Lemonia italiana, Prozorov & Prozorova & Volkova & Yakovlev & Nedoshivina & Pinzari & Pinzari & Scalercio & Bianco & Saldaitis & Hausmann & Revay & Müller, 2022

Prozorov, Alexey M., Prozorova, Tatiana A., Volkova, Julia S., Yakovlev, Roman V., Nedoshivina, Svetlana V., Pinzari, Manuela, Pinzari, Mario, Scalercio, Stefano, Bianco, Giovanni, Saldaitis, Aidas, Hausmann, Axel, Revay, Edita E. & Müller, Günter C., 2022, Revision of the Lemonia taraxaci complex, with a description of a new species from Italy and clarification of the status of Lemonia strigata (Lepidoptera Brahmaeidae: Lemoniinae), Zootaxa 5195 (4), pp. 337-360 : 343-345

Lemonia italiana sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:3B639832-7D67-4D8D-81F8-89F82148EB9A

( Figs 24–31 , 54 , 67–73 , 97–98 , 114–118 )

= Lemonia taraxaci f. abluta Dannehl. Type locality: Italy, Apennines centrale, Montagna Grande, 1200–1500 m. Paratype ♂ ( ZSM), nomen nudum .

Type material: HOLOTYPE ♂, Italy, Calabria centr., Sila grd., Casali del Manco, San Nicola Silano ( CS), 39.29586° N, 16.52569° E, 1550 m, 2.IX.2012, leg. A. Hausmann, slide Lemon-7 ( ZSM).

PARATYPES (133♂, 5♀ total): Italy, Emilia-Romagna : 3♂, Casina , 13.IX.1958, leg. A. Beyerl ( CGM) ; ♂, Zattaglia, M. Mauro , 350 m, 8.X.2010, leg. G. Govi ( CAF) . Tuscany: 2♂, La Cisa, 44.4716° N, 9.9283° E, 1000 m, IX.1959, leg. L. Weinmann ( SMNS) ; 3♂, 2♀, Siena, Geggiano, Pianella , 43.3639° N, 11.3856° E, 350 m, 21–28.IX.2021, leg. N. Keil, BC ZSM Lep 113545 ( CNK; CBM) . Marches: 3♂, Monte Catria, above Fossato , 43.4704° N, 12.6661° E, 1100 m, 23.IX.2017, leg. G. Govi, BC ZSM Lep 114582, 114583, 114584 ( ZSM) ; 2♂, Monti Sibillini, Pintura di Bolognola , 1400 m, 1.09.2011, leg. A. Floriani ( CAF) Umbria: 2♂, Montagna Grande , 42.8469° N, 12.87161° E, 1000 m, 12.IX ( CGM) . Lazio: ♂, Roma, Monti Sabatini, Casaccia , Santa Maria di Galeria , 30.IX.1970, leg. P. Maltzeff, slide Lemon-17 ( CGM) ; ♂, Roma, Olgiata , 7.IX.1967, slide 14.549 ( MWM / ZSM) ; 17♂, 2♀, Rieti, Vallemare, Colle Marcone , 1121 m, 5.IX.1987, 13.IX.1987, 17.IX.1988, 20.IX.1991, 11.IX.2000, 8.IX.2002, 23.IX.2006, 14.IX.2008, leg. M. Pinzari ( CMP, CGM) ; ♀, Rieti, Vallemare, Costa della Chiusa , 1093 m, 16.IX.1989, leg. M. Pinzari ( CMP) ; 14♂, Rieti, Posta, Villa Camponeschi , Colle Petruccio , 1000 m, 4–6.IX.1996, 8.IX.2001, leg. A. Zilli ( CMP, CGM) ; ♂, Rieti, Santa Anatolia , 750 m, 9.IX.1994, leg. P. Provera ( CMP) ; 20♂, Roma, Olgiata , 30.IX.1961, 2.IX.1965, 3.IX.1965, 4.IX.1965, 3.IX.1966, 4.X.1966, 7.X.1966, 9.X.1966, 7.X.1967, 9.X.1972, leg. P. Provera ( CMP) ; 3♂, Roma, Casaccia, Santa Maria di Galeria , 190 m, 5.X.1970, 7.X.1971, 22.X.1971, leg. P. Maltzeff ( CMP, CGM) . Abruzzo: 2♂, L’Aquila, Rocca di Botte , 800 m, 30.IX.1974, leg. P. Provera ( CMP, CGM) ; ♂, L’Aquila, Sperone ( Gioia dei Marsi ), 1000 m, 30.IX.1995, leg. P. Provera ( CMP) ; ♂, Pescina , 900 m, 7.IX.1994, leg. P. Provera ( CJM) ; ♂, V. F. Capo, La Maina mt. , 1100 m, 5.X.1980, leg. P. Provera ( CGM) . Apulia: 3♂, Ostuni , 40.72952° N, 17.57799° E, 5 m, 1–10.X.1969, leg. E. Beyerl ( CGM) . Basilicata: 9♂, Forststraβe Mad. di Sirino , 40.1430° N, 15.8148° E, 1570 m, 5.IX.2011, leg. A. Hausmann ( ZSM) ; ♂, Forststraβe Mad. di Sirino , 40.2417° N, 16.3633° E, 1570 m, 5.IX.2011, leg. A. Hausmann, BC ZSM Lep 60899 ( ZSM) ; ♂, Md. di Sirino , 1060 m, 15.IX.1991, leg. A. Hausmann ( ZSM) ; ♂, Piano di Ruggio , 1545 m, 16.IX.2004, leg. Scalercio & Greco ( ZSM) ; ♂, Costa tirr., Cristo di Maratea , 620 m, 28.X.1996, leg. A. Hausmann ( ZSM) ; 2♂, Valle Noce, Trecchina , 320 m, 29.X.1996, leg. A. Hausmann ( ZSM) . Calabria: 3♂, Pollino, Mercene , 300 m, 6.X.1980 ( ZSM) ; ♂, Mte. Pollino, Col. d. Dragone , 1620 m, 12.IX.1995, leg. A. Hausmann ( ZSM) ; ♂, Casali del Manco , San Nicola Silano ( CS) , 1450 m, 4.IX.2000, leg. S. Scalercio ( ZSM) ; ♂, La Sila, Lago di Arvo , 1350 m, 11.IX.1971, leg. Wiegel ( CGM) ; 8♂, Sila grd., Casali del Manco , San Nicola Silano ( CS) , 39.29719° N, 16.5261° E, 1550 m, 31.VIII.2012, 2.IX.1999, leg. A. Hausmann, BC ZSM Lep 30795, slides Lemon-6, Lemon-8, Lemon-9 ( ZSM) ; ♂, Sila Grande, M. Curcio , 1690 m, 9.X.2002, leg. Scalercio & Infusino ( ZSM) ; 2♂, Sila , Mte Curcio S, 39.3120° N, 16.4243° E, 1730 m, wetland, 22.VIII.2000, leg. A. Hausmann ( ZSM) ; 2♂, Donnici, Fosso Cucolo , 550 m, 18.X.1996, leg. S. Scalercio, slide Lemon-5 ( ZSM) ; ♂, P. del minatore, 39.7837° N, 16.0753° E, 1420m, 29.IX.2016, leg. Scalercio & Infusino ( CREA-FL) ; ♂, Bocca di Novacco, Saracena , 39.8140° N, 16.0451° E, 1340m, 23.IX.2015, leg. Scalercio & Infusino ( CREA-FL) ; ♂, Quaresima, Aprigliano , 39.2353° N, 16.5087° E, 1310m, 7.IX.2015, leg. Scalercio & Infusino ( CREA-FL) ; 2♂, Colle Macchie, Pedace , 39.2591° N, 16.5271° E, 1440m, 7.IX.2015, leg. Scalercio & Infusino ( CREA-FL) ; ♂, Colle Macchie, Pedace , 39.2597° N, 16.5308° E, 1450m, 7.IX.2015, leg. Scalercio & Infusino ( CREA-FL) ; ♂, Colle Macchie, Pedace , 39.2589° N, 16.5272° E, 1440m, 7.IX.2015, leg. Scalercio & Infusino ( CREA-FL) ; ♂, C. da Licari, Marcellinara , 38.9188° N, 16.4977° E, 215m, 10.X.2018, leg. S. Scalercio ( CREA-FL) ; ♂, Vallone Tasso, Spezzano Sila , 39.335985° N, 16.415114° E, 1409m, 10.IX.2018, leg. S. Scalercio ( CREA-FL) ; ♂, Villaggio Buturo, Zagarise , 39.0766° N, 16.2713°E, 1540m, 14.IX.2020, leg. S. Scalercio & C. Di Marco ( CREA-FL) ; 2♂, Fiume Crati, Tarsia , presso cimitero di Tarsia, 39.6086° N, 16.2713° E, 55m, 15.X.2021, leg. S. Scalercio ( CREA-FL) ; ♂, Gambarie D’Aspromonte , 1300 m, 15.IX.1970, leg. F. Hartig ( CGM) . Sicilia: ♂, ♀, Mistretta , IX.1938 ( CGM) ; ♂, Mistretta , 14.IX.1938 ( CGM) ; ♂, ♀, Madonie , 1200 m, 9.IX ( CGM) ; 2♂, Madonie, Mandria del Conte , 1300 m, 18.IX.1993, leg. N. Grillo ( CMP, CGM) ; 2♂, Bosco di Malabotta , 1320m, 2.X.07, leg. Infusino ( CREA-FL) .

Diagnosis. Lemonia italiana is an Italian and Sicilian species. It has a 2.98% gap analysis distance from L. taraxaci and 3.30% from L. sibirica ( Fig. 115 ). Externally and morphologically variable, no reliable characters were found to distinguish it from closely related species.

Description. Male habitus ( Figs 24–31 ). Antenna orange, flagellum apically covered with black scales. Head and thorax orange. Forewing length: 20–24 mm; wingspan: 43–46 mm. Wing somewhat triangular, external margin rounded and smooth, apex obtuse. Coloration ranges from pale to yolk yellow and may saturate towards the external margin. Cilia is wing color. Discal mark a small dark brown dot or lunule-shaped spot on the outer margin of the cell. Hindwing follows the same coloration as forewing. Cilia is of the same color as the wing. Abdomen black dorsally, the yellow interspace between abdominal segments may appear ( Fig. 30 ), laterally orange, and ventrally yellow. Femur yellow, tibia of fore and middle legs speckled yellow and black, tibia of hind leg yellow, tarsi black. The tibial spur formula is 0-2-2, epiphysis absent ( Figs 97–98 ). Male genitalia ( Fig. 54 ). Tegumen somewhat triangular, widening basally. Socii membranous, covered with short chaetae. Uncus elongated, varies in width and length but always bifurcated apically and with isthmus near its base, covered with chaetae ( Figs 67–73 ). Gnathos short, rounded, spatula-like with an uneven surface, a narrow subanal plate going from it towards the anal opening. Vinculum narrow, band-like. Valvae elongated, rounded, covered with chaetae, the ventral lateral margin may be convex or concave; sacculus weakly pronounced. Juxta boat-like pointed apically, widened basally, surrounds aedeagus. Aedeagus elongated, narrow, and c-shaped. Vesica small, elongated, and bag-shaped. Eighth sternum small, somewhat triangular, apically rounded, and varies in shape. Eighth tergum trapezoid not modified. Female habitus ( Fig. 31 ). Forewing length: 24 mm; wingspan 48 mm. Fore and hind wing coloration pale yellow. Female genitalia not studied.

Etymology. We dedicate the species not to the Italian territory, which also includes Sicily, but to the Italian language and culture that we all admire.

Distribution ( Fig. 114 ). The Italian Peninsula southwards of the Po Valley to Sicily, the northeast border is somewhere between the Alps and the Apennines. Earlier recorded as L. taraxaci by Grünberg, 1913; Mariani, 1941; Rougeot, 1971; Teobaldelli, 1976; Prola et al., 1978; de Freina & Witt, 1987; Bertaccini et al., 1994; Sciarretta & Parenzan, 1998; Sciarretta & Zahm, 2002; Parenzan & Porcelli, 2006; Sciarretta et al., 2008; Pinzari et al., 2010; Antoshin & Zolotuhin, 2011; Zerunian & Zilli, 2014, Infusino & Scalercio, 2018; Scalercio & Greco, 2018; Scalercio, 2020; Scalercio et al., 2022.

Biology ( Figs 116–118 ). Ecologically the species is related to the following regions ( Dinerstein et al., 2017): Italian sclerophyllous and semi-deciduous forests, Apennine deciduous montane forests, Tyrrhenian-Adriatic sclerophyllous and mixed forests, and South Apennine mixed montane forests. It inhabits heights from 55 (Fiume Crati, Tarsia, 39.6086° N, 16.2713° E) up to 2200 m (Monte Pollino, 39.907° N, 16.18886° E) above sea level. Adults were collected from August to October.

Taxonomic note. Antoshin and Zolotuhin (2011: 15) mentioned a series of paratypes of Lemonia taraxaci f. abluta Dannehl deposited in ZSM. Adults were collected in Italy, Umbria, Montagna Grande , 42.8469° N, 12.87161° E – a location within the new species distribution area. Neither we nor Antoshin and Zolotuhin found the name in the available literature, so we treat the name abluta as nomen nudum .

Figures

FIGURES 24–31. Adults of L. italiana from Italy. 24. Male holotype, Calabria, Casali del Manco, San Nicola Silano (CS), slide Lemon-7 (ZSM). 25. Male paratype, Calabria, Casali del Manco, San Nicola Silano (CS), slide Lemon-8 (ZSM). 26. Male paratype, Calabria, Fosso Cucolo, slide Lemon-5 (ZSM). 27. Male paratype, Emilia-Romagna, Casina (CGM). 28. Male, Umbria, Montagna Grande (CGM). 29. Male, Apulia, Ostuni (CGM). 30. Male, Sicily, Mistretta (CGM). 31. Female, Sicily, Madonie (CGM). Scale bar – 1 cm.

FIGURES 52–57. Male genitalia of Lemonia spp. 52. L. sibirica, Russia, Ulyanovsk Oblast, slide Lemon-18 (CGM). 53. L. taraxaci, Croatia, Rovinj, slide 14.441 (MWM/ZSM). 54. L. italiana, paratype, Italy, Calabria, slide Lemon-6 (ZSM). 55–56. L. strigata strigata, N Macedonia, Prilep, slides 14.449, 14.447 (MWM/ZSM). 57. L. strigata deucalion, paratype, Greece, Andros Island, slide 14.547 (MWM/ZSM). Scale bar – 1 mm.

FIGURES 58–73. Unci of Lemonia spp. 58–63. L. taraxaci. 58. Switzerland, Andermatt, slide 14.528 (MWM/ZSM). 59– 60. France, Vallée du Queyras, slides 14.529, 14.539 (MWM/ZSM). 61. Italy, Trento, slide Lemon-10 (ZSM). 62. Hungary, Bükk Mountains, slide 14.405 (MWM/ZSM). 63. Croatia, Rovinj, slide 14.441 (MWM/ZSM). 64–66. L. sibirica. 64. Russia, Ulyanovsk Oblast, Shilovka, slide Lemon-18 (CGM). 65. Russia, Ulyanovsk Oblast, Srednikovo, slide Lemon-19 (CGM). 66. Russia, Ulyanovsk Oblast, Radishchevo, slide 14.444 (MWM/ZSM). 67–73. L. italiana from Italy. 67. Paratype, Lazio, Olgiata, slide 14.549 (MWM/ZSM). 68. Paratype, Lazio, Casaccia, slide Lemon-17 (CGM). 69. Paratype, Calabria, Fosso Cucolo, slide Lemon-5 (ZSM). 70. Paratype, Calabria, Silvana Mansio, slide Lemon-6 (ZSM). 71. Holotype, Calabria, Silvana Mansio, slide Lemon-7 (ZSM). 72. Paratype, Calabria, Silvana Mansio, slide Lemon-8 (ZSM). 73. Paratype, Calabria, Silvana Mansio, slide Lemon-9 (ZSM). Scale bar – 1 mm.

FIGURES 88–98. Legs of Lemonia spp. 88–93. L. taraxaci. 88. Male, Croatia, Rovinj, slide 14.441 (MWM/ZSM). 89. Male, Hungary, Bükk Mountains, slide 14.405 (MWM/ZSM). 90. Female, Hungary, slide 16.969 (MWM/ZSM). 91–92. Males, France, Queyras Valley, slides 14.529, 14.539 (MWM/ZSM). 93. Female, Hungary, Nógrád, slide 14.543 (MWM/ZSM). 94–96. Males of L. sibirica. 94. Russia, Ulyanovsk Oblast, Shilovka, slide Lemon-18 (CGM). 95–96. Russia, Ulyanovsk Oblast, Srednikovo, slide Lemon-19 (CGM). 97–98. L. italiana. 97. Male, Italy, Basilicata, Madonna di Sirino (ZSM). 98. Male, Italy, Lazio, Olgiata, slide 14.549 (ZSM). Scale bar – 1 mm.

FIGURES 114–115. Principal differences between L. taraxaci (light blue), L. sibirica (dark blue), L. italiana (purple), L. strigata strigata (yellow) and L. strigata deucalion (orange): 114. Distribution map (for details visit https://bit.ly/3uNyQ5E). 115. Gap analysis distances (taken from gap analysis tool on BOLD, %) and a phylogenetic tree (uniform rates, 500 replicates from MEGA11).

FIGURES 116–118. Habitat (116–117) and adult female of L. italiana (118) in Costa della Chiusa, 1100 m, Vallemare, Lazio, Italy (photos: M. Pinzari).