Dichagyris forficula akdagestana, Tang & Zhang & Guo & Luo & Jiang & Pan, 2023

Tang, Jin, Zhang, Gongaote, Guo, Junqi, Luo, Lingxuan, Jiang, Jiamei & Pan, Hongbo, 2023, Contributions To The Taxonomy And Biogeography Of The Genus Dichagyris (Subg. Dichagyris) Lederer, 1867 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae) Ii. The Review Of The D. Forficula Species Group, Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 69 (3), pp. 265-301 : 275-277

Dichagyris forficula akdagestana subsp. n.

http://zoobank.org/ 8258ACB9-4DB4-43F7-9866-D848803B09C7 ( Figs 9–12 , 42 , 69 )

Holotype: male, “ Russia, N Caucasus, Daghestan, Gubden vill., Karabudakhkentsky distr. , 42°33’N, 47°25’E, 1000 m, 3. VI. 2021, leg. V. Zurilina”, gen. slide GYP 5775m (coll. PG) . Paratypes. Russia. Daghestan. 3 males, 1 female, with same data as holotype ; 1 female, from the same locality, 27.VII.2020, leg. V. Zurilina ; 2 males, from the same locality 21. V. and 2. VI.2021, leg. V. Zurilina ; 4 males, 10 females, from the same locality, 42°32’N, 47°25’E, 1030 m, 27. VI.2022, leg. V. Zurilina ; 6 males, 11 females, from the same locality, 2.VII. and 8.VII.2022, leg. V. Zurilina (all in coll. PG) ; 1 male, with same data (coll. Z. Varga). Slides: GYP5586f, GYP5799f, VZ 11518m, VZ 11973m. Ingoushetia . 1 male, 2 females, “ChIASSR Furtoug 1000 m 12. Juli, 1989 leg. Herczig, Uherkovich, Horváth, Szollát, Sárközi ” ; 1 male, from the same site, 12-13. VI.1990, leg. L. Ábrahám & Á. Uherkovich; 13 males, 13 females, with the same locality, “ 2.VII.1991, leg. B. Herczig, V. Markó et Z. Mészáros ” ; 1 male, 1 female, “NE Caucasus, Lezsgi 1300 m, 8.VII.1991. leg. B. Herczig, V. Markó et Z. Mészáros” (coll. RG). Slide Nos: VZ 9771m, VZ 11513m, VZ6753 f, VZ11473 f, VZ11479 f, VZ11519 f, VZ11523 f .

Diagnosis. This subspecies belongs to the smaller ones of D. forficula , expanse 33–36 mm. Head, collar, thorax and forewings are nearly concolorous whitish-grey or light ash-grey, without any ochreous or reddish colouration, the forewings are nearly patternless or with faintly marked thin, crenulate crosslines only. Maculation weakly defined with some grey scales and filled with whitish scales, the submarginal field is slightly darker; the cilia are chequered with some darker grey scales. Hindwings whitish grey with diffuse slightly darker margins.

The male and female genitalia ( Figs 42 , 69 ) agree with those of the typical subspecies.

Distribution. The new subspecies seems to be confined to certain calcareous hilly areas of the North Caucasus range in Daghestan and in the Ingoushia territory, Russian Federation. Its range seems to be separated from the much more extended distribution of the nominotypical race occurring south from the main ridge of the Great Caucasus massif.

Etymology. The name refers to the type locality and the whitish colouration of the subspecies.

IV. TAXONOMIC SUBDIVISION OF DICHAGYRIS FORFICULA IN CENTRAL ASIA with description of two new subspecies

The D. forficula specimens from the southeastern hilly part of Afghanistan (Sarobi, Khurd Kabul) and adjacent part of Pakistan (Baluchistan, near Quetta) are essentially similar to D. forficula devota and they were mentioned and figured ( LÖDL et al. 2012) as D. devota turana due to the misidentification of Agrotis renigera var. turana (see below). They display nearly the same light ochreous grey colouration of the thorax and forewings as D. forficula devota . However, these specimens have a slightly larger wing expanse (37–43 mm), the forewings are more elongate and the crosslines are more expressed ( Figs 17–20 ) than in D. forficula devota ( Figs 13–16 ). The male genitalia ( Fig. 49 ) are essentially identical with those of the other subspecies of D. forficula , however the valvae and the claspers are slightly more elongate. The thin subbasal cornutus is somewhat shorter than in other subspecies, however, the completely, helicoidally recurved vesica is similar to those of D. forficula forficula and D. forficula devota .

Figures

Figs 9–16. Dichagyris forficula sspp. 9–12 = D. forficula akdagestana ssp. n., paratypes, Russia, Chechnya, Furtoug: 9–10 = male; 11–12 = females. 13–16 = D. forficula devota (Christoph, 1884): 13 = male, Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, 14 = female, Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, 15 = male, Iran, Shah Kuh, 16 = female, paratype of Agrotis devota eremica Amsel, 1935, Palestine

Figs 41–43. Male genitalia ofDichagyris forficula sspp. 41 =D. forficula (Eversmann, 1851), NE Turkey, Prov. Van, slide No.: VZ10245m. 42 = D. forficula akdagestana ssp. n., paratype, Russia, North Caucasus, Ingoushetia, slide No.: VZ9771m. 43 = D. forficula hadjina (Staudinger, 1892), Turkey, lectotype of Agrotis hadjina var.zeituna Staudinger, 1899, slide No.: VZ9548m

Figs 68–70. Genitalia of Dichagyris spp. 68 = Male genitalia of D. erubescens (Staudinger, 1892), Turkey, Prov. Malatya, slide No.: VZ11515m. 69 = Female genitalia of D. forficula akdagestana ssp. n., paratype, Russia, North Caucasus, Ingoushetia, slide No.: VZ6753f. 70 = female genitalia of D. forficula devota (Christoph, 1884), Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, slide No.: VZ11483f

Figs 17–24. Dichagyris forficula sspp. 17–20 = D. forficula pseudoturana ssp. n.: 17–18 = paratype, females, Afghanistan, Paghman Mts; 19 = paratype, male, Pakistan, Quetta; 20 = paratype, female, Pakistan Quetta. 21–24 = D. forficula chitralensis ssp. n., paratypes, Pakistan: 21–22 = males, 23–24 = females

Figs 47–49. Male genitalia of Dichagyris forficula sspp. 47–48 = D. forficula devota (Christoph, 1884): 47 = Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, slide No.: VZ9961m; 48 = Iran, Prov. Khorassan, slide No.: VZ11518m. 49 = D. forficula pseudoturana ssp. n., paratype, Afghanistan, Paghman Mts, slide No.: VZ10134m