Deserticossus arenicola arenicola (Staudinger, 1879)

(Fig. 13C)

Deserticossus arenicola iranica (Austaut, 1897), syn. n.

Cossus iranicus Austaut, 1897, Naturaliste 19: 44.

LT: Sefis Kuh, Perse [? Fars prov., S. Iran]. Type material (holotype) in BMNH .

Deserticossus arenicola transcaucasicus (Zukowsky, 1936), syn. n.

Holcocerus arenicola transcaucasica Zukowsky, 1936, Ent. Rundsch. 53: 535.

LT: Armenia ross., Dschulfa, Daratshitshag [Dzhul’fa, Nahichevan’, Azerbaidzhan]. Type material (lectotype) in MWM .

Remarks. Three subspecies, D. arenicola arenicola (Staudinger, 1879), D. arenicola iranica (Austaut, 1897) and D. arenicola transcaucasicus (Zukowsky, 1936) have hitertho been described for D. arenicola and these all are distributed in Iran. The examination of a huge number of specimens belonging to these subspecies from different localities, indicated no variation in genital structures. However, some external morphological variations were observed in all studied materials, which are here considered as intraspecific variations. The subspecies described from Transcaucasia and Southern Iran did not have any significant differences from the nominal subspecies. Therefore, D. arenicola iranica and D. arenicola transcaucasicus are here synonymized with D. arenicola arenicola .

Material examined. HMIM: East Âzarbâijân Prov .: 2 ♂♂, Jolfâ, Nourduz, Aras river, N 38°53΄59˝, E 46°17΄53˝, 520 m, 14.vii.2005, leg. Zahiri, Golmohammadzâdeh-Khiâbân ; Esfahân Prov.: 1 ♂, Ghamsar, 8.v.1970, leg. Mirzâyâns, Abâi ; Fârs Prov.: 1 ♂, Dârâb, Korsiâ, 1150 m, 28.v.1973, leg. Hâshemi, Zairi ; Ghom Prov.: 2 ♂♂, Ghom Lake, 27.vi.1969, leg. Mirzâyâns, Abâi, Borumand , 1 ♂, Ghom Lake, 2.vi.1970, leg. Mirzâyâns, Abâi ; Golestân Prov.: 1 ♂, Golestân National Pârk, Dasht-e Shâd, 1500 m, 19.vi.2000, leg. Moghaddam , Mofidi-Neyestânak, Ebrâhimi, Badii, 1 ♂, Golestân National Pârk, Tang-e Gol, 600 m, 14.–15.vii.1985, leg. Pâzuki , 2 ♂♂, Gonbad Kâvus, Golestân forest, 21.vi.1974, leg. Pâzuki, Rajabi , 1 ♀, Tuskastân, Shâhkuh-e Bâlâ, 10.viii.2009, leg. Serri, Nâserzâdeh, Hâjiesmailiân ; Hormozgân Prov.: 1 ♂, Sirjân, km 24, 250 m, 2.iv.1973, leg. Abâi , 1 ♂, Bandar Abbâs, 16.v.1973, leg. Hâshemi, Borumand, 2 ♂♂, Bandar Abbâs, Ganj, 900 m, 27.v.1973, leg. Hâshemi, Zairi , 2 ♂♂, Bandar Abbâs, Minâb, 24, 27.iv.1971, leg. Safavi, Zairi , 1 ♀, Minâb, 53 m, 11.iv.2004 , leg. Moghaddam, Serri, 1 ♂, Hâji Âbâd, Tezerj, 84 m, 18.iv.2004, leg. Moghaddam, Serri ; Kermân Prov.: 2 ♂♂, Rafsanjân, 29.iv.1973, leg. Borumand , 2 ♂♂, 43 km N Kahnuj, 540 m, 16.v.1977, leg. Safavi, Pâzuki , 2 ♂♂, Jiroft, 6 km E Rameshk, Bâru, 700 m, 14.iii.1978, leg. Pâzuki ; North Khorâsân Prov.: 17 ♂♂, Golestân National Pârk, Âlmeh, 1650 m, 17.–18.vii.1996, leg. Ebrâhimi, V. Nazari , 6 ♂♂, Golestân National Pârk, Âlmeh, 1700 m, 25.vii.2001, leg. Gilâsiân, Moghaddam, Ghayurfar , 7 ♂♂, Golestân National Pârk, Sulgerd, 1100 m, 16.–18.vii.1985 , leg. Pâzuki; Razavi Khorâsân Prov.: 3 ♂♂, Mashhad, 14.vii.1971, leg. Pâzuki, Âyatollâhi , 1 ♂, Bâjgirân, Jihad-e Agri. Sta., N 37°37΄27.5˝, E 58°25΄03.7˝, 1638 m, 22.vi.2013, leg. Âlipanâh, Falsafi , 4 ♂♂, Daregaz- Dorbâdâm Rd., NW Tandoreh National Park, near Alibolâgh, N 37°32΄06.2˝, E 58°36΄07.3˝, 1509 m, 29.vi.2014, leg. Âlipanâh, Falsafi , 10 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Daregaz- Kalât-e Nâder Rd., Lâeen vill. to Khâkestar vill. Rd., before Châhârrâh vill ., Hezârmasjed Mts., N 37°02΄39.5˝, E 59°26΄10.11˝, 1344 m, 27.vi.2014, leg. Âlipanâh, Falsafi ; 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Daregaz, N Tandoreh National Park, Chelmir, N 37°23΄33.6˝, E 58°51΄23.3˝, 1018 m, 24.vi.2014, leg. Âlipanâh, Falsafi , 2 ♂♂, Daregaz, N Tandoreh National Park, 6 km after Chelmir, Cheshmeh Rajab, N 37°23΄35.9˝, E 58°48΄35.8˝, 1206 m, 26.vi.2014, leg. Âlipanâh, Falsafi , 6 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Daregaz, N Tandoreh National Park, Chelmir- Bandak Rd., near Bandak, N 37°23΄54.2˝, E 58°47΄02.0˝, 1383 m, 25.vi.2014, leg. Âlipanâh, Falsafi ; Sistân and Baluchestân Prov.: 8 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Châbahâr, Tis, 10 m, 17.v.1972, leg. Abâi, Ebert , 1 ♂, Khâsh, 3 km E Sangân, 1550 m, 19.v.1972, leg. Ebert, Falkner , 3 ♂♂, Zâhedân, Kahurak, 23.iv.1973, leg. Borumand , 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Zâhedân, Kahurak, 510 m, 2.vi.1977, leg. Safavi, Pâzuki, Abâi , 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Râsk, Bâhukalât, 4.iv.1973, leg. Borumand, Safavi , 2 ♂♂, Râsk, Ahmad Âbâd, 30.iv.2003, leg. Moghaddam, Serri , 1 ♂, Nikshahr, 8.–10.iv.1973, leg. Borumand, Safavi , 1 ♂, Bampur, 4.iv.1973, leg. Safavi, Borumand , 1 ♂, Bampur, 535 m, 4.v.2003, leg. Moghaddam, Serri , 1 ♂, Bampur, N 22°12΄00.7˝, E 60°30΄04.7˝, 563 m, 25.iv.2012 , leg, Afsariân, Moghaddam, Mozaffariân , 1 ♀, Dashtiâri, 14.iv.1950, leg. Fâmuri , 1 ♀, Zâbol, Zahak, N 30°53΄20.8˝, E 61°40΄32.2˝, 500 m, 24.iv.2005, leg. Ebrâhimi, Moghaddam , 1 ♂, Zâbol, Park-e Jazinak, N 30°54΄19.7˝, E 61°33΄44.3˝, 497 m, 24.iv.2005, leg. Ebrâhimi, Moghaddam.

Distribution. Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, NW China (Xinjang), Caucasus (Daghestan, Armenien, Georgia, Azerbaijan), Iran, Afghanistan, Pakistan (Chrisoph 1887a, 1893; Spuler 1910; Daniel 1964b; Krivokhatskyi 1985; Falkovich 1986; Hua et al. 1990; Schoorl 1990; Yakovlev 2004d, 2005, 2006a; Yakovlev & Witt 2016).

Distribution in Iran. NE, NW, S and Central Iran (Fig. 31B).

Habitat. Deserts and semideserts.

Host plants. In Tajikistan (Tigrovaya balka Reserve) and Uzbekistan: Tamarix ramosissima Ledeb., T. Hispida Willd. (Tamaricaceae), and Caragana Fabr. (Fabaceae) (Sinadsky 1960; Stschetkin 1963; Falkovitch 1986).