Catoptria lythargyrella ( Hübner, 1796 )

Bassi, Graziano & Huemer, Peter, 2025, Taxonomic and nomenclatorial notes on the Catoptria coulonellus (Duponchel) species group with description of five new species from Western Balkans (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae), Zootaxa 5719 (3), pp. 301-326 : 313

Catoptria lythargyrella ( Hübner, 1796)

( Figs 11, 12 , 33 , 53 )

Tinea lythargyrella Hübner, 1796 –1836 (imprint “1796”). Type locality: Germany, Augsburg. Type material: lost. Neotype male, here designated, [ Germany] Bavaria, Schwaben, Donau-Ries, Nördinger Ries , 48.8504, 10.4874, 475 m, 02.ix.2016, R. Heindel legit, GS M2276 SNSB, barcode ZSM Lep 99975, SNSB.

Material examined: Germany: 1 female, same labels as neotype, SNSB . Italy: 21 males, 14 females, Piemonte, Val Susa, Giaglione (TO), 700 m, 12.viii.2019, 14.viii.1993, 29.viii.2019, 31.viii.2013, 2.ix.2019, 4.ix.2019, 6.ix.2013, 13.ix.1992, 16.ix.2018, 19.ix.2019, 21.ix.2019, G. Bassi legit, GS 1231, 1578, 1738, 6857, 7138 GB, RCGB ; 3 males, Piemonte, Val Susa, Salbertrand, Moncellier , 1300 m, 19.viii.2010, G. Bassi legit, RCGB ; 3 males, 2 females, Piemonte, Val Susa, Oulx, San Marco , 1300 m, 27.viii.2009, G. Bassi legit, RCGB ; 6 males, Piemonte, Val Sangone, Coazze (TO), strada Colle della Roussa , 1460 m, 26.viii.2022, G. Bassi legit, RCGB ; 1 male, Trentino Alto Adige, Lasa ( BZ), 1415 m, 30.viii.2019, G. Longo Turri legit, RCLT ; 1 male, Trentino Alto Adige, Collalbo ( BZ), 11.ix.1959, F. Hartig legit, RCGB ; 3 males, Abruzzo, Maielletta sopra, Pretoro ( CH), m. 2000, 2.8.55, U. Parenti legit, RCGB ; 2 males, Morino Calabro ( CS), Mt Pollino , 13.viii.2015, 2000m, GS 5912 and 5937 GB, Scalercio legit, CREA and RCGB . France: 5 males, 3 females, Colle di Tenda, French side, 1850 m, 10.vii.1985, G. Bassi legit, GS 1578 GB, RCGB . Russia: 1 male, Caucasus south west, Taberda , 1300 m, 3.ix.1974, B. Müller, GS 553 GB, RCGB ; 1 male, N. Kaukasus, Kislovodsk Umgeb. , 4-15.ix.1975, GS 4962 GB, SNSB .

Diagnosis: Adults ( Figs 11, 12 ) are slightly larger with a wingspan of 29–36 mm in males and 23–27 mm in females, than the closely related species C. domaviellus ( Fig. 14 ) and C. nikai sp. nov. ( Fig. 15 ), and the forewing is flushed with olive yellow and not sprinkled with dark brown. The unique known specimen of C. richteri sp. nov. ( Fig. 13 ) is as large as C. lythargyrella , but paler in ground colour, and its forewing is sprinkled with dark brown mediodorsally. The male genitalia ( Fig. 33 ) have a pars basalis larger and stouter than in allied species; however, its concavity is less evident, and medially, the arm is larger, with a width/length ratio of 0.5. The phallus is narrow and similar to that of C. domaviellus ( Fig. 34 ), but the cornuti are about 14 and thinner than in C. domaviellus . The female genitalia ( Fig. 53 ) are similar to those of C. domaviellus ( Fig. 54 ); however, the sterigma is more produced, the ductus bursae is longer before the bulge, and it is generally more sclerotized than in C. domaviellus .

Distribution: Palearctic, from Spain to South Siberia, including Caucasus and Iran.

Habitat: Found in dry and sunny open slopes at elevations up to 1850 m in the Western Alps (Col de Tende, France), and 2000 m in other parts of the Alps (Zermatt, Switzerland) and Southern Apennines (Calabria, Mt. Pollino), and up to 1600 m in the Balkans.

Remarks: As explained above, Hübner’s Crambinae are lost, and as the stability of a name is only ensured when a primary type exists, we designate a specimen from Augsburg surroundings as the neotype.

Figures

FIGURES 9–16. Catoptria spp., habitus. 9–10. C. trichostomus (Christoph), male, Russia, “Sarepta” (9); female, Russia, Polar Ural, 9.vii.1977, K. F. Sedych legit (10). 11–12. C. lythargyrella ([Denis & Schiffermüller]), male neotype, Germany, Bavaria, Schwaben, Donau-Ries, Nördinger Ries, 48.8504, 10.4874, 475 m, 02.ix.2016, R. Heindel legit, photo A. Segerer (SNSB) (11); female, Italy, Piedmont, Susa Valley, Giaglione, 630 m., 10.ix.2018, G. Bassi legit (12). 13. C. richteri sp. nov., holotype. 14. C. domaviellus (Rebel), lectotype, photo S. Gaal-Haszler and H. Bruckner (NHMW). 15–16. C. nikai sp. nov., holotype (15); the same, head in lateral view (16).

FIGURES 33–40. Catoptria spp., male genitalia. 33. C. lythargyrella ([Denis & Schiffermüller]), Italy, Piemonte, Val Susa (TO), Giaglione, 700 m, 19.ix.2019, G. Bassi legit, GS 6857 GB. 34. C. domaviellus (Rebel), holotype, photo S. Gaal-Haszler and H. Bruckner (NHMW). 35. C. nikai sp. nov., holotype. 36. C. richteri sp. nov., holotype. 37. Catoptria kasyi Błeszyński, paratype, Macedonia Occ., 22.VII-5.VIII.1959, Peristeri Mons, Golemo Ezero, 2200 m, F. Kasy, GS 5123 GB, SNSB. 38. C. korab sp. nov., paratype, North Macedonia, Korab, Kobilino Pole, 26-27.vii.2019, I. Richter legit, GS 7418 GB. 39. C. sarplanina sp. nov., holotype. 40. C. plat sp. nov., paratype.

FIGURES 53–56. Catoptria spp., female genitalia. 53. C. lythargyrella ([Denis & Schiffermüller]), female, Italy, Piedmont, Susa Valley, Giaglione, 630 m, 21.ix.2019, G. Bassi legit, GS 6993 GB. 54. C. domaviellus (Rebel), lectoparatype (Bleszynski’s designation (1960)), Bjelašnica, Hercegow, vii, Rebel, GS 1637 Bł., photo S. Gaal-Haszler and H. Bruckner (NHMW). 55. C. kasyi Błeszyński, female, North Macedonia, Pelister National Park, Golemo Ezero, 2200 m., 31.vii.2015, I. Richter legit, GS 6982 GB. 56. C. sarplanina sp. nov., paratype, same labels as holotype, GS 6976 GB.