Lophoterges HAMPSON, 1906

Ronkay, L., 2005, Revision Of The Genus Lophoterges Hampson, 1906 (S. L.) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Cuculliinae). Part Ii. The Genus Lophoterges S. Str., Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 51 (1), pp. 1-57 : 2-3

Lophoterges HAMPSON, 1906

Lophoterges HAMPSON, 1906 , Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae 6: 91. Type species: Lithocampa fatua PÜNGELER, 1904 , Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 16: 288, pl. 6, fig. 4. Type locality: Kuku-Noor, Tibet ( China).

Phylogeny. Lophoterges , together with Calliergis HÜBNER, [1821] , Lithophasia STAUDINGER, 1892 and Bryomima STAUDINGER, 1900 , represent a common phyletic trunk. The closest relative of Lophoterges is Lithophasia , the two known species of this latter genus ( L. venosula STAUDINGER, 1892 , and L. cyaxares WILTSHIRE, 1957 ) are rather similar externally to the members of Lophoterges . The outgroup of this lineage is the Epimecia – Rhabinopteryx line.

The genus can be separated into four evolutionary lines, they are interpreted here as distinct subgenera. The two more primitive lineages are restricted to the Tibetan plateau and its surrounding high mountains; both contain only a single species ( L. (Lophoterges) fatua ( PÜNGELER, 1904) and L. (Tibeterges) hoenei DRAUDT, 1950 ). The two more advanced lineages display intensive allopatric speciation, and the presence of two species in the same mountain chain is exceptional; all the European taxa belong to a common subgeneric group. The members of the two monobasic subgenera ( Lophoterges and Tibeterges ) are easily separable from each other and from the taxa of the two other subgenera while the species of the two derived groups are very similar externally but their specific differences are easily recognizable in the genitalia of both sexes. These latter two subgenera ( Variterges and Fibigerges ) have a tendency of dissymmetry in the genitalia of both sexes: in the Central Asian taxa ( Variterges ) the distal parts of the valvae of males and the harpes show conspicuous asymmetry since in Fibigerges , the westernmost subgenus of Lophoterges , the sclerotised penicular lobes (“socii”; the most conspicuous synapomorphy of the genus) are also asymmetrical. This trend can be observed in the female genitalia, too, appearing mostly in the shape and sclerotisation of the ostium bursae.

Diagnosis. The most important apomorphies of the genus are as follows:

1) the Lophoterges - type fore wing pattern (see the detailed description of the genus and Figs 1–32 ),

2) the presence of the well-developed, strongly sclerotised socii,

3) the modified, sclerotised, bar-like or quadrangular-spatulate cucullus,

4) the reduction of the paired basal abdominal coremata into their sclerotised pedicels and the pocket-like membranous pouches (which are sometimes densely hairy inside; these pouches are missing in the subg. Lophoterges ), a common synapomorphy of the genera of the Lophoterges – Lithophasia generic complex,

5) the presence of a pair of cartilagineous appendices on the intersegmental membrane between the last and the penultimate segments (see the Figs 36, 37 , 40–42 , 49, 50 , 53 , 56 , 59, 60, 61 , 64 and 66 ), except in the subgenera Lophoterges and Tibeterges ),

6) the huge, sclerotised, flattened, asymmetrically calyculate infundibular or symmetrical, broadly funnel-like ostium bursae,

7) the rugose-wrinkled, partly gelatinous structure of the proximal part of ductus bursae (less developed in the subg. Fibigerges ) and

8) the presence of the paired, cartilagineous, flattened, pillow-like postero-lateral prominences on the 8th sternite of the female.

Some of these features mentioned above (1, 2, 5) are unique within the entire trifine Noctuidae , the feature 4 is typical of this lineage within the subfamily Cuculliinae while features 3, 6, 7 and 8 may appear in different genera/species of the Noctuidae but very occasionally and usually in taxonomically remote groups and the combination of these characters is a very strong autapomorphy of the genus Lophoterges .

The apomorphies listed here are generally present in all four subgenera but their stage of development and their actual appearance may be conspicuously different. The autapomorphic character stati of these features are given under the diagnoses of the subgenera, together with the discussion of the possible other diagnostic characteristics.

Figures

Figs 1–8. 1–2 =Lophoterges (Lophoterges) fatua (PÜNGELER, 1904), China,Gansu: 1 = male, 2 = female; 3–7 = Lophoterges (Variterges) centralasiae (STAUDINGER, 1901): 3–4 = male, Kazakhstan, Kok-Pek, 5 = male, Tadjikistan, Pamir Mts, 6–7 = female, Kirghisia, Alai; 8 = L. (V.) aksuensis

Figs 9–16. 9 =Lophoterges (Variterges) aksuensis (BANG-HAAS, 1912), female, China, Aksu;10–11= L. (V.) varians sp. n.: 10 = holotype, male, Uzbekistan, Chatkal, 11 = paratype, female, Uzbekistan, Chimgan; 12–15 = L. (V.) radians sp. n.: 12 = holotype, male, Afghanistan, Nuristan, 13 = paratype, male, Afghanistan, Safed Koh, 14 = paratype, male, Tadjikistan, Shahristan, 15 = paratype, male,

Figs 17–24. 17–18 = Lophoterges (Variterges) radians sp. n.: 17 = paratype, female, Uzbekistan,Hissar, 18 = paratype, female, Afghanistan, Salang; 19–20 = L. (Fibigerges) mariannae FIBIGER, 2001: 19 = holotype, male, Iran, Mazandaran, 20 = male, Iran, Mazandaran; 21 = L. (F.) hoerhammeri (WAG- NER, 1931), male, Turkey, Akshehir, 22–23 = L. (F.) atlas sp. n.: 22 = holotype, male, Morocco, 23 =

Figs 25–32. 25 = Lophoterges (Fibigerges) millierei millierei (STAUDINGER, 1871), female, Spain; 26–28 = L. (F.) m. fibigeri RONKAY et RONKAY, 1995: 26 = holotype, male, France, Basses Alps, 27 = paratype, male, France, Sisteron, 28 = paratype, female; 29 = L. (Lophoterges) fatua (PÜNGELER, 1904), holotype, male, Kuku-Noor; 30 = L. (Tibeterges) hoenei DRAUDT, 1950, holotype, female, Tibet, Batang; 31 = L. (Variterges) aksuensis (BANG-HAAS, 1912, holotype, male, Aksu; 32 = L.

Figs 35–37. 35 = Lophoterges (L.) fatua (PÜNGELER, 1904): female, China, Gansu, 36–37 = L. (V.) centralasiae (STAUDINGER, 1901): female, Kirghisia, Alai

Figs 40–42. 40 = Lophoterges (V.) aksuensis (BANG-HAAS, 1912), female, China, Aksu; 41–42 = L. (V.) varians sp. n., paratype females, Uzbekistan: 42 = Chimgan, 42 = Chatkal

Figs 49–50. Lophoterges (V.) radians sp. n., female, paratypes: 49 = Uzbekistan, Hissar, 50 = Afghanistan, Salang

Figs 51–53. Lophoterges (Fibigerges) mariannae FIBIGER, 2001, Iran, Mazandaran: 51 = holotype male, 52 = paratype, male, 53 = paratype, female

Fig. 56. Lophoterges (F.) hoerhammeri (WAGNER, 1931), female, Turkey

Figs 59–61. 59 = Lophoterges (F.) atlas sp. n., paratype, female, Algeria, 60–61 = L. (F.) millierei millierei (STAUDINGER, 1871), females, Spain

Figs 64–66. 64 = Lophoterges (F.) millierei millierei (STAUDINGER, 1871), female, Spain; 65–66 = L. (F.) m. fibigeri RONKAY et RONKAY, 1995, paratypes, France: 65 = male, 66 = female