Cucullia tecca Püngeler, 1906

Matov, Alexey Yu. & Korb, Stanislav K., 2023, A new subspecies of Cucullia tecca Püngeler, 1906 from northern Kyrgyzstan and southern Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), Amurian Zoological Journal XV (2), pp. 316-321 : 317-321

Cucullia tecca Püngeler, 1906

Cucullia tecca Püngeler, 1906 , Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 19: 96, pl. 8, Fig. 4. Type locality: [ Turkmenistan]: Aschabad.

Cucullia santolinae var. caucasica Sohn- Rethel, 1929, Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 43: 10. Type locality: Azerbaijan: Aresh. Synonymized by Ronkay Ronkay (2009).

Material. Syntypes: 1♂, 2♀, Central Asia , Aschabad (coll. ZMHU) . 2♂: Georgia, Vashlovani Reserve, Eldari , 1981 (N. Korastolev), preparate of A. Nekrasov ♂ no. 502a (coll. ZISP) . 3♂: Armenia, Erivan, 20.04.- 10.05.1936 (Yzmailov) (coll. ZISP) . 1♂: Armenia, Mount Agorok , 18.04.1998 (Agabegyan) (coll. ZISP) . 1♂: Armenia, Khosrov Reserve , 22.04.1984 (P. Kazaryan) (coll. ZISP) . 1♂: Azerbaijan, Ordubad ([G. Christoph]), preparate of M. Rjabov no. 6178 (coll. ZISP) . 1♀: Turkmenistan, vicinity of Ashkhabad , 17.03.1955 ( V. Potopolskij) (coll. ZISP) . 5♂: Turkmenistan, vicinity of Ashkhabad , 10.06.1980 ( V. Isakov), slide no. Matov 0644 (coll. ZISP) . 2♀: Turkmenistan, Kara-Kala , garden of VIR, 12.04.1953 ( V. Kuznetsov) (coll. ZISP) . 3♂: Turkmenistan, Kara-Kala , 30.03.1990 (D. Obydov) (coll. ZISP) . 1♂, 2♀: Turkmenistan, Kara-Kala , 28- 30.03.1990 (M. Danilevskij) (coll. ZISP) . 1♀, Turkmenistan, vicinity of Kara-Kala, Parkhay , 16.04.1983 (E. Mimonov) (coll. ZISP) . 1♂: Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, Firyuza , 2.04.1991 ( V. Dubatolov) (coll. ZISP) . 2♂, 1♀: Turkmenistan, Badkhyz, Morgunovskij , at light, 21– 25.03.1979, 19.03.1982 ( V. Pechen), preparate of A. Nekrasov ♂ no. 502v (coll. ZISP) .

Description. Moth (Figs. 1–2). Wingspan — 35–37 mm. Head and thorax grey, abdomen greyish-brown. Ground color of the forewing is grey or brownish-grey with numerous light yellowish-grey longitudinal strokes between veins, 4–5 dark brown longitudinal strokes near the outer margin and a long black longitudinal stroke near the base of the wing. The two medial lines are dark grey with very strong curves and are very close to each other

Fig. 1–7. Cucullia sp. : 1 — Cucullia tecca tecca Püngeler, 1906 , male, Turkmenistan, Askhabad env.; 2 — Cucullia tecca tecca Püngeler, 1906 , male, Turkmenistan, W Kopet-Dagh, Kara-Kala; 3 — Cucullia calendulae Treitschke, 1835 , male, Turkmenistan, Askhabad env.; 4 — Cucullia calendulae Treitschke, 1835 , male, Turkmenistan, W Kopet-Dagh, Kara-Kala; 5 — Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., holotype, male; 6 — Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., paratype, male; 7 — Habitat of Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., type locality ( Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek environs, Kok-Jar, h= 900 m). 1–4 — photo by A.Yu. Matov; 5–7 — photo by S. K. Korb

Рис. 1–7. Cucullia sp. : 1 — Cucullia tecca tecca Püngeler, 1906 , самец, Туркменистан, окр. АсшхабаΔа; 2 — Cucullia tecca tecca Püngeler, 1906 , самец, Туркмения, З Копет-Àаг, Кара-КаΛа; 3 — Cucullia calendulae Treitschke, 1835 , самец, Туркменистан, окр. АшхабаΔа; 4 — Cucullia calendulae Treitschke, 1835 , самец, Туркмения, З Копет-Àаг, Кара-КаΛа; 5 — Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. п., гоΛотип, самец; 6 — Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., паратип, самец; 7 — местообитание Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., типовая местность (Кыргызстан, окрестности Бишкека, Кок-Жар, h=900 м). 1–4 — фото А. Ю. Матова; 5–7 — фото С. К. Корба in the medial field of the wing below the reniform spot. The reniform spot is brownish-grey, blurry. Hindwing greyish-brown, darker near the outer margin.

Male genitalia (Figs. 10–11). Uncus strong, slightly curved at the tip. Tegumen moderately broad. Valva elongated, narrow, slightly curved upwards distally; clavus thin, curved; corona present. Harpe thin, asymmetrical — left harpe with a pointed tip, right harpe with a rounded tip. Juxta large, wide. Aedeagus moderately long; carina with two narrow sclerotized ribbons; vesica consists of 4 basal diverticula various in size and shape, armed with 2 strong bulbed cornuti slightly different in length and has an upturned sac terminating in a pointed tip; there is a broad sclerotised ribbon around the base of the distal diverticulum armed by rows of numerous small spines. Female genitalia. Ovipositor short; apophyses anteriores are slightly shorter than apophyses posteriores. Ostial part with a V-shaped ligula. Ductus bursae is relatively short with sclerotized crests on its surface. Bursa copulatrix large, membranous, ovoid in shape.

Diagnosis. C. tecca is very similar to C. calendulae Treitschke, 1835 (Figs. 3–4), the species also found in Central Asia ( Turkmenistan). It differs externally from C. calendulae by a smaller size, wider forewings, less clear contours of the reniform spot, and a more variegated groundcolor of the forewings. In the male genitalia C. tecca differs from C. calendulae by a thin and longer harpe, shorter clavus; in the female genitalia by the shape and position of the proximo-lateral appendage of ductus bursae.

Fig. 8–11. Cucullia sp. : 8 — Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., male genitalia, frontal view, aedeagus removed, holotype, preparate no. KORB193; 9 — Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., male genitalia, aedeagus, holotype, preparate no. KORB193; 10 — Cucullia tecca tecca Püngeler, 1906 , male genitalia, frontal view, aedeagus removed, Turkmenistan, Askhabad env., slide no. Matov0644; 11 — Cucullia tecca tecca Püngeler, 1906 , male genitalia, aedeagus, Turkmenistan, Askhabad env., slide no. Matov0644. 8-9 — photo by S. K. Korb; 10-11 — photo by A.Yu. Matov

Рис. 8–11. Cucullia sp. : 8 — Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., генитаΛии самца, виΔ спереΔи, эΔеагус уΔаΛен, гоΛотип, препарат №. KORB193; 9 — Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n., генитаΛии самца, эΔеагус, гоΛотип, препарат №. KORB193; 10 — Cucullia tecca tecca Püngeler, 1906 , генитаΛии самца, виΔ спереΔи, эΔеагус уΔаΛен, Туркменистан, окр. АшхабаΔа, препарат №. Matov0644; 11 — Cucullia tecca tecca Püngeler, 1906 , генитаΛии самца, эΔеагус, Туркменистан, окр. АшхабаΔа, препарат №. Matov0644. 8-9 — фото С. К. Корба; 10-11 — фото А.Ю. Матов

Taxonomic note. Ronkay, Ronkay (2009) stated incorrectly that the type series of C. tecca consists of holotype only, stored in ZMHU; according to the original description, the type series of this taxon consists of “ 1 ♂, 2 ♀♀ ” ( Püngeler 1906). Syntypes are deposited in the Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung (Berlin, Germany) (examined by the second author). Until now, two subspecies have been described: C. tecca tecca and C. tecca pallidisripta Ronkay et Ronkay, 1988 (type locality: Malatya, Turkey).

Distribution. C.teccatecca isdistributedfromthe Caucasus and Transcaucasia ( Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan) to high mountains of northern Iran, the Kopeth Dagh Mts. ( Turkmenistan and Iran) and the Hissar Mts. in Uzbekistan and Tadjikistan ( Kalali 1976; Kühne 1998; Poltavsky et al. 1998; Hassanyar 2006; Ronkay, Ronkay 2009; Shahreyari-Nejad et al. 2020; Benedek et al. 2021), C. tecca pallidiscripta is distributed in central and south-eastern Turkey and the Near East ( Ronkay, Ronkay 2009).

Cucullia tecca poltavskyi Matov et Korb , ssp. n. Fig. 5–6

https://zoobank.org/References/ 3F52339F-3ACF-4185-90A1-8F53A2DAC37B

Material. Holotype: ♂, Kyrgyzstan, Bishkek environs, Kok-Jar , h = 900 m, 17.04.2022

(S. Korb), preparate no. KORB193 (coll. ZISP). Paratypes: 7♂, same locality, 24.04.2016, 21.04.2019, 17.04.2022 (S. Korb) (coll. SK) ; 3♂, South Kazakhstan , near the border between Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan, Kordai environs, h = 800 m, 20.04.2019 (S. Korb) (coll. SK) ; 3♂, Kazakhstan, the Zhety-Zhol Mts. , Ulken-Sulutor village environs, Krasnogorka, h = 1000 m, 15– 25.04.2015 (P. Egorov) (coll. SK) .

Description. Mothandmalegenitalia (Figs. 8–9). Generally the same as in C. tecca above.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis. C. tecca poltavskyi ssp. n. differs from C. tecca tecca by a much less contrast in the wing pattern which consists of thin black or blackish lines and strokes as opposed to that in the nominate subspecies — lines and strokes in the nominate subspecies are wider, especially in the apical part of the forewing. Some specimens of C. tecca poltavskyi ssp. n. have a bluish tint on the ground color of the forewings which is not found in specimens of the nominate subspecies. The forewings of C. tecca tecca are narrower than in the new subspecies. C. tecca poltavskyi ssp. n. differs from C. tecca pallidiscripta by a much darker ground color (in the new subspecies it is grey, in C. tecca pallidiscripta light-grey, hindwing in some specimens almost white). The male genitalia valvae of C. tecca poltavskyi ssp. n.

Fig. 12. Distribution of Cucullia tecca tecca and C. tecca poltavskyi ssp.n. according to our own and the literature data. Black circles — finding places of C. tecca tecca according to our data, white circles and white squares — finding places of C. tecca tecca according to the literature data; black squares — finding places of the new subspecies

Рис. 12. Распространение Cucullia tecca tecca и C. tecca poltavskyi ssp.n. по нашим и Λитературным Δанным. Черные кружки — места нахожΔения C. tecca tecca по нашим Δанным, беΛые кружки и беΛые кваΔраты — места нахожΔения C. tecca tecca по Λитературным Δанным; черные кваΔраты — места нахожΔения нового поΔвиΔа are narrower in the central part than in the other subspecies.

Etymology. The name of the subspecies is a commemoration to the great Noctuoidea expert who passed away a three years ago, Alexandr Nikolayevich Poltavsky (1954–2020). He studied the fauna of Central Asia, the Caucasus and other regions.

Distribution. The distribution of the new subspecies known to us now is limited to a small territory in the mountains of south-eastern Kazakhstan and northern Kyrgyzstan. It is very possible, however, that the populations living in the Hissar mountains also belong to the new subspecies or to another subspecies which has not yet been described (Fig. 12).

Ecology (Fig. 7). Moths of the new subspecies were collected with UV-light traps in Mid-Late April at the altitude of 800–1000 m. The biotopes are dry steppe slopes with mainly Poaceae and bushes of wild Rosa .