englund & Staude gen. n.
Type species: Chloecolora vergetaria Englund & Staude sp. n.; description below.
Diagnosis: Monotypic Southern African genus of subfamily Larentiinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) and tribus Xanthorhoini sensu lato. Larvae phytophagous on S. harveyanus (Acanthaceae: Acantheae). Multivoltine nocturnal mid-sized moths with conspicuous, persistent, widespread green dorsal coloration on wings, head, antennae, thorax and abdomen. Male antenna bipectinate, female antenna unipectinate, with setose branches each ending in straight, stiff and long spine. Male coremata vestigial and assumedly defunct. Barcode 658 bp sequence K2P minimum distance to closest species (Euphyia unangulata and E. intermediata) > 8.6%. Closest sister genus Scotopteryx based on multigene 4989 bp maximum likelihood phylogenetic estimation. Morphologically Chloecolora differs from Scotopteryx by the following characters: persistent green coloration of scales on wings, body and flagellomeres in Chloecolora, not present in Scotopteryx, single strong spine in the apex of each ramus of antennae in Chloecolora, not present in Scotopteryx, male coremata vestigial and defunct in Chloecolora, generally well developed and functional in Scotopteryx.
Etymology: Chloe (Greek) young, green foliage or shoots of plants in spring, yellowish green colour in general; refers to the persistent, conspicuous coloration of the type species; color (Latin) tint, colour.
Chloecolora vergetaria Englund & Staude sp. n.
Systematics: Based on molecular data and morphology, C. vergetaria is classified in Geometridae: Larentiinae, Xanthorhoini sensu lato (Figure 12), as sister to Scotopterygini. The classification of Xanthorhoini sensu lato lineage needs further research.
Etymology: Vergeet (Afrikaans) to forget; refers to the so far incomplete and forgotten efforts to describe this species.
Mikael Englund, Kyung Min Lee, Hermann Staude, Anne Duplouy, Axel Hausmann, Elina Laiho, Max Söderholm and Pasi Sihvonen. 2024. 130 years from Discovery to Description: micro-CT Scanning applied to construct the Integrative Taxonomy of A forgotten Moth from Southern Africa (Lepidoptera: Geometridae). Systematic Entomology. DOI: 10.1111/syen.12627
