Rhodostrophia iranica Schwingenschuss, 1939

Rajaei, Hossein, Hausmann, Axel & Trusch, Robert, 2022, Taxonomic review of the genus Rhodostrophia Hübner, 1823 (Geometridae: Sterrhinae) in Iran, Zootaxa 5118 (1), pp. 1-64 : 25-26

Rhodostrophia iranica Schwingenschuss, 1939

( Figs 25–28 , 68 , 85 , Map 6 )

Rhodostrophia badiaria iranica Schwingenschuss, 1939 : Entomologischen Zeitschrift , Frankfurt am Main , 53 (25): 202. (Persien [ Iran], Elbursgebirge, Kendevanpass, 2600–3100 m), Syntype 2 ♂, 1 ♀ (examined): ' Pers [ Iran], Elbursgeb. Kendevanpass, 2600–3100, 3. – 8.7.1936, [leg] Schwingenschuss', ' Type iranica Schwingen. ', '46/803', g.p. (1 ♂) 691/2012 R. Trusch; In ANLW.

Records in literature. Rhodostrophia badiaria iranica: Scoble (1999: 822) . Rhodostrophia iranica: Scoble & Hausmann (2007) ; Müller et al. (2019: 844).

Additional material examined. 2 ♂, N-Iran, Elburs-Mts., Prov.Tehran , 15 km E Gatschsar, 2800 m, 17.viii.1972, leg. Ebert, g.p. 585/2005 R. Trusch ; 1 ♀, Iran, Prov. Tehran, Elburz mts., 3 km NNW Shemshak, 2860 m, N 36°02'; E 51°28', 24.vii.2003, leg Ebert & Trusch, g.p. 646/2005 R. Trusch, barcode: BC ZSM 33882 ; 1 ♂, Iran, Elburs, vic. Shemshak , ca. 3000 m, 12.–13.viii.1977, leg. W. Thomas ; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, N-Iran, Elburz mts. N Teheran Dizin vic.- Shemshak , N 36°01'21.6'', E 51°25'37.7'' 3250 m, 17.vii.2006, leg. R. Trusch, g.p. (♀) 2373/2020 H.Rajaei, barcode: BC ZSM 33881 ; 7 ♂, 1 ♀, id., N 36°01'27.1'', E 51°25'35.3'', 3380 m, 18.vii.2006, LF., leg. R. Trusch, g.p. (1 ♂) 644/2005 R. Trusch ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, id., N 36°00'50.2'', E 51°25'13.1'' 3730 m, 20.vii.2006, leg. R. Trusch, g.p. (1 ♂) 635/2005 R. Trusch ; 1 ♀, Iran, Qazvin, ca. 30 km NE Qazvin, Gardaneh-je Alamout ( Nordseite ), 2200 m, 25.5.2012, leg. Wolfgang, Martina, Anja ten Hagen; all in SMNK . 1 ♂, N-Iran, Elburz mts. N Teheran Dizin vic.- Shemshak , N 36°01'21.6'', E 51°25'37.7'' 3250 m, 18.vii.2006, leg. R. Trusch ; 1 ♀, id. 20.vii.2006; in SMNS. 1 ♀, Iran, prov. Zanjan, 2350 m, W-Alborz range, Tarom vic., 20 km NE of Zanjan, 13.– 14.06.2005, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai, g.p. 694/2005 R. Trusch, barcode: BC ZSM 33880 ; 4 ♂, 1 ♀, Persia sept. Elburs mts. c.s., Tacht i Suleiman, Särdab-Tal (Vandarban), 25–2700 m, 14.–18.vii.[19]37; leg. E. Pfeiffer & W. Forster, g.p. (1 ♀) ZSM G-12536; in coll. ZSM.

Specimen studied total: 20 ♂, 10 ♀.

Differential diagnosis. ( Figs 25–28 ). Wingspan 29–36 mm. Wings and body concolorous with yellow-grey to sand-white colour. Forewing with antemedial, postmedial and subterminal lines dark brown; hindwing with postmedial and subterminal lines dark brown; all lines are thin, uneven and broken (the pattern is very similar to that of R. bahara ). Discal spot very small on forewing, hardly visible on hindwing (in contrast to R. bahara with large and dominant dark brown dot or streak on forewings and tiny dot on hindwing). Underside of wings lighter than upperside, glossy; subterminal line on both fore- and hindwing visible. Male antennal flagellum ventrally dentated. Male hindtibia with four spurs.

This species may be confused with some other Iranian species of the badiaria species-group, especially with R. bahara and R. tumulosa . Examination of genitalia enables a confident determination in any case, but also the consideration of the restricted occurrence only in the high elevations in the Alborz mountain range.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 68 ) with baseball-bat-shaped uncus, gradually getting narrower towards base (similar to, but slightly longer than the uncus in R. bahara ) ( Figs 3 , 67–68 ); valva apically with a large lobe, characteristically undulated, not spinulose (diagnostic character from all other species of badiaria species-group); sacculus largely elongated and apically curved dorsad over the valva (sacculus characteristically bulbed at base in R. bahara , compare Figs 67a and 68a ). Aedeagus medially curved, getting narrow towards apex. Male sternite A8 slightly notched at its dorsal part.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 85 ) with a membranous, small, oval corpus bursae with a pair of triangular signa on its posterior part; ductus bursae as long as corpus bursae. Posterior apophyses four times length of anterior apophyses.

Genetic data. BIN: BOLD:ACE9877. Nearest species: R. badiaria (2.3%), R. bahara (2.8%), R. tumulosa (1.7%) ( Fig. 119 , Table 1).

Distribution ( Map 6 ). This is an endemic species distributed only at high altitudes of the western and central Alborz Mountains.

Life history and habitat ( Fig. 114 ). Biology and larval stages are unknown. The species seems to be univoltine, recorded from late May to mid-August. According to examined material here, it flies at high altitudes from 2500 m up to 3100 m.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Schematic comparison of the uncus of Iranian Rhodostrophia species.

MAP 6. Distribution of Rhodostrophia iranica SCHWINGENSCHUSS, 1939 in Iran.

FIGURE 119. Neighbour joining tree (COI, 5’; Kimura 2) showing the relationships between different species and subspecies of Iranian Rhodostrophia, including non-Iranian nearest neighboring species R. calabra, R. cinerascens, R. jacularia, R. praecisaria, R. staudingeri and R. skulei added for comparison. Width of triangles refer to sample size, depth of triangles to genetic variation, distance from common nodes to the genetic distance to a hypothetical common ancestor (as inferred by the algorithm); scale bar = 1%.

FIGURES 23-43. Wing coloration and pattern of Rhodostrophia species. Figs 23-24: R. bahara (both from Iran, prov. Fars, 23. Shiraz, Lectotype; 24. Sine-Sefid, Paralectotype); Figs 25-28: R. iranica (all from Iran, 25-26. prov. Tehran, Shemshak; 27. prov. Qazvin, Gardaneh Alamut; 28. prov. Alborz, Gatchsar); Figs 29-30: R. tumulosa (both from Iran, prov. Kohgiluyeva Boyerahmad, Yasuj, Sisakht); Figs 31-34: R. tabestana (all from Iran, 31-32. prov. Fars, Mian Kotal, (31) Holotype; 32 (Paratype); 33-34. prov. Fars, Tange Surkh (both paratype)); Figs 35-37: R. lenis (35.-36. From Afghanistan, Khurd-Kabul, SE Kabul; 37. Iran, prov. Khorasan-e Razavi, Kuhe Surkh); Figs 38-40: R. nesam (38-39. prov. Fars, Tale-Khosrow, both paratypes; 40. prov. Kohgiluye-va Boyerahmad, Sisakht); Figs 41-43: R. nesam syn. fusca (41-42. prov. Sistan-o-Baluchistan, Takhte Malek, both Paratypes; prov. Kerman, Baft).

FIGURES 66-69. Male genitalia of Rhodostrophia species. Fig. 66. R. terrestraria (fig. 66.1, terrestraria farsi ssp. nov., paratype, Iran, prov. Fars, Didegan, g.p. 590 R. Trusch; Fig. 66.2. R. terrestraria terrestraria, Iran, Semnan Shahkuh-e Bala, g.p. 2358 H. Rajaei); Fig. 67. R. bahara, Lectotype (Iran, prov. Fars, Shiraz, g.p. RMS 5766 G. Ebert); Fig. 68. R. iranica (Iran, prov. Tehran, Gachsar, g.p. 585 R. Trusch); Fig. 69. R. tumulosa (Iran, prov. Fars, Tang-e Surkh, g.p. 582 R. Trusch). Abbreviations: a. genitalia capsule; b. aedeagus; c. sternite-8; d. details of different part of genitalia as following: 66-1d and 66-2d, details of apical part of valva; 67d (gn.), gnathos; 59d, apical part of aedeagus; 69d, apical part of valva.

FIGURES 80-85. Female genitalia of Rhodostrophia species. Fig. 80. R. vibicaria (Iran, prov. Ardabil/Gilan, Pass Ardabil- Astara, g.p. 2363 H. Rajaei; 80b. digital drawing of corpus bursae for visualization of the signa; 80c. sternite-8); Fig. 81. R. auctata (Iran, prov. Fars, Tange Surkh, g.p. 655 R. Trusch; 81b. corpus bursae, g.p. 2412 H. Rajaei, from prov. Kordestan, 53 km South Zandjan); Fig. 82. R. sieversi (prov. Teheran, Arangeh, 25 km N Karaj, g.p. 2414 H. Rajaei); Fig. 83. R. terrestraria farsi ssp. nov. (Iran, prov. Kerman, Gardaneh Sarbishan, Shingara vic., g.p. 653 R. Trusch); Fig. 84. R. bahara (prov. Tehran, Arange; g.p. 666 R. Trusch; 84b. details of antrum, g.p. 2374 H. Rajaei, from Iran, prov. Fars, Fort Sine-Sefid); Fig. 85. R. iranica (Prov. Tehran, 3 km NW Shemshak, g.p. 646 R. Trusch; 85b & 85c. details of signum and its digital drawing, g.p. 2373 H. Rajaei, from prov. Tehran, Shemshak).

FIGURES 111-118. Habitats of Rhodostrophia-species in Iran. Fig. 111. Shah-Kuh-mountain range in the eastern Alborz, view from the habitat of the nominotypical subspecies of R. terrestraria at an altitude of approx. 2,900 m to the west (prov. Golestan, above Shah-Kuh-e Pa’in, also known as Shahkuh-e Sofla, 18.vii.2003), where the moth likes to hide in bushes of Astragalus spp. (Fabaceae); note the impressive cushion plants of Acantholimon spp. (Plumbaginaceae). The region is also known as the type locality of the two high-mountain burnet moths Zygaena cacuminum Christoph, 1877 and Z. ecki Christoph, 1882 (Zygaenidae). Fig. 112. Stipa-steppe habitat of R. terrestraria at Shah-Kuh-e Bala, where the species on 19.7.2003 was attracted to artificial light at night together with Zygaena turkmenica Reiss, 1933 (det. A. Hofmann). Fig. 113. Artemisia-steppe at an altitude of 2450 m near Qorud (prov. Esfahan, vic. Kashan-Meymeh), where R. bahara occurred on the 11.v.2005 in high abundance together with the rarely found Dyscia negrama Wehrli, 1953 (Geometridae); in the centre of the photo (from left to right): Georg Petschenka, Bernd Müller and Hossein Rajaei. Fig. 114. In the vicinity of mount Tochal at the altitude of 3,700 m the moths of R. iranica could be observed resting on rocks and flying off from them in case of disturbance (prov. Tehran, 18.7.2006). This area is inhabited by Zygaena cacuminum Christoph, 1877 (Zygaenidae) too. Fig. 115. The Kamaran valley (prov. Esfahan, Fereydun Shahr S., Kamaran vic., 2650 m) is inhabited by R. tabestana and R. terrestraria; other remarkable species observed during 11.-12.vii.2003 were Zygaena haematina Kollar, 1849 and Z. nocturna Ebert, 1974 (Zygaenidae). Fig. 116. The habitat of R. terrestraria pellonaria, R. abscisaria and R. lenis at an altitude of 1240 m south of Izman-e Pa'in (also known as Izman-e Sofla, north of Bojnurd, prov. Khorasan, 19.v.2005) is characterized by mugwort steppe (Artemisia spp., Asteraceae) and the occurrence of further typical geometrid-moth-steppe species such as Dyscia malatyana Wehrli, 1934 and the nominate subspecies of D. innocentaria (Christoph, 1885). Fig. 117. Habitat of the two species R. cuprinaria and R. phaenicearia at an altitude of 1560 m in the vicinity of Astane (Cheshme Ali, prov. Semnan, northwest of Damghan,) is an Artemisia-steppe too. The two species used to be confused in the literature, here both occurring syntopic, observed by us 23.-24.v.2005. Fig. 118. Strongly overgrazed desertic mountain steppe landscape at an altitude of 3200 m at Gardaneh-ye Cheri (prov. Çaharmahal-va- Bakhtiyari, Zardkuh-region, vicinity of Samsami) is the habitat of R. peripheries (observed here 13.vii.2003) and numerous burnets as Zygaena cambysea Lederer, 1870, Z. fredi Reiss, 1938, Z. seitzi Reiss, 1938, Z. naumanni Hille & Keil, 1999 and the unilocal endemic Z. bakhtiyari Hofmann & Tremewan, 2005 (Hofmann & Tremewan 2020).—Photos 111-114, 116-118: R. Trusch, photo 115: G. Ebert.