|
Paramaxates
yazakii sp. n.
Paramaxates vagata Walker
sensu Holloway, 1976: 62.
Paramaxates
yazakii 
(paratype) |
 |
17-19mm. Externally
this species resembles the Himalayan P. vagata Walker, and can only
reliably be distinguished on characters of the male abdomen.
Like macrocerata the vagata group has a transverse flange
interiorly on the centre of the costal part of the valve, but there is an
additional oblique scobinate or sclerotised groove occurring along the saccular
part to a point near the ventral margin distal to the flange. The aedeagus
vesica bears numerous cornuti of approximately even size, never as massive as the
two largest in macrocerata, and with the vesica more tubular. P.
yazakii is distinguished by a small, tightly associated, reversed cluster of
spines almost at the base of the vesica. These are more distal and more
dispersed in Himalayan taxa (see below).
Holotype
NORD BORNEO: Mont Kina
Balu, 5.8.1903 (John Waterstradt), BM geometrid slide 17345.
Paratypes: 3 as
holotype; 2 (slide 16741) BRUNEI: 1618m, Bukit
Retak, montane
forest, 14.9.1979 (Lt. Col. M.G. Allen); 1 SARAWAK: Gunung Mulu Nat.
Park, R.G.S Exped. 1977-8 (J.D. Holloway et al.) Site 14, February, Camp
2.5, G. Mulu, 1000m, 413461, lower montane forest, BM geometrid slide
16743; 1 SABAH: Mt
Kinabalu, Power Station, 1930m vii-ix.1965, Cambridge
Expedition to Mt. Kinabalu 1965 (H.J. Banks, H.S. Barlow & J.D. Holloway)
Brit. Mus. 1968-186, BM geometrid slide 8953.
Taxonomic notes. The type of vagata is a female from Silhet, the genitalia of
which are illustrated in Fig 190. Two forms of male genitalia (Figs 170, 171)
have been detected in Himalayan material: one with slender eighth tergal
processes and a rather bulbous aedeagus vesica with an irregular row of eight
cornuti with expanded bases (slide 17346); the other with shorter, more robust
tergal processes, a more tubular aedeagus vesica with a rhomboidal array of over
twenty cornuti without expanded bases (slide 17352). It is unclear which of these
genitalic types should be associated with the vagata female, possibly the
latter. Yazaki (1988b) illustrated a female from Peninsular Malaysia with
genitalia as in typical vagata, so it may be that members of the vagata
group have rather uniform female genitalia (except macrocerata). Yazaki
(in litt.) mentioned that P. hainana Chu from Hainan is based on
females that also have this form of the genitalia. So there is still a problem
in resolution of the identity of these mainland taxa. Paramaxates khasiana Warren
stat. n. is based on a male that is conspecific with P. minuscula Yazaki
syn. n. A member of the vagata group occurs in Sulawesi (slide 17362)
with robust, incurved tergal processes, a broad saccular groove to the valve
that is only expressed distal to the flange, terminating in a small spine, and a
tubular aedeagus with small cornuti distributed along its length (Fig 174).
Geographical range. Sundaland.
Habitat preference. All material is from montane forest between 1000m and 1930m.
Biology. The first of the two Himalayan species mentioned in the taxonomic
notes has been reared in Hong Kong by Miss Choong from Castanopsis (Fagaceae)
(A. Galsworthy, pers. comm.).
<<Back
>>Forward <<Return
to Contents page
|
