Udea institalis (Hübner, 1819)

Yepishin, Viktor, Bidzilya, Oleksiy, Budashkin, Yuriy, Zhakov, Oleksandr, Mushynskyi, Vadym & Novytskyi, Sergiy, 2020, New records of little known pyraloid moths (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea) from Ukraine, Zootaxa 4808 (1), pp. 101-120 : 108

Udea institalis (Hübner, 1819)

( Figs 16–22 )

Material examined: 3♂, 1♀, Zaporizhzhia reg., Rozivka distr., Kamiani mohyly Nature Reserve , 5–6.vii.2018 (V. Mushynskyi, O. Zhakov), genitalia slide: O. Bidzilya prep. no. 248.18 ♀, V. Yepishin prep. no. 236.19 ♂, 264.20 ♂, 265.20 ♂. 1♂, Crimea, Kerch Peninsula , 4 km NE Zolote, at light, 20.vi.2010 (I. Kostjuk), genitalia slide: V. Yepishin prep. no. 256.19 ♂.

Note. Specimens from Ukraine indicate intermediate position between U. institalis and U. confinalis ( Lederer, 1858) sensu Slamka (2013) . This suggestion is based on the following: 1) the female from Zaporizhzhia region has a small oval-shaped signum ( Figs 18, 18b ) as in U. confinalis ; 2) wing pattern corresponds with U. confinalis , but underside of forewing as in U. institalis ; 3) the terminal part of the aedeagus, both in specimens from Zaporizhzhia region and from Crimea, is not smooth like that of U. confinalis , but densely serrate as in U. instialis ( Figs 19b, 20–22 ). Based on above characters we preliminarily attribute specimens from Ukraine to U. institalis until the differences between these species are specified in more detail.

Distribution. S and C Europe, N Africa ( Slamka 2013); Turkey ( Koçak & Kemal 2009); Russia: Caucasus (Sinev & Streltsov 2019); Crimea ( Budashkin 1992, 2004), first record for continental Ukraine: Zaporizhzhia region.

Biology. During the last three decades the larvae were regularly observed in various steppes and steppe-like habitats (oak-pistachio woodlands on the southern slopes of the mountains, grass and petrophitic-stepped plant association) in Meganom Cape, Echkidah Mts, Lisya buchta, Karadah, Barakol Lake, Tichaya buchta, Dvuyakornaya valley, Tepe-Oba Mts, Kazantip peninsula, Karalar steppe and other localities in the Estearn Crimea. Last instar larvae live singly or in small groups (up to five larvae) in large (to 10 centimeters long) cigar-twisted nests made of leaves of Eryngium campestre L. Larvae feed by gnawing holes in the leaves of the host plant. Pupation occurs in leaf litter inside of white cocoon. No pupal diapause was observed. Adults fly from mid June to mid July ( Budashkin 2014a).

Figures

FIGURES 16–22. Udea institalis. 16, 17. Adult. 18. Female genitalia. 18a. Cestum, enlarged. 18b. Signum ridge, enlarged. 19–22. Male genitalia. 19a. Cornutus, enlarged. 19b, 20–22. Apical part of aedeagus, enlarged. 16, 18. ♀, Zaporizhzhia reg., prep. no. 248/19. 17, 19. ♂, Zaporizhzhia reg., prep. no. 236.19. 20. ♂, Zaporizhzhia reg., prep. no. 265.19. 21. ♂, Zaporizhzhia reg., prep. no. 264.19. 22. ♂, Crimea, prep. no. 256.19.