Chamaesphecia (Scopulosphecia) oxybeliformis (Herrich-Schaffer, 1846)

Gorbunov, O. G., 2019, Two new species of the genus Chamaesphecia Spuler, 1910 (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), with remarks on the genus, Russian Entomological Journal 28 (4), pp. 437-457 : 438-448

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.15298/rusentj.28.4.13

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/D4221D7A-FFDE-FFCC-FCA5-E79A3E67FE09

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Chamaesphecia (Scopulosphecia) oxybeliformis
status

 

Chamaesphecia (Scopulosphecia) oxybeliformis View in CoL

( Herrich-Schäffer, 1846)

Figs 1–16 View Figs 1–8 View Figs 9–16 , 57–60 View Figs 57–60 , 73 View Figs 73–76 , 77, 78 View Figs 77–80 .

“[ Sesia ] Masariformis O. ... Oxybeliformis mas. …” — Herrich-Schäffer, 1846: 69, pl. 7, fig. 36. Type locality: Russia, Volgograd Region, Ol’khovka District , Mikhailovka. Neotype ♂ designated herein.

LITERATURE. Staudinger, 1871: 41 ( Sesia annellata ab. ? oxybeliformis ); Staudinger, 1901: 403 ( Chamaesphecia annellata ab. oxybeliformis ); Spuler, 1910: 311 (key), 314 ( Chamaesphecia annellata ab. oxybeliformis ); Bartel, 1912: 404 ( Chamaesphecia annellata ab. oxybeliformis ); Dalla Torre, Strand, 1925:80 ( Chamaesphecia annellata ab. oxybeliformis ); Heppner, Duckworth, 1981: 34 ( Chamaesphecia annellata var. oxybeliformis ); Špatenka et al., 1993: 108 ( Chamaesphecia oxybeliformis ); Laštůvka, Laštůvka, 1995: 122, fig. 87, pl. 7, fig. 6 ( Chamaesphecia oxybeliformis ); de Freina, 1997: 227, text-figs 209, 213, pl. 17, figs 49–55, map 100 ( Chamaesphecia oxybeliformis ); Špatenka et al., 1999: 297 (key), 362, pl. 54, figs 453, 454 ( Chamaesphecia oxybeliformis ; part.); Laštůvka, Laštůvka, 2001: 20, 28, 42 (key), 88, fig. 89, pl. 7, fig. 6 ( Chamaesphecia oxybeliformis ); Pühringer, Kallies, 2004: 42 ( Chamaesphecia oxybeliformis ); Gorbunov, 2008: 112 ( Chamaesphecia oxybeliformis ); Anikin et al., 2017: 146 ( Chamaesphecia oxybeliformis ).

MATERIAL (31 ♂♂, 40 ♀♀). ( Figs 1–16 View Figs 1–8 View Figs 9–16 , 77, 78 View Figs 77–80 ): 1 ♂, neotype ( Figs 1–2 View Figs 1–8 ), Russia, Volgograd Region, Ol’khovka District, Mikhailovka, 49°47´N, 44°24´E, 03–05.VI.2002, ex larvae from a root of Phlomis herba-venti ssp. pungens ( Lamiaceae ), moth emerged 03.VII.2002, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0299-0300– 2014) ( COGM); 1 ♀, “Beck.[er] Sarept.[a] [= Russia: Volgograd Region, vic. of Volgograd] ( ZISP); 1 ♂, Ukraine, Crimea, Somferopol’ District, Skvortsovo, 45°5.452´N, 033°46.628´E, 39 m, 03.VII.1988, K. Efetov leg. ( COGM); 5 ♂♂, 3 ♀♀, Kazakhstan, Atyrau Region, 60 km NE of Kulsary, Imankara, 45°25´N, 054°30´E, 08–10.V.1997, ex larvae from roots of Phlomis herba-venti ssp. pungens ( Lamiaceae ), moths emerged 24–25.VI.1997, O. Gorbunov leg. ( COGM); 3 ♀♀ (Figs, 11–12), Kazakhstan, Aktyubinsk Region, 2 km W of Uil, 49°04´N, 054°37´E, 29.V.1998, ex larvae from roots of Phlomis herba-venti ssp. pungens ( Lamiaceae ), moths emerged 29.VI–07.VII.1998, O. Gorbunov leg. ( COGM); 1 ♂, 7 ♀♀, Russia, Volgograd Region, Kalach-na-Donu District, Evlampiyevskiy, 48°56´N, 043°34´E, 30.V.1999, ex larvae from roots of Phlomis herba-venti ssp. pungens ( Lamiaceae ), moths emerged 26.VI–07.VII.1999, O. Gorbunov leg. ( COGM); 5 ♂♂ ( Figs 3–4 View Figs 1–8 ), 4 ♀♀, Russia, Volgograd Region, Ol’khovka District, Mikhailovka, 49°47´N, 44°24´E, 03–05.VI.2002, ex larvae from roots of Phlomis herba-venti ssp. pungens ( Lamiaceae ), moths emerged 03– 11.VII.2002, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0291-0304– 2014) (1 ♂ with genitalia preparation № OG–044-2018) ( COGM); 3 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, Ukraine, Crimea, Simferopol’ District, Skvortsovo, 45°5.452´N, 033°46.628´E, 39 m, 24.VI.2012, O. Gorbunov & K. Efetov leg. ( COGM); 4 ♂♂, 7 ♀♀, same locality, 28.VI.2012, K. Efetov leg. ( CKES); 4 ♂♂, 1 ♀, Ukraine, Crimea, Belogorsk District, 6.3 km NW of Belogorsk, Sary-Kaya, 45°06.03´N, 034°33.06´E, 230–245 m, 30.VI.2012, K. Efetov leg. ( CKES); 4 ♂ same locality, 7.VII.2015, K. Efetov leg. ( CKES); 3 ♂♂, Russia, Volgograd Region, Ol’khovka District, Mikhailovka, 49°47´N, 44°24´E, 04.VI.2016, ex larvae from roots of Phlomis herba-venti ssp. pungens ( Lamiaceae ), moths emerged 28–29.VI.2016, O. Gorbunov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0405-0406–2016, 443-444– 2016, 0355-0356–2016) ( COGM); 2 ♂♂ ( Figs 5–6 View Figs 1–8 ), 5 ♀♀, Russia, Crimea,Simferopol’ District,Skvortsovo, 45°05.483´N, 033°46.673´E, 41 m, 09.VII.2017, O. Gorbunov & K. Efetov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0103-0108–2018, 141-142–2018, 145-148–2018) (1 ♂ with genitalia preparation № OG–023-2018; 1 ♀ with genitalia preparation № OG–024-2018) (1 ♂ and 1 ♀ with OGGS014 and OGGS015) ( COGM); 3 ♀♀ ( Figs 13–14 View Figs 9–16 ), Russia, Crimea, Razdol’noye District, 6.4 km S of Beryozovka, 45°03.95´N, 034°30.06´E, 15 m, 22.VI.2018, O. Gorbunov & K. Efetov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0459-0464–2018) ( COGM); 4 ♂♂, 2 ♀♀, Russia, Crimea, Tarkhankut, Olenevka, 45°25.16´N, 032°32.52´E, 87 m, 13.V.2019, ex larvae from roots of Phlomis herba-venti ssp. pungens ( Lamiaceae ), moths emerged 21–25.VI.2019, O. Gorbunov & K. Efetov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0271-0282–2019) ( COGM); 1 ♂ ( Figs 7–8 View Figs 1–8 ), 2 ♀♀ ( Figs 15–16 View Figs 9–16 ), Russia, Crimea, Dzhankoy District, Predmostnoye, 45°00.26´N, 035°15.58´E, 147 m, 18.VI.2019, O. Gorbunov & K. Efetov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0267-0270–2019) ( COGM); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Russia, Crimea, Kerch peninsula, Kazantip, 45°28.089´N, 035°49.910´E, 13 m., 21.VI.2019, O. Gorbunov & K. Efetov leg. ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0263-0266–2019) ( COGM); 1 ♀, Russia, Crimea, Belogorsk District, 5 km W of Belogorsk, 45°03.911´N, 034°30.148´E, 303 m, 17.VII.2019, O. Gorbunov & K. Efetov leg. ( COGM).

DESCRIPTION. Male (neotype) ( Figs 1–2 View Figs 1–8 ). Alar expanse 20.5 mm, body length 12.0 mm, forewing 9.1 mm, antenna 5.8 mm.

Head with antenna dark brown to black with dark greenish-violet sheen dorsally and yellow with golden hue ventrally, scapus black dorsally and yellow ventrally; frons gray-brown with greenish-bronze sheen and a broad white stripe laterally; basal joint of labial palpus white with a few yellowish scales exterior-ventrally, mid joint white with a narrow black stripe exterior-ventrally and pale yellow scales exterior-dorsally in apical half, apical joint yellow with a few black scales distally; vertex orange with an admixture of black scales with greenish sheen medially; pericephalic hairs orange dorsally and white to pale yellow laterally.

Thorax with patagia dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen and a few dark yellow or orange-yellow scales laterally; tegula dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen, with broad orange inner margin and a small white to pale yellowish spot at base of forewing anteriorly; mesothorax dark brown to black with greenish-bronze sheen, with a narrow orange stripe anterior-medially and sparse, thin, orange, hair-like scales; metathorax orange with a tuft of orange hair-like scales laterally; thorax laterally dark-gray brown with blue-violet sheen and a large dark yellow to orange spot; posteriorly both metepimeron and metameron dark gray-brown with a few white scales ventrally and white to yellowish hair-like scales. Legs with neck plate white with golden hue; fore coxa white with golden hue, an admixture of dark gray scales medially and yellow scales with golden hue externally at base; fore femur internally yellow with golden sheen, externally orange to yellow-orange with golden hue and dark gray-brown scales with blue-violet sheen in basal half; fore tibia ventrally yellow with golden hue, dorsally orange to yellow-orange with golden hue and an admixture of dark gray- brown scales with blue-violet sheen basally; fore tarsus orange to yellow-orange with golden hue and dark gray-brown scales with blue-violet sheen dorsally; mid coxa black with dark greenish-blue sheen; mid femur internally pale yellow with golden hue, externally black with dark blue-violet sheen and with yellow with golden hue anterior margin; mid tibia internally pale yellow with golden hue, externally orange to yellow-orange with golden hue and black scales with blue-violet sheen both basally and distally; spurs pale yellow to yellow with golden hue; mid tarsus orange to yellow-orange with golden hue and brown scales with bronze sheen externally on three apical tarsomeres; hind coxa black with dark greenish-blue sheen; hind femur internally pale yellow with golden hue, externally black with dark blue-violet sheen and with yellow with golden hue anterior margin and apically; hind tibia internally pale yellow with golden hue, externally orange to yellow-orange with golden hue and with a black stripe with blue-violet sheen ventrally from base to base of mid spurs and black scales with blue-violet sheen at base of apical spurs; spurs pale yellow to yellow with golden hue; hind tarsus entirely orange to yellow-orange with golden hue. Forewing dorsally black with greenish-blue sheen at base; costal and anal margins, CuA-stem and apical area dark brown with bronze-violet sheen, but densely covered with orange to yellow-orange scales masking background colouration; veins within external transparent area orange to yellow-orange with golden hue; discal spot dark brown with bronze-violet sheen; transparent area well-developed, but densely covered with semitransparent scales with golden hue; posterior transparent area exceeding level of cross-vein of hindwing; external transparent area rather large with rounded distal margin, divided into five cells between veins R 3 and CuA 1, level to vein M 2 about 2.2 times as broad as discal spot and ca. 1.8 broader than apical area; ventrally costal and anal margins and basal half of CuA-stem pale yellow with golden hue, veins within external transparent area and apical area yellow with golden hue; discal spot dark brown with dark blue-violet sheen and with an admixture of yellow-orange scales distally; cilia dark brown with bronze sheen basally and yellow-orange with golden hue distally. Hindwing transparent; dorsally veins yellow-orange with golden hue and a dense admixture of brown scales with bronze sheen on veins M 3 –CuA 2, discal spot dark brown with bronze sheen, relatively broad with parallel margins, reaching base of veins M 3 –CuA 1; outer margin brown with bronze sheen, narrow about 0.3 as broad as cilia; ventrally veins pale yellow to yellow; discal spot and outer margin dark brown with bronze sheen and with an admixture of a few yellow scales; cilia dark brown basally and yellow-orange with golden hue distally.

Abdomen dorsally black with dark blue-violet sheen; tergite 1 with a few yellow to pale yellow scales distally; tergites 2 and 4 each with a narrow pale yellow with golden hue stripe distally; tergites 6 and 7 each with more broad pale yellow with golden hue stripe distally; tergites 2, 4 and 5 each with a broad orange stripe subdistally; tergites 6 and 7 each with a narrow orange stripe subdistally; tergite 3 with a longitudinal orange spot subdistally; ventrally sternite 1+2 pale yellow with golden hue with a few black scales medially; sternites 3–7 each with a broad pale yellow with golden hue stripe distally; anal tuft orange with an admicture of black scales laterally.

Male genitalia ( Figs 57–60 View Figs 57–60 ). Genital preparation № OG–023-2018.

Female ( Figs 9–10 View Figs 9–16 ) ( Sesiidae pictures №№ 0313-0314– 2017). Alar expanse 22.0 mm, body length 12.9 mm, forewing 9.8 mm, antenna 6.3 mm. Noticeably more robust than male.

Head with antenna and scapus orange-yellow ventrally; frons white to pale yellow-orange with golden-purple hue and a few dark gray-brown scales medially; labial palpus white in basal half and yellow-orange in apical half; vertex orange with a few black scales.

Thorax with patagia with yellow-orange scales anteriorly; tegula with a broader orange inner margin. Legs with fore coxa white with golden hue and a few yellow-orange scales with golden hue externally at base; fore femur externally yellow-orange with golden hue and a few dark gray-brown scales medially; mid and hind coxae black with dark greenish-blue sheen with a few orange scales posteriorly; hind tarsus with dark gray-brown scales externally. Forewing with transparent areas smaller, posterior transparent area very short, not reaching level of cross-vein of hindwing; external transparent area smaller, divided into three cells between veins R 4+5 and M 3, level to vein M 2 about 1.3 times as broad as discal spot and slightly broader than apical area.

Abdomen dorsally with only tergites 4 and 6 each with white to pale yellow with golden hue stripe distally; all sternites covered with orange scales.

Otherwise colour pattern as in male.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 73 View Figs 73–76 ). Genital preparation № OG– 024-2018.

INDIVIDUAL VARIABILITY. Both males ( Figs 1–8 View Figs 1–8 ) and females ( Figs 9–16 View Figs 9–16 ) vary in the number of orange, yellow-orange, yellow or pale yellow scales on the head, thorax, legs and abdomen. Scales on distal margin of tergites 2, 4, 6 and 7 in males and 1, 4 and 6 in females vary from white to pale yellow with bright golden hue. The colouration of the flying and not very fresh specimens is much paler and with less number of orange or orange-yellow scales on the thorax and abdomen. In addition, such specimens are deprived of a large number of yellow-orange to orange scales masking the background colouration of the forewings. Individual size is variable as follows. Males: alar expanse 19.0–22.0 mm, body length 11.0–12.0 mm, forewing 8.3–9.6 mm, antenna 5.6–5.9 mm. Females: alar expanse 17.0–22.0 mm, body length 10.2–12.9 mm, forewing 7.6–9.8 mm, antenna 6.0– 6.3 mm.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS. Ch. oxybeliformis , Ch. djakonovi and Ch. ophimontana form a separate and compact group. Phylogenetically this group is very closely related to Ch. annellata species-group, but, unlike it, the species of Ch. oxybeliformis species-group differ quite well from each other in the colour of various parts of the body and wings. Characteristic features of this subgroup are their trophic specialization (their caterpillars feed on the roots of Phlomis herba-venti ), allopatric distribution, and, as the Ch. annellata species-group as a whole, almost complete absence of morphological differences in the genitalia of both males and females.

Ch. oxybeliformis differs from Ch. djakonovi (type locality: Russia, Crimea, Kara Dag) by the colouration of the frons (grey-brown with greenish-bronze sheen and a broad white stripe laterally in male and white to pale yellow-orange with golden-purple hue and a few dark gray-brown scales medially in female of Ch. oxybeliformis , vs. dark brown to black with anthracite sheen and a narrow white stripe laterally in Ch. djakonovi ) and noticeably fewer black scales on the vertex, and by the colouration of the forewing (costal and anal margins, CuA-stem and apical area dark brown with bronze-violet sheen, but densely covered with orange to yellow-orange scales masking background colouration in Ch. oxybeliformis , vs. costal and anal margins, CuA-stem and apical area dark brown with bronze-violet sheen with a few yellow-orange to yellow-orange and light brown scales in Ch. djakonovi ). In general, Ch. djakonovi is darker, with more black scales on the legs and abdomen and bright scales are more yellow (cp. Figs 1–16 View Figs 1–8 View Figs 9–16 with figs 19 and 20 in Gorbunov, 2013).

From Ch. ophimontana (type locality: Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan, A a i Buzqov) Ch. oxybeliformis can be distinguished by the colouration of the vertex (vertex orange with an admixture of black scales with greenish sheen medially in male and orange with a few black scales in female of Ch. oxybeliformis vs. black with a few orange scales anteriorly in Ch. ophimontana ). In addition, in Ch. ophimontana all bright scales on the thorax, legs, wings and abdomen not orange or yellow-orange, but lemon-yellow.

From all other species of the Ch. annellata species-group, including those that can be found in habitats of Ch. oxybeliformis or nearby, namely Ch. annellata , Ch. dumonti and Ch. efetovi sp.n., Ch. oxybeliformis is clearly distinguished by the bright orange or orange-yellow colouration of thorax, legs, wings and abdomen (scales on the thorax, legs, wings and abdomen, yellow or yellow-orange in all these species compared).

BIONOMICS. The larval host-plant is Phlomis herba-venti ssp. pungens (Willd.) Maire ex DeFilipps ( Lamiaceae ). The larva lives in the root where it bores a tunnel about 5–9 cm long. It lives during a year and pupates in a cocoon in the upper part of the tunnel. Moths on the wings from the mid June to the mid July. They can be found sitting on ( Figs 77– 78 View Figs 77–80 ) or flying between the host-plants. I have never managed to attract males to artificial sex attractant lures.

HABITAT. Various types of herbaceous steppes with the obligatory presence of the host plant.

DISTRIBUTION. Currently, this species is known to occur in the steppe zone from the left bank of the Dnieper River in the west to north-western Kazakhstan in the east, to the north of the Volgograd region in the north and the Crimean steppe in the south.

ZISP

Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Sesiidae

Genus

Chamaesphecia

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