Lepidochrysops forsskali Larsen, 1982

Verovnik, Rudi & Seizmair, Michael, 2024, Notes on the genital morphology and phylogenetics of two Arabian species of the genus Lepidochrysops Hedicke, 1923 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae), Ecologica Montenegrina 72, pp. 200-209 : 202-203

Lepidochrysops forsskali Larsen, 1982

Material examined: Saudi Arabia, Province Jizan, Mt. Faifa, Fifa Village , 17.2643°, 43.1132°, 1740 m, 13-XI-2023, 1♂, 1♀, slide no. 23 GP058 , 23 GP059 , leg., prep., coll. M. Seizmair. Saudi Arabia, Province Jizan, Mt. Faifa, Ayban Belghazi , 17.263406°, 43.076147°, 660 m, 08-XI-2023, 1♂, slide no. 23 GP057 , leg., prep., coll. M. Seizmair. Saudi Arabia, Province Jizan, Mt. Faifa, Marwah , 17.281553°, 43.101033°, 950 m, 10-XI-2023, 3♀, slide no. 24 GP002 , 24 GP005 , 24 GP006 , leg., prep., coll. M. Seizmair.

External diagnostic characters ( Figures 1A – D , Larsen, 1982): Wingspan: 27.0 mm – 31.5 mm. FW and HW ground in the UPS of the male of a shining blue close to that of the European Polyommatus icarus Rottemburg, 1775 . End-cellular spot in the FW UPS of the male weakly indicated by a tiny row of black scales, distinctly sagittate in the FW UPS of the female and in the FW and HW UNS of both sexes. FW and HW ground in the male and female underside greyish-white, discal row of spots (M 1) angled at space M 12, HW spots in E 22 and E 21 c black with metallic scales and crowned with red. FW and HW ground of the female UPS dusky blue, FW costa darkish-brown, HW spot in cell E 22 black, with distinct orange crowning, cell E 23 with traces of orange scaling, cell and spaces between vein 1 – 5 dusted with blue. The UNS maculation is not visible through the UPS in both wings. HW vein 2 tailed.

Male genitalia ( Figures 2 A- C, 3A- C, Larsen, 1982): Uncus lobes of sub-quadrangular shape, obliquely rounded, dorso-distally with several small tufts of long chaetae. Subunci curved and tapered after the anterior fifth, broadened and strongly sclerotized in the basis, distal hook right-angled. Vinculum broadened, laterally slightly edged. Juxta lobes strongly sclerotized with bar-shaped sclerites at the posterior ends, chaetose. Basal valva with several tufts of long chaetae in the ventral area, anterior end elongate and of triangular shape, costal border straight. Sacculus constant in width, acuminate in its anterior end. Post-basal valva concave in the costal border, straight in the ventral border, sub-apical area concave, apex acuminate and right-angled. Sacculus triangular shaped, lateral borders straight. Lateral parts of the distal portion of the aedeagus strongly concave in the anterior half, convex in the posterior half, thus forming a distinctive s-shape. Dorsal part ventrally with a pair of short, acuminate processes. Lateral flanges of the proximal portion lobar, narrow, acuminate.

Female genitalia ( Figure 4 A-C): Ovipositor lobes chaetose, ovate, asymmetrical, ventrolaterally convex, strongly narrowed at the ventral end. Posterior apophyses slender, basally and medially angled, constant in width, oblong. Anterior apophyses thorn-shaped, basally broadened. Colliculum strongly sclerotized, with several elongate band-shaped sclerites reaching into the ductus bursae.

Remarks: The characters in the male genitalia as figured and described in Larsen (1982) are reconfirmed, namely the right-angled structure of the apex in the valva, the ventro-lateral convexity in the basal valva and the oblique rounding in the uncus lobes. Further character states in the male genitalia are added, such as the dilatation in the post-basal valva and the sclerotization in the juxta.

Figures

Figure 1. Adults. A – D: L. forsskali, A, C: male, upperside and underside, Saudi Arabia, Prov. Jizan, Mt. Faifa, Marwah, 960 m, 10-XI-2023, leg. et coll. M. Seizmair B, D: female, upperside and underside, Saudi Arabia, Prov. Jizan, Mt. Faifa, Faifa Village, 1560 m, 13-XI-2023, leg et coll. M. Seizmair, E – H: L. haveni, E, G: male, upperside and underside, Saudi Arabia, Prov. Jizan, Mt. Faifa, Aayban Bengazi, 660 m, 08-XI-2023, leg. et coll. M. Seizmair, F, H: female, upperside and underside, same collection data as B, D. Scale bars = 10 mm.

Figure 2. Male genitalia. A – C: L. forsskali, slide no. 23GP056, A: genitalia capsule, phallus omitted, B: phallus, lateral view, C: ventral view. D – F: L. haveni, slide no. 24GP001, D: genitalia capsule, phallus omitted, E: lateral view, F: ventro-lateral view. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Figure 4. Female genitalia. A – C: L. forsskali, slide no. 24GP002, A. genitalia capsule, B: close-up, genitalia plate (lateral view), colliculum, C: close-up, anterior apophyses. D – F: L. haveni, slide no. 24GP04, D: genitalia capsule, E: close-up, genitalia plate (lateral view), colliculum, F: close-up, anterior apophyses. Scale bars = 1 mm.