Phaselia pithana, Wehrli, 1941

Werner, Maria Johanna, Hausmann, Axel, Kostjuk, Igor, Wanke, Dominic & Rajaei, Hossein, 2023, Integrative taxonomic revision of the genus Phaselia Guenée, [1858] (Geometridae: Ennominae) in the Middle East and Central Asia, Zootaxa 5326 (1), pp. 1-66 : 13

P. pithana bona sp. vs. ( P. kasyi )

External characters (figs 11–16; 47–49). No diagnostic characters.

Male genitalia (figs 66–72; 101–102). Sacculus with spines, partially elongated and thickened; aedeagus narrow and often greatly curved; spinose, plate-like cornutus long and well-twisted (all spines on sacculus small, those on ventral tip only marginally longer and thicker; aedeagus thick and short, straight or slightly curved; spinose plate-like cornutus short, slightly twisted).

Female genitalia (figs 116–119; 138–139). Antrum narrow (antrum swollen, spherical, tapering strongly towards corpus bursae).

Phenology. Possibly uni- or bivoltine. Investigated specimens have been collected from early April to late August.

Biology. Unknown.

Habitat. Investigated specimens have been collected at altitudes from 400 m ( Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh) up to 2500 m ( Iran, Khorassan-e Shomali).

Distribution. Northeast Iran, Turkmenistan, into Northwest Afghanistan and Southwest Kazakhstan (fig. 144).

DNA barcoding. Genetic distances from morphologically most similar species: Phaselia serrularia (12.41%), P. phaeoleucaria stat. rev. (6.43%), P. smettboi sp. nov. (6.34%). Genetically closest species: P. smettboi sp. nov. (6.34 %) and P. sp. cf. deliciosaria (6.4 %) (fig. 145, Tab. 1).