Zygaena tamara dailamica, Hofmann, Axel & Naderi, Alireza, 2014

Hofmann, Axel & Naderi, Alireza, 2014, Contribution to the knowledge of the genus Zygaena Fabricius, 1775, in Iran (Lepidoptera, Zygaenidae). Part X: On two newly discovered Mesembrynus taxa from the western Alborz, Nota Lepidopterologica 37 (2), pp. 167-181 : 173-175

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Zygaenidae

Zygaena tamara dailamica ssp. n. Figs 55-63, 64-70, 72

Material.

Holotype ♂, 31 mm wingspan, "Iran, Prov. Qazvin, Hir NE, Gardaneh-ye Anbarkesh, N-Seite, 2780-2900 m, 13.7.2006, leg. A. Hofmann & A. Naderi", [36°37,46'N, 50° 21,34E], coll. A. Hofmann (to be deposited later in SMNK). Paratypes, same data as holotype: 7 ♂, 4 ♀, coll. A. Hofmann; 2 ♂, coll. T. Keil; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, leg. et coll. A. Naderi. Same locality as holotype: 3 ♂, 18.vii.2007, leg. T. & C. Keil, coll. T. Keil. Same locality as holotype, F1, ab ovo, coll. A. Hofmann: 13 ♂, 15 ♀, e. p.: 26.iv.-29.v.2007; 19 ♂, 21 ♀, e. p.: 22.iv.-15.vii.2008; 4 ♂, 2 ♀, e. p.: 27.v.-11.vi.2009. Ibidem, F2: 3 ♂, 7 ♀ (ex CV070523), e. p.: 3.v.-23.vi.2008; 2 ♂, 3 ♀ (ex CV070523), e. p.: 3.-14.vi.2009; 1 ♂, 1 ♀ (ex CV08053,2), e. p.: 27.-30.v.2009. Ibidem, F3: 2 ♂, 3 ♀ (ex CV080503,1), e. p.: 29.v.-28.vi.2009. 10 ♂, 8 ♀, "Iran, Prov. Mazandaran, Tonekabon SW, Tamol vic., 2250-2400 m, 14.vii.2006, leg. A. Hofmann & A. Naderi", [36°38,87'N, 50°25,71'E], coll. A. Hofmann; 2 ♂, coll. T. Keil; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, leg. et coll. A. Naderi; 24 ♂, 6 ♀, 18.vii.2007, leg. T. & C. Keil, coll. T. Keil; 3 ♂, leg. et coll. A. Naderi; 4 ♂, 4 ♀, 13.vii.2010, leg. et coll. A. Hofmann. Ibidem, F1, ab ovo, coll. A. Hofmann: 15 ♂, 28 ♀, e. p.: 22.v.-30.v.2007; 2 ♂, 3 ♀, e. p.: 15.-24.v.2008; 8 ♂, 9 ♀, F2 (ex CV070522,2), e. p.: 30.iv.-15.vii.2008. Ibidem, F2: 2 ♂, 6 ♀ (ex CV070522,2), e. p.: 2.-19.vi.2009; 3 ♂, 4 ♀ (ex CV070524), e. p.: 4.v.-11.v.2008; 6 ♂, 5 ♀ (ex CV070524), e. p.: 1.-11.vi.2009. 2 ♀, "Iran, Prov. Mazandaran, Tonekabon SW, Gardaneh-ye Tondrokosh (Zarout) N, 2800-3000 m, 14.vii.2006, leg. A. Hofmann & A. Naderi", [36°41,35'N, 50°31,96'E], coll. A. Hofmann; 3 ♂, coll. T. Keil; 5 ♂, 2 ♀, leg. et coll. A. Naderi; 1 ♂, coll. P. Zehzad; 3 ♀, 14.vii.2010, leg. et. coll. A. Hofmann. Paratypes will be deposited in HMIM, CWGT.

Etymology.

Dailam (persian دیلم ) is the historical name of the mountain region on the south-west side of the Caspian Sea. Because of its mountain location Dailam was for a long time protected from the attacks of invading Arabs, its inhabitants much later being converted to Islam. The centre was the Assassin fortress of Alamut, a castle at 2100 m altitude that was regarded as impregnable, but was destroyed in 1275 by the Mongols.

Description.

Black ground colour with greenish or greyish sheen. Coloration of forewing spots warm red but without a tendency to orange. Hindwings less densely scaled, slightly translucent. Spots 1+2+2a forming a large basal blotch that is always well separated from the spot pair 3+4. Spot 3 smaller than spot 5, connected to the largest spot (spot 4). Spot 5 quadrangular, attached to spot 6, in the majority with a groove in the upper part, occasionally isolated, especially in the males. Spot 6 large, pear-shaped when separated from spot 5. Spot 6 completely absent in one female. Hindwings with a narrow greyish black border that can be broadened slightly at the apex. Red patagia and red abdominal belt always present on one segment, the latter closed ventrally. Tegulae consistently black in males, in females sometimes mixed with a few red scales. Legs greyish white in both sexes.

Diagnosis.

Imago: From all other populations of Zygaena tamara the new subspecies is well separated by the one-segmented red cingulum on the abdomen (Fig. 62). Moreover, the red coloration is colder, less orange than in the red populations of Zygaena tamara ( Zygaena tamara placida , Zygaena tamara kendevanica ). The distance between the spot pairs 1+2+2a and 3+4 of these subspecies is broader than that in Zygaena tamara dailamica ssp. n., thus forming a broad black band of ground colour.

Preimaginal stages: Already the L1 larva is darker than larvae of Zygaena tamara from other localities. This is even more obvious in the diapausing stage. Post-diapause larvae and fully-grown larvae exhibit a more dirty-yellow ground colour with more brownish grey-yellow on the verrucae. While the fully-grown larvae of Zygaena tamara are nearly unicolorous without contrasting elements, those of dailamica ssp. n. are much more strongly marked with the anterior dorsal spots (ADS) well developed and the yellow dorso-subdorsal spots well visible and present on 10 segments (Figs 64-69). Moreover, constant differences exist in the sclerotization of the pupae and even in the coloration of the cocoon (Figs 70-72). The exuviae of dailamica ssp. n. are dark brown, in contrast to the light- to mid-brown coloration in all other known populations of Zygaena tamara . The coloration of the cocoon is consistently slightly darker, less yellowish but light white-brownish with a tinge of green. Cocoons of Zygaena tamara from Zanjan, Baneh (Kurdestan), Golujeh (Azerbaijan-e Sharqi) or from Dorud (Lorestan) are light yellow to white (Fig. 71).

Bionomics.

All habitats of Z. tamara dailamica ssp. n. are treeless slopes with a combination of arboreal, oreal and eremic vegetation, e.g. Securigera varia (L.) Lassen ( Fabaceae) is found in the immediate vicinity of Onobrychis cornuta (L.) Desv. ( Fabaceae), Eryngium billardieri Delar. ( Apiaceae), Astragalus (Tragacanthus) ( Fabaceae) cushions and yellow-flowering Phlomis ( Lamiaceae), typical for the narrow transitional zone between the humid Hyrcanian and the more arid eremic regions. At the first locality (Gardaneh Anbarkesh), Z. tamara dailamica ssp. n. is syntopic with Zygaena cambysea Lederer, 1870, while at the more northerly sites it is syntopic with Zygaena haberhaueri Lederer, 1870. In the more humid valley that lies between the two mountain ranges, where there is intensive agriculture, plenty of orchards and many villages, only Zygaena loti (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) and Zygaena dorycnii Ochsenheimer, 1808, were found; just 100-200 m higher up, the vegetation changes rapidly and becomes much drier and is partly grazed intensively by goats and sheep. These are the biotopes where, in the vicinity of Tamol, Z. tamara dailamica ssp. n. and Zygaena haberhaueri were accompanied by these two species, a faunistic combination that is atypical for Zygaena tamara . In its biotopes, Zygaena tamara is usually accompanied by species typical of the Zagros arid climate, e.g. Zygaena turkmenica Reiss, 1933, Zygaena escalerai Poujade, 1900, Zygaena rosinae Korb, 1903, Z. cambysea. The sympatry in the vicinity of Tamol represents a faunistic mixture comprising two species that are typical for the northern side of the Alborz Range ( Zygaena dorycnii , Zygaena loti ), while the latter species does not even cross the Alborz main chain to the south.

After 10.00 h, moths were observed nectaring at the pinkish flowers of Salvia , but preferred to sit on the flower heads of some Dipsacaceae, viz. a white and bluish Scabiosa sp. and a tall white-flowered Cephalaria sp. Several copulae were found sitting on dry stems or on the flowers of scabious during the afternoon after 15.00 h, rarely on cushions of an Acanthophylum sp.

Distribution.

Zygaena tamara dailamica ssp. n. was found only at altitudes between 2250-3000 m. Its distribution is restricted to the central Alborz range between north of Qazvin and south of Tonekabon and extends over two north-westerly/south-easterly ranging mountain chains with a valley of 1700-1900 m in between. In its most northerly sites Zygaena tamara dailamica ssp. n. inhabits slopes that are open to the Caspian Sea.