Eriogaster henkei arabica (Wiltshire, 1976)

Zolotuhin, Vadim V. & Zahiri, Reza, 2008, The Lasiocampidae of Iran (Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 1791, pp. 1-52 : 22-23

Eriogaster henkei arabica (Wiltshire, 1976)

Autosphyla henkei arabica Wiltshire, 1975 [1976], Z. ArbGem. Österr. Ent. 27 (3/4): 74, text-fig. 1b, pl. 1, fig. 2; pl. 2, fig. 2. TL: Trucial Oman, near Idhn. Holotype: male (BMNH).

Distribution (Map 15): deserts of Saudi Arabia, Northern Oman (ssp. arabica Wiltsh.), and southern Russia including Ciscaucasus and lower Volga, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan (ssp. henkei Stgr. ). - In Iran: Beloutchistan and Khorassan provinces.

MAP 15. Eriogaster henkei (Staudinger, 1879) .

Bionomics. The species is univoltine throughout whole range. Flight period is winter, in Iran from December to January. Inhabits sand deserts with host plants Calligonum (Polygonaceae) . In Saudi Arabia the larvae are gregarious in webs on Calligonum (Wiltshire 1990: 103) . In Iran, mature larvae were observed from April to early May in communal webs. Pupation in the soil in fest cocoon. This is the first reliable record of the taxon from Iran. The manuscript name "iranica" was introduced by O. Bang-Haas (in litt.; "TL:" Iran, Beloutschistan, Bender Tchahbahar) but the name was never validly published.

Material Examined: 3 males, Iran, Beloutschistan, Bender Tchahbahar, XII 1937, coll. Brandt (one a "cotype" of Bang-Haas' ms name "iranica") ( ZFMK); 4 males, Iran, Baloutchistan, Bender Tchahbahar, 15.XII 1937 – 4.I 1938, coll. Brandt ( SMK); nests with last instar larvae (photo), Iran, Khorasan, 40 km N Gonabad, desert, 20.IV 2005 on Calligonum sp., leg. R. Nazarov.