Nychiodes palaestinensis Wagner, 1919

Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel, Krogmann, Lars, Petrányi, Gergely & Rajaei, Hossein, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the genus Nychiodes Lederer, 1853 (Geometridae: Ennominae: Boarmiini) with description of three new species-an integrative approach, Zootaxa 4812 (1), pp. 1-61 : 13-14

Nychiodes palaestinensis Wagner, 1919

( figs 9–17, 91–93 , 129 ; map 1)

Nychiodes palaestinensis Wagner, 1919 . Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 33: 112. Holotype ♂ ( Palestine [ Israel]: Jeru- salem) (in MNHU, examined).

Nychiodes palaestinensis libanotica Zerny, 1933 . Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift Iris, 47: 97. Syntypes ♂, ♀ ( Lebanon). (in BMNH, examined). Hereby regarded as a new synonym of Nychiodes palaestinensis based on sympatric occurrence of these forms.

Nychiodes persuavis Wehrli, 1929 . Internationale Entomologische Zeitschrift 22 (42): 385. Syntypes 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ([ Lebanon]: Bei- rut) (in ZFMK, examined). Regarded as synonym of Nychiodes palaestinensis by Zerny (1933), herewith we confirm it.

Type material examined. Nychiodes palaestinensis Lectotype (herewith designated), ♂, Palaestina, (Jerusalem), 1898, leg. J. Paulus, g.prep. 0225/2019 D. Wanke ; Paralectotype (herewith designated), ♀, Palaestina, (Jerusalem), 1898, leg. J. Paulus, g.prep. 0226/2019 D. Wanke; all in MNHU .

Nychiodes palaestinensis libanotica Paratype ♂, Nord Libanon, Becharré, 1400 m, 3.-10.vi.[19]31, Zerny; in BMNH .

N. persuavis Lectotype (designated by Wehrli), ♂, [ Lebanon], Beirut, genital prep. 4065 ; Paralectotype, 1 ♀, [ Lebanon], Beirut; all in ZFMK .

Additional material studied: 21 ♂, 15 ♀ (see appendix).

Diagnosis. Wingspan ♂ 33–40 mm, ♀ 32–45 mm (forewing length ♂ 22–25 mm, ♀ 20–26 mm) ( figs 9–17). In N. palaestinensis wings light brown, orange brown to chocolate brown, transverse lines faint, medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwings are not clearly delimited (light brown, medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwings are not clearly delimited in N. muelleri ; light to dark brown, basal and terminal areas of forewing and terminal area of hindwing irrorated with red brown scales; medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwing brighter than rest of the wings in N. waltheri ; light to chocolate brown, transverse lines strongly pronounced in N. aphrodite ) ( figs 4–22).

On male genitalia, N. palaestinensis has a costa of valva sclerotized towards the apex, medially humped (same condition in N. muelleri ; costa of valva sclerotized only up to the middle, medially humped N. waltheri ; sclerotized towards the apex, not humped in N. aphrodite ) ( figs 89–95 ). N. palaestinensis with ampulla superior narrowed at the centre (narrowing towards the apex in N. muelleri ; ampulla superior twice as thick as ampulla inferior in N. waltheri ; strongly curved in N. aphrodite ). N. palaestinensis aedeagus apically with strongly curved digitiform extension (extension curved in N. muelleri ; extension digitiform, not curved in N. waltheri and N. aphrodite ).

Female genitalia of N. palaestinensis with short and broad ovipositor (the same in N. muelleri and N. waltheri ; clearly longer in N. aphrodite ). N. palaestinensis with apophyses anteriores one fourth length of apophyses posteriores (1/ 6 in N. muelleri ; 1/ 3 in N. waltheri and N. aphrodite ) (see figs 128–131 ). In N. palaestinensis lamella postvaginalis strongly sclerotized, conically extended (same condition, but much wider in N. muelleri and much narrower in N. waltheri ; lamella postvaginalis apically tongue-shaped in N. aphrodite ). In N. palaestinensis ductus bursae long, without extended sclerotized patch (same condition in N. muelleri and N. aphrodite ; very short with extended sclerotized patch in N. waltheri ).

Phenology. Univoltine, from April to June.

Biology. Unknown.

Habitat. In altitudes from 500 up to 1000m.

Distribution. Restricted to the Levant ( Israel, Palestine, northern Jordan, few records from Lebanon and southwestern Syria) (map 1).

DNA barcoding. Nearest species (minimum pairwise distances): N. dalmatina (5.9%), N. waltheri (6.9%) and N. aphrodite (6.9%) ( fig. 145 ). No barcoding data of N. muelleri is available.

Figures

FIGURE 145. Un-rooted neighbour joining tree (Saitou & Nei 1987) based on 20 species of the genus Nychiodes (calculated using K2P model: Kimura 1980 with MEGA X (Kumar et al. 2018).

FIGURES 88-92. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 88: Lectotype of N. mauretanica (Algeria, Lambèse, g.prep. Fazekas I. No. 2593); 89: N. waltheri (Turkey, Kayseri, g.prep. 0453/2019 D. Wanke); 90: Uncus, lateral view, N. waltheri (Turkey, Aksehir, g.prep. 0409/2019 D. Wanke); 91: Lectotype of N. palaestinensis (Israel, Jerusalem, g.prep. 0225/2019 D. Wanke); 92: Uncus, lateral view, N. palaestinensis (Jordan, Ajlun, g.prep. 0392/2019 D. Wanke). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 93-95. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 93: Lectotype of N. persuavis syn. rev. of N. palaestinensis (Lebanon, Beirut, g. prep. 4065; aedeagus in genitalia capsule); 94: Paratype of N. muelleri (Jordan, Shaubak, g.prep. 14416); 95: N. aphrodite (Cyprus, Paphos, g.prep. 2109/2017 H. Rajaei). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 127-134. Female genitalia of Nychiodes species. 127: N. mauretanica (Algeria, Lambèse, g.prep. G2365); 128: N. waltheri (Bulgaria, Sozopol, g.prep. BMB386); 129: Paralectotype (herewith designated) of N. palaestinensis (Israel, Jerusalem, g.prep. 0226/2019 D. Wanke); 130: Paratype of N. muelleri (Jordan, Shoubak, G6437); 131: N. aphrodite (Cyprus, Moniatis, 2108/2017 H. Rajaei); 132: N. amygdalaria (Turkey, Artvin, g.prep. 2088/2017 H. Rajaei); 133: N. farinosa (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10925); 134: Lectotype (herewith designated) of N. antiquaria (Uzbekistan, Margelan, g.prep. 0227/2019 D. Wanke). Scale-bar 1 mm.