Rhodostrophia terrestraria pellonaria (Staudinger, 1885)

Rajaei, Hossein, Hausmann, Axel & Trusch, Robert, 2022, Taxonomic review of the genus Rhodostrophia Hübner, 1823 (Geometridae: Sterrhinae) in Iran, Zootaxa 5118 (1), pp. 1-64 : 21-23

Rhodostrophia terrestraria pellonaria (Staudinger, 1885)

( Figs 21–22 , Map 4 )

Eusarca pellonaria Staudinger, 1885 : in Christoph, in Romanoff, Mem.Lepid. 2: 126, pl. 6, figs 6a,b. (Transcaucasus, Akhal Tekke region). Lectotype ♂, ‘green dot’ [label], ‘ ♂ Nochur’ [small black bordered label], ‘ Koll. Vel. Knjasja Nikolaja Michailowitscha. ’ [in kyrillic letters], ‘ex mater. Mus. Acad. Petrop. ’, ‘ Eusarca pellonaria Stgr . ♂ V.Mironov det.’; Paralectotypes 2 ♀ (one examined) ‘green dot’ [label], ‘ ♀ Nochur’ [small black bordered label], ‘ Koll. Vel. Knjasja Nikolaja Michailowitscha. ’ [in kyrillic letters], ‘ex mater. Mus. Acad. Petrop. ’, ‘ Eusarca pellonaria Stgr . ♀ V. Mironov det.’ in ZIN.

Viidalepp (1988: 57) treated this taxon as bona species [year of publication erroneously cited as “1855”]. However, most other authors (including Viidalepp 1996) regarded this taxon as a subspecies of R. terrestraria ( Staudinger (1901: 278); Prout (1913: 37); Viidalepp (1996: 57); Scoble (1999: 824); Hausmann (2004: 381); Scoble & Hausmann (2007)). Here we confirm its subspecies level, see below.

Eusarca dispar Staudinger, 1892 : Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift Iris, 5: 205. Syntypes ♂, ♀. [ Uzbekistan], Prov. Samarkand . Lectotype ♂ (examined, hereby designated in order to stabilize nomenclature): ‘Orign.’, [Prov. Samarkand], ‘GU: 659/2005 R. Trusch’, ‘ Lectotypus ♂, Eusarca dispar Staudinger, 1892 , design. Trusch & Hausmann’; Paralectotype ♀ (examined): ‘ Orign. ’, ’11, 15’, [Prov. Samarkand], ‘GU: 660/2005 R. Trusch’ , ‘ Paralectotypus ♀, Eusarca dispar Staudinger, 1892 , both in MNHU.

Remark to the synonymy. A great similarity of R. dispar to both ssp. terrestraria and ssp. pellonaria is recognized also by Staudinger (1892: 206) and Christoph (1882: 126). Staudinger (l.c.) stated: „ Eus. dispar hat dieselben spitz zulaufenden Vdfl. wie Eus. terrestraria … noch ähnlicher sehen sie schwach gezeichneten Stücken der Eus. pellonaria Chr. … mit denen sie in der Färbung fast ganz übereinstimmen“ [translation: Eus. dispar has he same apex of the forewing as Eus. terrestraria … even more similar are the specimens of Eus. pellonaria Chr. with weak patterns, their colouration is nearly the same]. And Christoph (l.c.) writes: “ E. Pellonaria Stgr. steht der nordpersischen E. Terrestraria Ld. sehr nahe und sind beide vielleicht nur Localracen einer Art” [translation: E. Pellonaria Stgr. is close to the northern Persian E. Terrestraria Ld. and probably both are only local races of one species]. This taxon is regarded valid at species level by most authors ( Staudinger (1901: 278); Prout (1913: 37); Prout (1935: 23); Viidalepp (1988: 60); Viidalepp (1996: 57); Scoble (1999: 822); Scoble & Hausmann (2007)), or at subspecies level by Müller et al. (2019: 844). Examination of male and female genitalia as well as distributional data rather support the synonymy of dispar with Rhodostrophia terrestraria pellonaria .

Previous records from Iran. Iran, Khorasan-e Shomali, Almeh , 37°22’N, 56°05'E, 1700 m, leg. Wieser, C.; Iran, Khorasan-e Shomali, Almeh Tal, 37°21'N, 56°10’E, 1400 m, leg. Wieser, C. (recorded as R. terrestraria, Wieser et al. 2002 ) .

Additional material examined. 2 ♂, Iran NE, [Khorasan-e Shomali], Kopet Dagh, Prov. Khorasan, ca. 50 km N Bojnurd, S Izmansufla , N 37°44'20", E 057°26'53", 1240 m, 17.v.2005, leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka, B. Müller, barcode: BC ZSM 33926 ; 1 ♂, Iran, Khorassan [-e Shomali], Kopet Dagh, Quchan-Dargaz (SW Passhöhe) 55–65 km N Quchan, 1900–2100 m, 16.vi.2006, leg. W. ten Hagen, g.p. 2362/2020 H. Rajaei ; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Iran, Khorassan [-e Shomali], Kuh-e Allahdagh, Bognord [Bojnurd]- Esfarayen ( Südseite ), 1800–2000 m, 16.vi.2006, leg. W. ten Hagen, barcode: BC ZSM 33927 , BC ZSM 33928 , BC ZSM 33929 ; 2 ♀, Iran, Khorasan, Koppe Dag, 1200 m, Robat 25 km W Izman Soflea, 27.v.2005, J.U.Meineke, W. Kramer; all in SMNK . 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Iran, Khorassan [-e Shomali], Kuh-e Allahdagh, Bognord [ Bujnord [- Esfarayen ( Südseite ), 1800–2000 m, 16.vi.2006, leg. W. ten Hagen; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Iran, Khorasan-e Shomali prov., after Bajgiran , Bardar to Namanlu road, Darreh Hersh , Gharchaghe protected area, 2083 m, N37°40'23", E058°09'22.6", 19.06.2013, leg. H. Rajaei, J.-U. Meineke, B. Hafezi; in SMNS. 1 ♂, Khorassan, Kopedagh-Allahakbar, 1950 m, 16.vi.1974, leg. Radj. [abi] & Paz.[uki]; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, Khorassan, 30 km S Bojnurd, Assadly, 1970 m, 17.vi.1977, leg. A. Pazuki & M. Abai, g.p. 594/2005 R. Trusch; all in HMIM. 3 ♀, Iran, Prov. Khorassan, Elburs mts., Almeh , 1750 m, 37,34298° N, 56,11822° E, 17.vi.2007, leg. N. Pöll, barcode: BC ZSM 33925, in coll. PCNP. 1 ♂, Iran, Khorassan [-e Shomali], Kopet Dagh, Chunli-Pass, Quchan-Dargaz, 6.vi.2004, leg. W. ten Hagen; in coll. PCJM.

Specimen studied total: 9 ♂, 10 ♀.

Taxonomic remarks. We validate this taxon at subspecies rank based on i.) the lack of significant diagnostic characters in male and female genitalia, ii.) wings showing constant difference in colour combination comparied with the nominotypical subspecies, iii.) all barcoded specimens of this subspecies are collected in a well-defined, separate distribution area and cluster together genetically, iv.) there is a clear geographic gap between populations of the nominotypical subspecies, ssp. pellonaria and ssp. farsi ssp. nov. (see below).

Differential diagnosis. ( Figs 21–22 ) Wingspan 30–35 mm (females smaller than males) (see Figs 21–22 , comparing with Figs 13–20 ). Sexual dimorphism in wing shape and colour, but female forewing apex less pointed than in nominotypical subspecies. Male with forewing colour light gold-orange to warm yellow-sandy, postmedial fascia faded or completely absent; hindwings with stronger yellow hue, nearly without any fasciae (nominotypical subspecies sandy-coloured, with postmedial band; hindwings paler than forewing, getting darker towards termen, with hardly visible postmedial line). Underside of wings usually uniform yellow-orange (light sandy-coloured in nominotypical subspecies). The ssp. pellonaria resembles to the infrasubspecific altitudinal form furalis which is even more chromatic. Female specimens more yellow than nominotypical subspecies, often with pink fringe (rarely pink in nominotypical subspecies; see the diagnostic parts of the other ssp. and Map 4 ).

Genetic data. BIN: BOLD:ABZ4552. Diverging from nominotypical subspecies of R. terrestraria by 1.6%.

Distribution ( Map 4 , triangles). Central Asian subspecies of R. terrestraria , distributed from north-eastern Iran (Khorasan-e Shomali, and Khorasan-e Razavi) across Turkmenistan to Uzbekistan and northern Afghanistan. Scoble (1999) erroneously recorded pellonaria for Transcaucasus ( Hausmann 2004).

Life history and habitat. Readily attracted to light in Artemisia -steppe landscape in north-western Iran (fig. 116). Biology and larval stages unknown. See this section under nominotypical subspecies.

Figures

MAP 4. Distribution areas of the different subspecies (and one infrasubspecific form) of Rhodostrophia terrestraria (LEDERER, 1869) in Iran.

FIGURES 4-22. Wing coloration and pattern of Rhodostrophia species. Figs 4-8: R. vibicaria (4 & 5. from Iran, prov. Golestan, Maghazy Valley; 6 & 7. from Iran, between prov. Ardabil & Gilan, Astara); Figs 9-10: R. auctata (both from Iran, 9. prov. Kordestan, Baneh; 10. prov. Lorestan, Aligudarz); Figs 11-12: R. sieversi (both from Iran, Tehran, Arangeh); Figs 13-14: R. terrestraria terrestraria (both from Iran, 13. prov. Semnan, Shahkuh; 14. prov.Azarbaijan-e Sharghi, Kandovan); Figs 15-17: R. terrestraria furialis syn. nov. (18. Lectotype, 19. Paralectotype of R. furialis, both from Iran, Khorasan-e Razavi, Bilanoud Mt.; 20. From Iran, prov. Esfahan, Sibak); Figs 18-20: R. terrestraria farsi ssp. nov. (all from Iran, prov. Fars, Abadeh); Figs 21- 22: R. terrestraria pellonaria (both from Iran, 21. Prov. Khorasan-e Shomali, Kopet-Dagh; 22. Khorasan-e Razavi, Alladagh).