Taxonomy of the genus Plemyria Hübner (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Larentiinae)

The Holarctic genus of Plemyria comprising two species, rubiginata (Denis et Schiffermüller) and georgii (Hulst), is revised. Redescriptions of adults including the genitalia as well as larvae and pupae are given. The monophyly of the genus is discussed

Cladistic analysis of Therini

25 p. : ill. ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-24).To test the monophyly of the tribe Therini and resolve the relationship between Therini and Cidariini, 49 morphological characters of 38 species of Thera and related genera were analyzed cladistically. Five taxa from the Cidariini were chosen for outgroup comparisons. Monophyly of the Therini was not supported and the Therini newly synonymized with Cidariini. Five genera, Praethera Viidalepp, Thera Stephens, Pennithera Viidalepp, Heterothera Inoue, and Diathera Choi, are redefined monophyletically, and two new monotypic genera are proposed: Costicoma, n. gen. and Fascilunaria, n. gen. The combination Thera firmata (Hübner) is proposed. Relationships among the ingroup taxa are largely resolved: (Fascilunaria (Heterothera (Thera (Diathera, Pennithera)))). Synapomorphies and a diagnosis of each genus are given, and a key to the ingroup genera is provided

A New Record of Perixera punctata (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) from Korea

A sterrhine species, Perixera punctata (Warren) is reported for the first time from Korea. One male and one female were collected from Jeju Island, South Korea. Perixera punctata can be distinguished by the long bipectinate male antennae, the blackish discal dot and a large dark grayish dot on the subcosta of the forewings and a large dark brownish discal dot and blackish undulating postmedial line on the hindwings. In the male genitalia, a long slender valva with two arm-shaped costal processes is a distinguishing character. In the female genitalia, long and medially twisted ductus bursae with a colliculum, and large, ovate corpus bursae with minute dots are distinguishing characters. Diagnosis and description of the species are given with figures of the male and female genitalia

Study on Moth Diversity in islands and land borders, in the southwest area of Korean Peninsula

AbstractIn order to investigate moth diversity in the bordering islands and inland in the southwest area of Korean Peninsula, a total of 1,127 individuals of 270 species from 214 genera, 16 families, 1 order were collected from four inland sites and four island sites near Mokpo, at the southern end of the Korean Peninsula from April to October of 2009. According to the analysis of the collected moths, Noctuidae with its 102 species were the most frequently collected order and followed by Geometridae and Pyralidae. Among the 5 regions studied every month (Yangeulsan (Mt.), Oedaldo, Yudalsan (Mt.), Ibamsan (Mt.), Seungdalsan (Mt.)), Mt. Seungdalsan showed the highest species diversity with 129 species from 452 moths collected, followed by decreasing order of Yangeulsan at 70 species from 139 moths, Ibamsan at 59 species from 116 moths, Oedaldo at 58 species from 133 moths and Yudalsan of 48 species from 125 moths. In the three regions in which samples were taken once, Dalido showed the highest figure at 49 species from 98 moths collected, followed by Gohado at 23 species from 37 moths and Heosado at 14 species from 27 moths

Faunal Composition of Macro-moth in Rural Haitats, Compared to Semi-natural and Natural Habitats in the Southern Part of Korean Peninsula

Mokpo National University, KoreaPromoting Environmental Pesearch in Pan-Japan Sea Area : Young Researchers\u27 Network, Schedule: March 8-10,2006,Kanazawa Excel Hotel Tokyu, Japan, Organized by: Kanazawa University 21st-Century COE Program, Environmental Monitoring and Prediction of Long- & Short- Term Dynamics of Pan-Japan Sea Area ; IICRC(Ishikawa International Cooperation Research Centre), Sponsors : Japan Sea Research ; UNU-IAS(United Nations University Institute of Advanced Studies)+Ishikawa Prefecture Government ; City of Kanazaw

Elevational species richness gradients in a hyperdiverse insect taxon: a global meta-study on geometrid moths

AIMS: We aim to document elevational richness patterns of geometrid moths in a globally replicated, multi-gradient setting, and to test general hypotheses on environmental and spatial effects (i.e. productivity, temperature, precipitation, area, mid-domain effect and human habitat disturbance) on these richness patterns. LOCATION: Twenty-six elevational gradients world-wide (latitudes 28° S to 51° N). METHODS: We compiled field datasets on elevational gradients for geometrid moths, a lepidopteran family, and documented richness patterns across each gradient while accounting for local undersampling of richness. Environmental and spatial predictor variables as well as habitat disturbance were used to test various hypotheses. Our analyses comprised two pathways: univariate correlations within gradients, and multivariate modelling on pooled data after correcting for overall variation in richness among different gradients. RESULTS: The majority of gradients showed midpeak patterns of richness, irrespective of climate and geographical location. The exclusion of human-affected sampling plots did not change these patterns. Support for univariate main drivers of richness was generally low, although there was idiosyncratic support for particular predictors on single gradients. Multivariate models, in agreement with univariate results, provided the strongest support for an effect of area-integrated productivity, or alternatively for an elevational area effect. Temperature and the mid-domain effect received support as weaker, modulating covariates, while precipitation-related variables had no explanatory potential. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Despite the predicted decreasing diversity–temperature relationship in ectotherms, geometrid moths are similar to ants and salamanders as well as small mammals and ferns in having predominantly their highest diversity at mid-elevations. As in those comparative analyses, single or clear sets of drivers are elusive, but both productivity and area appear to be influential. More comparative elevational studies for various insect taxa are necessary for a more comprehensive understanding of elevational diversity and productivity

Nitric Oxide-mediated Relaxation by High K+ in Human Gastric Longitudinal Smooth Muscle

This study was designed to elucidate high-K+induced response of circular and longitudinal smooth muscle from human gastric corpus using isometric contraction. Contraction from circular and longitudinal muscle stripes of gastric corpus greater curvature and lesser curvature were compared. Circular smooth muscle from corpus greater curvature showed high K+ (50 mM)-induced tonic contraction. On the contrary, however, longitudinal smooth muscle strips showed high K+ (50 mM)-induced sustained relaxation. To find out the reason for the discrepancy we tested several relaxation mechanisms. Protein kinase blockers like KT5720, PKA inhibitor, and KT5823, PKG inhibitor, did not affect high K+-induced relaxation. K+ channel blockers like tetraethylammonium (TEA), apamin (APA), glibenclamide (Glib) and barium (Ba2+) also had no effect. However, N(G)-nitro-L-arginine (L-NNA) and 1H-(1,2,4) oxadiazolo (4,3-A) quinoxalin-1-one (ODQ), an inhibitor of soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) and 4-AP (4-aminopyridine), voltage-dependent K+ channel (KV) blocker, inhibited high K+-induced relaxation, hence reversing to tonic contraction. High K+-induced relaxation was observed in gastric corpus of human stomach, but only in the longitudinal muscles from greater curvature not lesser curvature. L-NNA, ODQ and KV channel blocker sensitive high K+-induced relaxation in longitudinal muscle of higher portion of corpus was also observed. These results suggest that longitudinal smooth muscle from greater curvature of gastric corpus produced high K+-induced relaxation which was activated by NO/sGC pathway and by KV channel dependent mechanism

Fascilunaria CHOI 2000, new genus

Fascilunaria, new genus TYPE SPECIES: Cidaria cyphoschema Prout, 1926. DIAGNOSIS: Synapomorphies for Fascilunaria include bipectinate male antennae, the thin and crescent central fascia of the forewing with a discal dot united with costal part of the antemedial line, the male genitalia with a thick and short uncus, a saccular process, cornuti absent from vesica and the female genitalia with a simple sterigma, anterior to the antrum funnel shaped, a colliculum, and the large corpus bursae without a signum. DESCRIPTION: Antenna. Male bipectinate with short pectination; female filiform. Frons white and ochreous scales. Labial palp long, about twice the eye diameter. Legs brownish, foreleg tarsal joints distinct with white scales. Metathorax dorsum with blackish tufts. Forewing grayish; basal line blackish, slanted; antemedial line blackish, medially strongly indented; postmedial line medially projected; central fascia thin. Hindwing whitish, with a black discal dot; postmedial line very weak. Male genitalia. Uncus short, thick. Tegumen dome shaped. Anellus lobe digitiform, medially and apically with hairs. Saccus rounded, medially projected. Valva weakly sclerotized; costa distally projected; sacculus with a process. Aedeagus slender, rod shaped, with a tubular vesica; cornutus absent. Female genitalia. Papillae anales simple. Anterior apophyses half of posterior apophyses in length. Sterigma simple, dorsally with thin, sclerotized stripes; antrum large, funnel shaped. Ductus bursae short, membraneous, with a colliculum. Corpus bursae large, subspherical; signum absent. DISCUSSION: Fascilunaria cyphoschema has four apomorphies: discal dot united with the costal part of antemedial line (character #9-1), costa of the male valva with a distal expansion (#26-1), ductus bursae short (#41- 0), and ductus bursae anterior to antrum funnel shaped (#44-1). F. cyphoschema is similar to several members of Heterothera in the shape of the central fascia of the forewing as well as the anellus lobe and saccular process of the male genitalia. However, other aspects of the male and female genitalia of F. cyphoschema are different from those of Heterothera: uncus thick, short, and less sclerotized; cornutus absent; sterigma simple; anterior to antrum funnel shaped; membraneous dustus bursae with a colliculum, and corpus bursae large. In the present analysis, the results demonstrate that F. cyphoschema forms a basal lineage of the clade comprising Heterothera + Thera + Pennithera + Diathera (fig. 61). This species is known from southwestern China, northern Vietnam and Burma (Choi, 1998a). ETYMOLOGY: The name refers to the shape of the central fascia of forewing, central fascia (Fascia) + crescent (lunaria).Published as part of CHOI, SEI-WOONG, 2000, A Cladistic Analysis of the Therini: A New Synonym of the Cidariini (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae), pp. 1-26 in American Museum Novitates 3295 on page 21, DOI: 10.1206/0003-0082(2000)32952.0.CO;2, http://zenodo.org/record/546163

Phylogeny of Eulithis Hübner and related genera (Lepidoptera, Geometridae), with an implication of wing pattern evolution. American Museum novitates ; no. 3318

37 p. : ill. (1 col.) ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 36-37).This study investigates a mimicry ring in East Asia, comprising the ennomine genus Abraxas Leach and several larentiine genera, including Eulithis Hübner, Chartographa Gumppenberg, Callabraxas Butler, Calleulype Warren, Gandaritis Moore, and Eucosmabraxas Prout. A cladistic analysis of these latter genera was undertaken using six outgroups and 51 morphological characters. The preferred cladogram, derived after the successive weighting, recognized seven monophyletic groups: Antepirrhoe Warren rev. gen., Evecliptopera Inoue, Gandaritis, Callabraxas, Lobogonodes Bastelberger, Eustroma Hübner and Eulithis, and resulted in three new synonyms: Chartographa, a synonym of Callabraxas, and Eucosmabraxas and Calleulype, synonyms of Gandaritis. Three revived combinations are proposed: Antepirrhoe atrifasciata (Hulst), A. semiatrata (Hulst), and A. fasciata (Barnes and McDunnough). Nine new combinations are also proposed: Gandaritis powellata (Ferguson and Choi), G. pyraliata (Denis and Schiffermüller), G. atricolorata (Grote and Robinson), G. placida (Butler), G. whitelyi (Butler), G. evanescens (Butler), Callabraxas fabiolaria (Oberthür), C. plurilineata (Walker), and C. compositata (Guenée). Wing patterns and a distinctive abdomen have undergone convergent evolution, evolving at least twice within Eulithis and related genera: once in the genus Gandaritis, and again in Callabraxas. A key to the genera is provided as well as diagnoses, species lists, biology, and distributions for each