Rhodostrophia jacularia (Hübner, [1813])

Makhov, Ilya, 2023, Geometridae (Lepidoptera) of the Baikal region: identification keys and annotated catalogue with notes to DNA barcoding. Part 2. Archiearinae, Geometrinae, Sterrhinae, Zootaxa 5294 (1), pp. 1-120 : 43

2. Rhodostrophia jacularia (Hübner, [1813])

(adults Figs. 19B , 58B ; male gen. Figs. 39A–39C ; female gen. Fig. 49H )

Rhodostrophia jacularia: Viidalepp, 1976: 850 ; 1996: 57; Vasilyeva, 1989: 105; Berlov & Berlov, 2006: 103; Gordeeva & Gordeev, 2007: 127; Mironov et al., 2008: 210 (region 26: “?”, region 27); Beljaev & Mironov, 2019: 276.

Material examined. Irkutskaya Oblast: Tazheranskaya steppe, 10. VI.2020, 3 ♁; Kurkut , 10. VI.2016, 1 ♁ (GenBank ID: MZ148345 ), I. Makhov [ ZIN]; Ryty , 17. VI.2010, 1 ♁; same loc., 29. VI.2010, 1 ♁, O. Berlov [ EB]. Buryatia: Onokhoy-Shibir’ , 14. V.2008, 2 ♁; same loc., 4. VI.2007, 1 ♁, T. Gordeeva [ ISEA]; Shamanskiye gory, 10. VI.2008, 1 ♀, T. Gordeeva; Begul , 29. VI.1993, 2 ♁, S. Rudykh [ IGEB]; “Irkut”, no date, 23 ♁ (unknown collector) [ ZIN]. Tuva Republic: Erzinsky Distr., southern shore of Tore-Khol Lake , semidesert, h= 1250 m.a.s.l., 18–19. VI.2001 , 1 ♀, P. Ustjuzhanin [ ISEA].

Distribution. Central Palaearctic, subboreal. Volga–Don region, Lower Volga region, southern part of Krasnoyarsky Kray, Khakassia, Altai, Tuva, Irkutskaya Oblast, Republic of Buryatia, Zabaikalsky Kray. Outside Russia in Turkey, N Kazakhstan, Mongolia, NW China.

Hostplants: T. Gordeeva bred caterpillar in Buryatia on Goniolimon speciosum (personal communication).

Remarks. This species is rather variable in appearance across its range that is shown in details by Sihvonen & Nupponen (2005). Some colour forms have been described as separate species, i.e. Rhodostrophia tyugui Vasilenko, 1998 and R. ustjuzhanini Vasilenko, 2006 . I collected a male in Southern Mongolia which lacks dark wing pattern ( Fig. 31B ) and is similar in appearance to specimen from Altai Mountains illustrated in Sihvonen & Nupponen (2005). Analysis of the genitalia structure of this Mongolian sample revealed no significant differences from R. jacularia . Females demonstrate different extent of wings reduction: according to Sihvonen & Nupponen (2005), in a mountain population in the Russian Altai near the Chinese and Mongolian border they are incapable of flying.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Adults of Siberian Sterrhinae. A—Rhodostrophia vibicaria; B—R. jacularia; C—Cleta jacutica; D—Idaea dohlmanni.

FIGURE 31. Adults of Siberian Sterrhinae. A—Lythria purpuraria; B—Rhodostrophia jacularia.

FIGURE 39. Male genitalia of Siberian Sterrhinae.A–C—Rhodostrophia jacularia; D–F—R. vibicaria; G–L—Cleta jacutica; M, N—Idaea dimidiata. A, G–K—genital segment; B, F, H, J, L, M—phallos; C, D—sternite A8; E, N—genital segment, valvae shifted. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURE 49. Genitalia of Siberian Sterrhinae. A, B—Timandra recompta; C, D—T. paralias; E, F—Lythria purpuraria; G— Rhodostrophia vibicaria; H—R. jacularia; I—Idaea serpentata; J—I. dohlmanni. A, D, E—genital segment; B, C, F—phallos; G–J—bursa copulatrix of female. Scale bar—1 mm.

FIGURE 58. Adults of some Siberian Sterrhinae in live. A—Rhodostrophia vibicaria (male); B—R. jacularia (male); C— Idaea falckii (female); D—I. sylvestraria (male); E—I. pallidata (male); F—S. permutata (male). Photos by Marya Dementyeva (Irkutsk).