Nychiodes admirabila Brandt, 1938

Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel, Krogmann, Lars, Petrányi, Gergely & Rajaei, Hossein, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the genus Nychiodes Lederer, 1853 (Geometridae: Ennominae: Boarmiini) with description of three new species-an integrative approach, Zootaxa 4812 (1), pp. 1-61 : 21

Nychiodes admirabila Brandt, 1938

( figs 38–40, 104 , 135 ; map 2)

Nychiodes admirabila Brandt, 1938 . Entomologische Rundschau 55 (51): 36. Holotype ♂ ([ Iran]: Fort Sine-Sefid , Comèe) (in NHRS, examined).

Nychiodes admirabila safidaria Wiltshire, 1943 . Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay, 43, 633, (in BMNH). Hereby regarded as a new synonym of Nychiodes admirabila based on sympatric occurrence of these forms.

Nychiodes admirabilis Wiltshire, 1943 . Journal of the Bombay Natural History Society, Bombay, 43, 632. Incorrect subsequent spelling.

Type material examined. Paratypes, 1 ♂, Iran, Fars, Strasse Chiraz Kazeroun, Fort Sine-Sefid , ca. 2200 m, 16.vi.1937, coll. Brandt, g.prep. 10920 ; 1 ♀, [labeled as allotype], Fars, Strasse Chiraz Kazeroun, Fort Sine-Sefid, Comee [Komehr], ca. 2600 m, 30.vii.1937, coll. Brandt, g.prep. 10921; all in NHRS . 1 ♂, same locality, ca. 2200 m, Sept.1937, coll. Brandt ; 2 ♂, I same locality, ca 2600 m, Juli. 1937, coll. Brandt ; 1 ♂, same locality, 2.viii.1937, coll. Brandt; all in ZFMK . 1 ♂, same locality, ca. 2200 m, 10.ix.1937, coll. Brandt; in ZSM .

Additional material studied: 3 ♂ (see appendix).

Diagnosis. Wingspan ♂ 40–41 mm, ♀ 45 mm (forewing length ♂ 20–21 mm, ♀ 23 mm) ( figs 38–40). Wing colour and pattern characteristic, no confusion possible with any other Nychiodes species. Ground colour of wings light brown, with ochre-red scales in basal and subterminal areas, medial area grey-brown intermixed with dark brown to black scales, discal spots on all wings dark brown to black, exceptionally large ( figs 38, 39). In rare cases medial area covered with black scales ( fig. 40). Male genitalia of N. admirabila are very large and show clear diagnostic characters for a discrimination from the species occurring in southern and south-western Iran species ( N. farinosa , N. subfusca , N. leviata , N. subvirida and N. divergaria ): in N. admirabila costa of valva medially humped (not humped in N. farinosa , N. subfusca , N. leviata and N. divergaria ; humped in N. subvirida ) (see figs 98 , 104, 106 , 108, 113–119 ). N. admirabila with ampulla inferior stout and curved (small, not curved in N. subvirida ) ( figs 104 , 110, 111 ). Female genitalia of N. admirabila with a characteristic quadratic, apically concave lamella postvaginalis (antero-posteriorly extended in N. subvirida , and N. divergaria ; not extended in N. farinosa ; rounded with foldings in N. subfusca ; not extended, small in N. leviata ). In N. admirabila apophyses anteriores 1/4 length of apophyses posteriores (1/ 3 in N. farinosa and N. leviata ; 1/ 9 in N. subfusca ; apophyses anteriores strongly reduced in N. subvirida and N. divergaria ) (see figs 135–142 ).

Phenology. Flying from May to September.

Biology. Unknown.

Habitat. In altitudes from 1890 up to 2800 m.

Distribution. Distributed in south-western Iran (map 2).

DNA barcoding. Nearest species (minimum pairwise distances): N. subfusca (5.1%), N. eberti sp. nov. (5.8%) and N. antiquaria (5.8%) ( fig. 145 ).

Figures

FIGURE 145. Un-rooted neighbour joining tree (Saitou & Nei 1987) based on 20 species of the genus Nychiodes (calculated using K2P model: Kimura 1980 with MEGA X (Kumar et al. 2018).

FIGURES 103-107. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 103: Paratype of N. quettensis (Pakistan, Quetta, g.prep. WW223); 104: Paratype of N. admirabila (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10920); 105: Holotype of N. rayatica (Iraq, Rayat, g.prep. 11019); 106: Paratype of N. subfusca (Iran, Komehr, g.prep. 10932); 107: Uncus, lateral view, N. subfusca (Iran, Dasht-e Arjan, g.prep. 0412/2019 D. Wanke). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 135-144. Female genitalia of Nychiodes species. 135: Paratype of N. admirabila (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10921); 136: Paratype of N. subfusca (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10933); 137: Paratype (labeled as Allotype) of N. leviata (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10927); 138: Paratype (labeled as Allotype) of N. subvirida (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10935); 139: N. subvirida (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 0169/2018 D. Wanke); 140: Paratype (labeled as Allotype) of N. agatcha syn. nov. of N. subvirida (Iran, Laristan, g.prep. 10923); 141: Paratype (labeled as Allotype) of N. variabila syn. nov. of N. divergaria (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10931; according to morphological examination this specimen belongs to N. divergaria); 142: Paratype (labeled as Allotype) of N. variabila opulenta syn. nov. of N. divergaria (Iran, Baloutchistan, g.prep. 10929), 143: Paratype of N. eberti sp. nov. (Turkey, Ascale, g.prep. 0263/2019 D. Wanke); 144: Paratype of N. mirzayansi sp. nov. (Iran, Kerman, a: whole genitalia; b: close up; g.prep. 2252/2019 H. Rajaei). Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 96-102. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 96: N. amygdalaria (Turkey, Aksehir, g.prep. 2089/2017 H. Rajaei); 97: Uncus, lateral view, N. amygdalaria (Turkey, Maras, g.prep. 0411/2019 D. Wanke); 98: Holotype of N. farinosa (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10924); 99: Uncus, lateral view, N. farinosa (Iran, Hamadan, g.prep. 0414/2019 D. Wanke); 100: N. antiquaria (Tadjikistan, Kalaishum, g.prep. 0365/2019 D. Wanke); 101: Uncus, lateral view, N. antiquaria (Uzbekistan, Guzar, g.prep. 0408/2019 D. Wanke); 102: Holotype of N. princeps (Afghanistan, Band-i-Amir, g.prep. WW36). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 108-114. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 108: Paratype of N. leviata (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10926); 109: Uncus, lateral view, N. leviata (Iran, Isfahan, 0417/2019 D. Wanke); 110: N. agatcha syn. nov. of N. subvirida (Iran, Laristan, g.prep. 10922); 111: Paratype of N. subvirida (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10934); 112: Uncus, lateral view, N. subvirida (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 0415/2019 D. Wanke); 113: Holotype of N. variabila opulenta syn. nov. of N. divergaria (Iran, Baloutchistan, g.prep. 10928); 114: Holotype of N. variabila syn. nov. of N. divergaria (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10930); a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scalebar 1 mm.

FIGURES 115-118. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 115: Syntype of N. divergaria achtyca syn. nov. of N. divergaria (Dagestan, Ackty, g.prep. 7272); 116: Uncus, lateral view, N. divergaria (Turkey, Hakkari, g.prep. 0395/2019 D. Wanke); 117: Lectotype (herewith designated) of N. divergaria (Turkey, Mardin, g.prep. 2106/2017 H. Rajaei); 118: Paralectotype (herewith designated) of N. divergaria (Turkey, Egin, g.prep. 2107/2017 H. Rajaei); a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 119. Variations in the genitalia capsule of N. divergaria. Differences occur in the shape of the costa of the valva, the shape of the ampulla superior and the presence versus absence of the ampulla inferior. Genitalia capsules sorted from no ampulla inferior (A) to a fully developed one (P). A: Iran, Kermanschah, g.prep. 0189/2018 D. Wanke; B: Iran, Rezaiyeh, g.prep. 0201/2018 D. Wanke; C: Iran, Azerbaijan, g.prep. 0204/2018 D. Wanke; D: g.prep. 0064/2018 D. Wanke; E: Iran, Azerbaijan-e Gharbi, g.prep. 0131/2018 D. Wanke; F: Iran, Miyan Kotal, g.prep. 0177/2018 D. Wanke; G: Turkey, Van, g.prep. 0258/2019 D. Wanke; H: Iran, prov. Kerman, g.prep. 0170/2018 D. Wanke; I: Turkey, Van, g.prep. 0257/2019 D. Wanke; J: Iran, Kendevan, g.prep. 0256/2019 D. Wanke; K: Iran, Mazandaran, g.prep. 2187/2018 H. Rajaei; L: Armenia, Yeghegnadzor suburbs, g.prep. 0375/2019 D. Wanke; M:Armenia,Yeghegnadzor suburbs, g.prep. 0376/2019 D. Wanke; N:Turkey, Malatya, g.prep. 0452/2019 D. Wanke; O: Turkey, Van, g.prep. 0062/2018 D. Wanke; P: Armenia, Yeghegnadzor suburbs, g.prep. 0374/2019 D. Wanke.