Lithostege buxtoni, Prout

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 : 7-8

L. buxtoni Prout

( Figs. 5 , 36 ; Map 2)

Lithostege buxtoni Prout, 1920: 312 . Holotype 3, BMNH (examined). Type locality: Kangavar (Hamadan prov., NW Iran). Lithostege buxtoni: Prout, 1937: 84 , pl. 8g; Parsons et al., 1999: 545.

Material examined. Type material: Holotype 3: ‘Kangavar, Hamadan N. W. Persia 5000 ft. 6.12. 18 P. A. Buxton’, ‘ Lithostege buxtoni male Prout type’, ‘L. B. Prout coll. 1939–643’; coll BMNH.

Additional material: 5 3: 1 3: Iran, Fars, Bakhtegan-Tashk NP Geb. Dschokaran, 1400 m, 18.2.1997, 29°41' [N], 53°45' [E], leg. Dr. Wieser Ch., BC ZSM Lep 0 8632, gen. prep. 1015/2010 H. R.; in ZSM. 4 3: Fars, Kazerun, Gavkoshak, 22.12.1975, L.T. (Abai), preps 1066/2010 and 1067/2010 H. R.; all in HMIM. Preparations of genitalia: 3 3.

Description & Diagnosis. The largest Iranian Lithostege (wingspan: 33–35 mm). Forewing with a dark, deeply waved line from apex to the middle of hind margin, with the two strongest outward projections at veins CuA1 and CuA2 ( Fig. 5 ); proximally, this line is highlighted by a broad white band; there are two indistinct, submarginal lines; hindwing without pattern elements. In the only other species similar in size and pattern, L. stadiei , the medial line is not waved and terminates at the base of the forewings. Male genitalia: saccus narrowly elongated; valve triangular; basal process (“harpe”) short, broad, with rounded apex; juxta with rounded base, converging laterally and notched apically; uncus broad at base, terminal half broad, apex truncate; aedeagus long, apically curved ( Fig 36 ). Female unknown.

Bionomics. Specimens studied are collected in December, January ( Lehmann et al., 2009) and February, at altitudes from 680 m ( Lehmann et al., 2009) to 1524 m ( Prout, 1937: 84).

Additional data on distribution based on literature sources. Barou (1967): Caspienne [Mazandaran]; Prout (1937 – 1939): Kangavar (Hamadan prov.); Wiltshire (1942): Arabs (Shergat), Iran (between Hamadan and Kermanshah; Takht-i Suleiman in Kurdistan; Kermanshah; Shiraz); Wiltshire (1964): Turkey (Vilayet Elaziz), Iran, Iraq [without exact locality]; Lehmann et al. (2009): Tang-e-Faryab (Bushehr prov.).

Remarks. Barou (1967) reported this species from Mazandaran, but it is very unlikely that an arid species like L. buxtoni occurs under the ecological conditions (Hyrcanian forest) of Mazandaran.

Distribution. Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Turkey and widely distributed in Iran (middle and western Zagros Mts.) (Map 2).

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 35 – 38. Lithostege Hübner: Male genitalia & details of abdominal integument. 35. L. distinctata (gen. prep. 1089 H. R.; Dushak Mt., Turkmenistan), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 36. L. buxtoni (gen. prep. 1066 H. R.; Kazerun, S Iran), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 37. L. stadiei (photo of L. Lehmann; type locality, NW Iran), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 38. L. obliquata (gen. prep. 1087 H. R.; Ashkhabad), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, c: 8 th tergite (lateral margins slightly curved up). Scale bar: 1 mm.