Lemonia syriensis Daniel, 1953

Prozorov, Alexey M., Prozorova, Tatiana A., Volkova, Julia S., Yakovlev, Roman V., Saldaitis, Aidas, Ortiz, Antonio S., Bianco, Giovanni, Schneider, Tom, Revay, Edita E. & Müller, Günter C., 2022, Description of a new Middle Eastern Lemonia species, comments on the Lemonia philopalus complex and Lemonia syriensis (Lepidoptera: Brahmaeidae: Lemoniinae), Ecologica Montenegrina 57, pp. 77-97 : 93

Lemonia syriensis Daniel, 1953

( Figs 9–11 , 39–53 , 66–71 , 74–79 )

Lemonia syriensis Daniel, 1953 , Mitteilungen der Münchner Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 43, 255. Type locality: [ Turkey, Kahramanmaraş, 37.57527° N, 36.92282° E] “ Syria sept., Taurus , Marasch.” Holotype male (ZSM).

Diagnosis. The species differs most of the other Lemonia by brown coloration with contrasting light brown veins. It may be confused only with the sympatric Lemonia levantina sp. n. ( Figs 33–38 ), but the coloration of L. syriensis is less contrasting and paler, cilia is darker, forewings are wider ( Figs 34 and 45 ); the uncus usually has less pronounced isthmus ( Figs 64 and 70 ); ductus bursae distally narrow ( Figs 72 and 74 ); the species is mainly found in rich grassland ( Figs 80–81 ) with few records from Egypt where it is restricted to grassland relics within larger water catchments.

Variability. Background color varies from light to dark brown ( Figs 42 and 45, 40 and 46 ), pale vines may be more or less pronounced ( Figs 48 and 42 ). Uncus apically more or less pointed ( Figs 69 and 67 ), may be narrow or wide ( Figs 70 and 66 ), isthmus may be very well pronounced or practically absent ( Figs 71 and 66 ).

Distribution ( Fig. 77 ). From Southwest Turkey eastwards to North Iraq and from the Gaziantep Province southwards along the northern Rift Valley, very local in the Eastern Desert of Egypt.

Biology. Grassland species, inhabits Irano-Turanian rich grassland with and without scattered bushes and trees where annual precipitation is above 500 mm. The separate population in Southern Egypt is restricted to water catchments in mountainous areas providing the environment for grassland patches. These habitats are very small, localized, and endangered by overgrazing. Inhabits heights from minus 200 m in the Northern Rift Valley up to ca. 1200 m above sea level in Southern Egypt. Flies from October to January with a peak in mid-October to mid-December – the higher the altitude, the earlier adults occur. Flying period does not exceed two weeks within a population.

Caterpillars suggested to be night active, probably feeding on low herbaceous plants.

Type material examined: Turkey: Holotype ♂, [ Turkey, Kahramanmaraş, 37.57527° N, 36.92282° E] Syria sept., Taurus, Marasch , 600–900 m, XII.1930 ( ZSM) ; paratypes 4♂, like holotype but 800–1100, XI– XII.1929 and 1930, slide 17.710 ( MWM / ZSM, ZSM) ; paratype ♂, Aman- Dagh, Akbez ( ZSM) . Additional material examined: Turkey: ♂, Akbez , 1901, leg. R. Oberthür, slide 17.711 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Akşehir , 1000 m, 1–31.X.1964, leg. H. Noack ( CGM) ; ♂, ♀, Kahramanmaraş, XII.1930 ( CGM) . Iraq: ♂, Zawita Dohuk, 1–3.XII.1977, leg. G. Topál, slide 17.712 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Jabal Sinjar , ca. 1200 m, IX.2003, leg. G. Müller, slide 17.713 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Jabal Sinjar , ca. 600 m, XII.2002, leg. G. Müller, BC JM 0113 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, E Kirkuk, ca. 1800 m, XI–XII.2003, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) . Syria: ♂, Zawita Dohuk , 1– 3.XII.1977, leg. G. Topál, slide 17.712 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Shaghir Bazar , ca. 1800 m, 25.XI.1986 ( CGM) ; ♂, ♀, 10 km NW Homs, grassland with scattered bushes, 8–17.XII.1993, leg. A. Awwad ( CGM) ; ♂, Northern Golan Heights, Quneitra , ca. 800 m, XI.2001, leg. V. Kravchenko & G. Müller ( CGM) . Lebanon: ♂, ♀, Bsharri – Hasroun , karst sparse grassland, XII.1995, leg. J. Awwad ( CGM) . Jordan: ♂, Rajib , ca. 500 m, XII.2002, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) ; ♂, Malka , ca. 500 m, I.1985 ( CGM) ; ♂, Allenby bridge, ca. 500 m, XII.2002, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) ; ♂, Jarash, ca. 700 m, 10.XI.2002, leg. J. de Freina ( CGM) ; ♂, upper Wadi al Arab , grassland, ca. 300 m, 5–15.XII.1990, leg. G. Müller & Awwad ( CGM) ; ♀, Hisba , ca. 900 m, I.2003, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) . Israel: ♂, 10 km S Sea of Galilee , ca. 200 m, XII.2002, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) ; ♂, Sea of Galilee, Tiberias , ‒ 200 m, XII.2010, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) ; ♂, Sea of Galilee, Safed , 500 m, 10– 20.XII.2010, leg. V. Kravchenko & G. Müller ( CGM) ; ♂, Sea of Galilee , 500 m, 15.XII.2003, leg. V. Kravchenko & G. Müller ( CGM) ; ♂, Rosh Pinna , ca. 300 m, XII.2010, leg. V. Kravchenko & G. Müller ( CGM) . Egypt: ♂, Eastern Desert, Hurghada, Jabal Umm ‘ Inab , 1800–2000 m, XI–XII.2002, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) ; ♂, Eastern Desert, Marsa Alam, Jabal Abū Dhi'āb , 800–1000 m, XI.2002, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) ; ♀, Eastern Desert , border to Sudan, Jabal Abū Ḩamāmīd , ca. 1500, XII.2002, leg. G. Müller ( CGM) .

Figures

Figures 9–16. Legs of Lemonia spp. 9–11. L. syriensis. 9. Male, Lebanon, Bequa Valley, slide 14.565 (MWM/ZSM). 10. Male, Israel, slide 14.557 (MWM/ZSM). 11. Male, Jordan, slide 14.567 (MWM/ZSM). 12. L. philopalus philopaus, male, Algeria, slide 8698 (MWM/ZSM). 13. L. philopalus rungsi, male, Morocco, Temelelt (CGM). 14. L. vazquezi, male, Spain, slide 8697 (MWM/ZSM). 15–16. L. levantina. 15. Male, Israel, slide 8696 (MWM/ZSM). 16. Male, Egypt, border to Sudan, slide Lemon-12 (CGM). Scale bar – 1 mm.

Figures 39–53. Adults of L. syriensis. 39. Holotype male, Turkey, Kahramanmaraş, BC JM 0107 (ZSM). 40–41. Female and male, Turkey, Kahramanmaraş (CGM). 42. Male, Syria, Shaghir Bazar (CGM). 43–44. Female and male, Syria, Homs (CGM). 45–46. Male and female, Lebanon, Bsharri (CGM). 47. Male, Jordan, Malka (CGM). 48. Male, Jordan, Allenby bridge (CGM). 49. Female, Jordan, Hisban (CGM). 50. Male, Jordan, Wadi Araba (CGM). 51. Male, Syria, Golan Heights (CGM). 52. Male, Israel, Rosh Pinna (CGM). 53. Male, Egypt, Hurghada (CGM). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 58–71. Male genitalia of Lemonia spp. 58–60. L. philopalus. 58. Algeria, slide Lemon-1 (MWM/ZSM). 59. Algeria, slide 8698 (MWM/ZSM). 60. Algeria, slide Lemon-2 (MWM/ZSM). 61–65. L. levantina. 61. Israel, slide 8696 (MWM/ZSM). 62. Egypt, border to Sudan, slide Lemon-12 (CGM). 63. Jordan, Ar Ruwayshid, slide 14.566 (MWM/ZSM). 64. Egypt, border so Sudan, slide Lemon-13 (CGM). 65. Israel, Eilat, slide Lemon-14 (CGM). 66–71. L. syriensis. 66. Egypt, Marsa Alam, slide 13.123 (MWM/ZSM). 67. Israel, W Jerusalem, slide 13.120 (MWM/ZSM). 68. Israel, slide 14.557 (MWM/ZSM). 69. Lebanon, Bequa Valley, slide 14.565 (MWM/ZSM). 70. Jordan, Ash Shobak, slide 14.563 (MWM/ZSM). 71. Jordan, slide 14.567 (MWM/ZSM). Scale bar – 1 mm.

Figures 72–76. Female genitalia of Lemonia spp. 72–73. L. vazquezi. 72. Spain, Cebreros, slide Lemon-4 (ZSM). 73. Spain, Seville, slide 10.017 (MWM/ZSM). 74–76. L. syriensis. 74. Israel, Sea of Galilee, slide Lemon-15 (CGM). 75. Jordan, Qa'al al Jafr, slide 10.016 (MWM/ZSM). 76. Israel, Rosh Pinna, slide Lemon-16 (CGM). Scale bar – 1 mm.

Figures 77–79. Principal differences between L. vazquezi (green), L. philopalus rungsi (orange), L. philopalus philopalus (red), L. levantina (light blue) and L. syriensis (purple): 77. Distribution map (for details visit https://bit.ly/3DunGVv). 78. Phylogenetic tree (Neighbor-joining, Kimura-2 parameters, uniform rates, bootstrap 1000 replicates from MEGA11, Tamura et al., 2021). 79. Pairwise distances (%).

Figures 28–38. Adults of Lemonia spp. 28–32. L. philopalus. 28. Male, Algeria, Guelt es Stel, slide Lemon-1 (ZSM). 29. Female, Algeria, Guelt es Stel, BC JM 0101 (MWM/ZSM). 30. Male, Algeria, Hassi Bahbah (CGM). 31. Male, Tunisia, Gabes (MWM/ZSM). 32. Male, Algeria, Guelt es Stel, BC JM 0097 (MWM/ZSM). 33–38. L. levantina. 33. Male, Jordan, Al Maidal, BC JM 0055 (CGM). 34. Holotype male, Jordan, Rift Valley (ZSM). 35. Male, Egypt, border to Sudan (CGM). 36. Female, Saudi Arabia, Al Bid (CGM). 37. Male, Israel, Eilat (CGM). 38. Female, Israel, Samar (CGM). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 80–82. Habitat of L. levantina (Sands near Dimona; Fig. 80) and L. syriensis (Golan Heights, photos by D. Benyamini; Figs 81–82) in Israel.