Lithostege amoenata, Christoph

Sh, Hossein Rajaei, Stüning, Dieter & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2011, A review of the species of Lithostege Hübner, [1825] 1816 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae), occurring in Iran and adjacent countries, with description of two new species from Iran and Pakistan, Zootaxa 3105, pp. 1-46 : 4-5

L. amoenata Christoph

( Figs 1, 2 , 32, 33 , 58 ; Map 1)

Lithostege amoenata Christoph, 1885: 128 . Syntypes 1 3, 2 Ƥ, ZISP (examined). Type locality: Turkmenistan, Ashkhabad (Kopet-Dagh Mts., near Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan, sq. Parsons et al., 1999).

Lithostege amoenata: Prout, 1914: 173 , pl. 12b; Viidalepp, 1996: 46; Parsons et al., 1999: 545.

Lithostege amseli Wiltshire, 1967: 150 , pl. 1, fig. 3. syn. nov. (?). Holotype 3 in ZSM (not traced). Type locality: Herat ( Afghanistan), 970 m.

Lithostege amseli: Parsons et al., 1999: 545 .

Material examined. Type material: Syntypes 2 Ƥ, 1 3: ‘[ Turkmenistan] Ashkhabat’, ‘Coll. Great Knjaz Nikolaj Mikhajlovich’, ‘ 5.6.82, 244 amoena[ta?] Chr.’, ZISP. Additional material: 9 3, 5 Ƥ: 1 3: [ Iran] Khorasan, Kopetdagh-Allahakbar, 1950 m, 16.6.1974, leg. Radj [abi], Paz [ouki], prep. 1065/2010 H. R.; 1 Ƥ: [ Iran, Khorasan e Shomali] Sarekhs [Sarakhs], 21.5.[19]73, [leg.] Abai; both in HMIM. 1 Ƥ: Nord Iran, Elbursgebirge östl. Shemshak, 50 km nördl. Tehran, 2100–2500 m, 8.- 24.6.1973, leg. G. Junge, prep. 1024/2010 H. R.; in SMNK. 2 3; N- Iran, 2400 m, Demavend, 25.-26.IX.1965, [leg.] E. & A. Vartian, ZSM Genital prep. No. 4530 and 4531; both in ZSM. 1 3, [ Turkmenistan], Kopet-Dagh, Suljukli, 25.05.1923, Shestoperov leg; in ZIAT. 1 3: Tadzh [ikistan], 0 4.07.1989, Peter I Mts., K [ishlak] Odilovot, 2000 m, U. Jürivete leg.; 1 Ƥ: [ Tajikistan], Peter I [Mts.], Surhob [river], Odilovot, 2500 m, 04- 07.07.1989, U. Jürivete leg.; in IZBE. 3 3, 2 Ƥ: 31.V. [19]58. Tajikistan, 6 km from Nikolajevsky pass, eastern slopes of Khozratisho Range, above Chertovyj bridge, h = 2200 [m], meadows slope, Yu. Stshetkin [Shchetkin], preps 3 1022/2010, 1611/2011, 1612/2011 and Ƥ 1023/2010, 1613/2011 H. R.; all in ZFMK. 1 3: Dasht-i-Nawar, NW v Ghazni, 3000 m, Afghan [istan], [leg.] Kasy & Vartian, prep. 1025/2010 H. R.; in SMNK; Preparations of genitalia: 7 3, 3 Ƥ.

Description & Diagnosis. Wingspan 29–30 mm. Wings dark grey or brownish grey, forewings with light grey or white transverse lines; postmedial line strongly curved anterior to M1 and posterior to M3, antemedial line straight, but acutely angled near discal dot. There are several additional transverse lines, including a weaker basal line, a broad grey and a narrow, double, waved line at median area and a white submarginal line. Fringes are chequered white and dark grey. Hindwings elongate-oval, grey, with one or a few indistinct, curved whitish lines, without discal dot. Underside of forewings with less distinct pattern, dark lines absent, but white postmedial and submarginal lines present, the latter anteriorly dentate (smooth on upperside). Hindwings similar to upperside, but a discal dot present ( Figs. 1, 2 ). Male genitalia ( Figs 32, 33 ): valve broad at base, width tapering towards apex, the latter acutely pointed and curved dorsad; costa slightly curved, terminating with a tooth-like process, both processes variable in size and shape at different localities; juxta elongate, tube-like; uncus broad, triangular at base, narrow distally; lateral arms of gnathus present; aedeagus arched subapically; vesica covered with very short, round teeth. Female genitalia ( Fig. 58 ): corpus bursae simple, pyriform, distal half spiculose, with broad, strongly sclerotised ductus bursae; diverticulum present. Externally, L. amoenata is similar to L. dissocyma Prout and the two subsequent species, hreblayi sp. n. and samandooki sp. n., described herein ( Figs 11–14 ). However, there are clear differences in coloration and pattern. Even more distinct differences are present in the male and female genitalia.

Bionomics. Specimens collected in May, June, July and August, at an altitude of 1700–3400 m, from lower forest zone ( Kuznetzov 1960) to montane areas ( Brandt 1941).

Additional data on distribution based on literature sources. Kuznetzov (1960): Kopet-Dagh; Shchetkin (1965a): Khozratisho Mts., SW Tajikistan; Brandt (1941): Binaloud Mt. (Khorasan-e Razavi prov.); Wiltshire (1945): Alvand Mt. (Hamadan prov.); Prout (1912 –1916); Viidalepp (1988): Kopet-Dagh (Khorasan-e Shomali) and Viidalepp (1996): N Pakistan.

Distribution. SW and E Tajikistan, SE and S Turkmenistan, N and W Iran (western part of Elburz); East Afghanistan; N Pakistan (Map 1).

Taxonomic note. Wiltshire described amseli based on a single ‘male’ (his fig. 3 rather shows a female, regarding proportions and length of the abdomen) and without dissection of genitalia. He described rather slight differences in wing pattern and shape between the holotype of the new species and L. amoenata which to our experience (material from Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan compared) fall within the range of variation of amoenata . A male from Afghanistan also rather belongs to amoenata than fitting with amseli . The low wingspan of the holotype of amseli (23 mm, amoenata 29–30 mm), however, is exceptional. We believe that there is a high probability that amseli is just a junior synonym of amoenata , but we were unable to prove this in the absence of the type specimen. Besides the latter, fresh material from the type locality of amseli and subsequent molecular studies would help to solve this open question.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Adult moths of Lithostege Hübner (left column, a: upperside, right column, b: underside). 1. L. amoenata (3, from Kopet-Dagh, NE Iran); 2. L. amseli? (3, Dasht-i-Nawar, E Afghanistan); 3. L. excelsata (3, Dzahar, Turkmenistan); 4. L. distinctata (3, Repetek, E Turkmenistan); 5. L. buxtoni (3, Bakhtegan-Tashk National Park, S Iran). Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURES 32 – 34. Lithostege Hübner: Male genitalia & details of abdominal integument. 32. L. amoenata (gen. prep. 1022 H. R.; Nikolajevsky pass, Tajikistan), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, vesica partly everted, c: tympanal organ, tergite 1 + 2; 33. L. amseli? (gen. prep. 1025 H. R.; Dasht-i-Nawar, E Afghanistan); a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 34. L. excelsata (gen. prep. 1018 H. R., Kara-Kum desert, Turkmenistan), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, c: 8 th tergite (right margin turned up). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 56 – 59. Lithostege Hübner: Male & female genitalia. 56 - 57: Male genitalia. 56. L. infuscata (gen. prep. 1032 H. R.; Maku, NW Iran), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 57. L. flavicornata (gen. prep. 1062 H. R.; Ak-Chehir, Turkey), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; Figs 58 - 59: Female genitalia. 58. L. amoenata (gen. prep. 1023 H. R.; Nikolajevsky pass, Tajikistan); 59. L. distinctata (gen. prep. 1618 H. R.; Kurgan, Turkmenistan). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 11 – 15. Adult moths of Lithostege Hübner (left column, a: upperside, right column, b: underside). 11. L. dissocyma (Ƥ, Bandar Abbas, S Iran); 12. L. hreblayi sp. nov. (3, type locality, N Pakistan); 13. L. hreblayi sp. nov. (Ƥ, Type locality, N Pakistan); 14. L. samandooki sp. nov. (Ƥ, Type locality, S Iran); 15. L. senata (Repetek, E Turkmenistan). Scale bar: 10 mm.