Cinglis benigna ( Brandt, 1941 ) Wanke & Hausmann & Lee & Murillo-Ramos & Sihvonen & Rajaei, 2023

Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel, Lee, Kyung Min, Murillo-Ramos, Leidys, Sihvonen, Pasi & Rajaei, Hossein, 2023, Systematics and integrative taxonomic revision of the tribe Scopulini Duponchel, 1845 in Iran (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Sterrhinae), Zootaxa 5359 (1), pp. 1-96 : 11

Cinglis benigna ( Brandt, 1941) comb. nov.

( Plate 3, Figs 3–8; Plate 10, Figs 2–5; Plate 21 , Figs 2–4; Map 1)

Glossotrophia benigna Brandt, 1941 . Mitteilungen der Münchner Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 31 (3): 868. Syntypes ♁, ♀ ( Iran: Fort Sengan ) (in NHRS, examined).

Pseudocinglis benigna nigromaculata Hausmann, 1994 . Nota Lepidopterologica, 16 (3/4): 209. Holotype ( Iran: north) (in SMNK, examined). Valid at subspecific rank.

Scopula (Eucidalia) amseli Wiltshire, 1967. Beiträge zur naturkundlichen Forschung in Südwestdeutschland, 26: (3). Holotype ( Iran: Fars, Quli Kush) (in NHMUK, examined). Transferred to the genus Pseudocinglis and downgraded to subspecific rank of Pseudocinglis benigna by Hausmann & László (1999). Here regarded as synonym of C. benigna benigna based on sympatric occurrence of these forms.

Type material examined. Glossotrophia benigna : Paratypes 1 ♁, 1 ♀, Iran, Baloutchistan , Strasse Khach– Zahedan, Fort Sengan, 1800 m, 30.iv.1938, coll. Brandt, (♁) NHRS-LEPI 000010310, g. prep. 11053, (♀) NHRS-LEPI 000010311, g. prep. 11054; in NHRS .

Pseudocinglis benigna nigtomaculata : Holotype ♁, N-Iran, 70 km s. Teheran, 1300 m, 29.v.1969, leg. G. Ebert, g. prep. 3796 ZSM HM [Axel Hausmann] ; Paratype ♀, same data, g. prep. 3797 ZSM HM [Axel Hausmann]; all in ZSM.

Scopula (Eucidalia) amseli : Holotype ♁, Iran, Fars, Quli Kush , 8.vi.1949, leg. E.P. Wiltshire, g. prep. E. P. Wiltshire 1127 [genitalia slide couldn’t be traced in the genitalia slide collection of Wiltshire in NHMUK], NHMUK 014173546 ; in NHMUK.

Paratype 1 ♁, N.- Afghanistan, Polichomri , 700 m, 28.v.1956, leg. H. G. Amsel, g. prep. 2262/2020 H. Rajaei ; Paratype 1 ♁, O.- Afghanistan, Gulbahar , 1700 m, 25.vi.1956, leg. H. G. Amsel, g. prep. 2263/2020 H. Rajaei ; Paratypes 1 ♁, 1 ♀, O.- Afghanistan, Gulbahar , 1700 m, 21.v.1956, leg. H. G. Amsel, g. prep. WM. 131 [♁ & ♀ are embedded on the same slide]; in SMNK .

Additional material examined: Cinglis benigna benigna 10 ♁/ ♀, Cinglis benigna nigromaculata 14 ♁/ ♀ (see appendix).

Diagnosis. Wingspan 15–25 ♁ ♀ mm. Ground colour ( Plate 3, Figs 3–8) sandy to brown. In Iran, Cinglis benigna can externally be confused only with C. eurata (see Plate 3, Figs 3–10). However, C. benigna shows a unique combination of characters in the male genitalia for differentiation from C. eurata . In male genitalia, 8th sternite without cerata, basally notched, more stongly notched in C. benigna benigna , more weakly notched in C. benigna nigromaculata (8th sternite with a short right ceras, basally notched in C. eurata ) (see Plate 10, Figs 2–6). The female genitalia show no strong differences from other species of this genus; probably corpus bursae more strongly sclerotized than C. eurata (see Plate 21 , Figs 2–5).

Taxonomic remarks. The holotype and paratypes of Scopula amseli are not conspecific. Although the genitalia slide of the holotype of Cinglis benigna amseli could not be traced at the NHMUK, the type locality in the southern Iranian province Fars suggests that C. benigna amseli syn. nov. is a synonym of the nominotypical subspecies. The paratypes are from northern and eastern Afghanistan. The paratypes appear to belong to Cinglis eurata , as they show the typical short right ceras in the 8th sternite of the male.

Phenology. Specimens of Cinglis benigna benigna were collected from April to June, while Cinglis benigna nigromaculata was collected from May to September.

Biology. Unknown.

Habitat. Investigated specimens of C. benigna benigna collected at altitudes from 1200 to 3000 m; C. benigna nigromaculata at altitudes from 800 to 1700 m.

Distribution. Endemic to Iran. The nominotypical subspecies C. benigna benigna is distributed in southern Iran, C. benigna nigromaculata in northern Iran (Map 1).

DNA-barcoding. Nearest species: Scopula risa Wiltshire, 1982 with a genetic distance of 8.8%. Genetic distance from other Cinglis species: Cinglis humifusaria with 10.8 % and C. andalusaria with 11.1 %. (see Supplementary Table S1).

Figures

PLATE 21: Figures 1–9. Female genitalia of Cinglis, Scopuloides and Scopula species. 1: Cinglis humifusaria (Iran, Zanjan,Ab-Dar, g. prep. 1193/2022 D. Wanke); 2: Cinglis benigna benigna comb. nov. (Iran, Strasse Shiraz-Kazerun, Imam Sade, g. prep. 1050/2021 D. Wanke); 3: Cinglis benigna nigromaculata comb. nov. (Iran, Semnan, Cheschme Ali, g. prep. 0985/2021 D. Wanke); 4: Cinglis benigna amseli syn. nov. of Cinglis benigna benigna comb. nov. (Paratype, Afghanistan, Gulbahar, g. prep. WM 131); 5: Cinglis eurata comb. nov. (Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, g. prep. 895 Pasi Sihvonen); 6: Scopuloides origalis stat. rev. (Iran, Balutschestan, Nikschar, g. prep. 0565/2020 D. Wanke); 7: Scopula conscensa (Ceylon, NHMUK014173528, Slide NHMUK010317461); 8–9: Scopula relictata (8: Oman,Adam, NHMUK014173580, Slide NHMUK014314454; 9: [Kenya], Suna, S. Kavirondo, NHMUK014173536, Slide NHMUK014314489); Scale-bar 1 mm.