Nychiodes aphrodite Hausmann & Wimmer, 1994

Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel, Krogmann, Lars, Petrányi, Gergely & Rajaei, Hossein, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the genus Nychiodes Lederer, 1853 (Geometridae: Ennominae: Boarmiini) with description of three new species-an integrative approach, Zootaxa 4812 (1), pp. 1-61 : 15

Nychiodes aphrodite Hausmann & Wimmer, 1994

( figs 20–22, 95 , 131 ; map 1)

Nychiodes aphrodite Hausmann & Wimmer, 1994 . Zeitschrift der Arbeitsgemeinschaft der österreichischen Entomologen 46: 90. Holotype ♂ ( Cyprus: Paphos) (in ZSM, examined).

Type material examined. Holotype, ♂, Zypern, Paphos, e.o. 3.viii.1989, leg. J. Wimmer ; Paratypes, 3 ♂, 2 ♀, Zypern, Paphos, e.o., 1.-3.viii.1989, leg. J. Wimmer; in ZSM .

Additional material studied: 2 ♂, 3 ♀ (see appendix).

Diagnosis. Wingspan ♂ 29–32 mm, ♀ 34–42 mm (forewing length ♂ 16–21 mm, ♀ 19–23 mm) ( figs 20–22). Wings light to chocolate brown, transverse lines strongly pronounced (light to dark brown, basal and terminal areas of forewing and terminal area of hindwing irrorated with red brown scales, medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwing brighter than rest of the wings in N. waltheri ; light brown, orange brown to chocolate brown, transverse lines faint, medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwings are not clearly delimited in N. muelleri and N. palaestinensis ) ( figs 4–22).

Male genitalia of N. aphrodite with costa of valva sclerotized towards the apex, not humped (costa of valva sclerotized only up to the centre, medially humped N. waltheri ; costa of valva sclerotized towards the apex, medially humped in N. muelleri and N. palaestinensis ) ( figs 89–95 ). N. aphrodite with strongly curved ampulla superior (ampulla superior twice as thick as ampulla inferior in N. waltheri ; ampulla superior narrowing towards the apex in N. muelleri ; ampulla superior narrowed at the centre in N. palaestinensis ). In N. aphrodite aedeagus apically with a straight digitiform extension (same condition in N. waltheri ; digitiform extension curved in N. muelleri ; strongly curved in N. palaestinensis ).

Female genitalia of N. aphrodite with an elongated ovipositor (short and broad ovipositor in N. waltheri , N. palaestinensis and N. muelleri ). Apophyses anteriores 1/3 length of apophyses posteriores (same condition in N. waltheri ; 1/ 4 in N. palaestinensis ; 1/ 6 in N. muelleri ) (see figs 128–131 ). Lamella postvaginalis apically tongue-shaped (strongly sclerotized, conically extended, apically not tongue-shaped in N. waltheri , N. muelleri , N. palaestinensis ). Ductus bursae fairly long, without extended sclerotized patch (same condition in N. palaestinensis and N. muelleri ; very short with extended sclerotized patch in N. waltheri ).

Phenology. Flying in the natural habitat during May. A second generation has been observed in breeding experiments, which probably flies during august ( Hausmann 1994).

Biology. Larva bred on Rosaceae ( Crataegus sp., Prunus spinosa ). Occurrence of Mediterranean Crataegus sp. in their natural habitats may be an indication on being the natural food plants (see Hausmann 1994).

Habitat. In altitudes from 390 up to 850 m.

Distribution. Endemic species on Cyprus ( Hausmann, 1994) (map 1).

DNA barcoding. Nearest species (minimum pairwise distances): N. waltheri (6.9%) ( fig. 145 ).

Figures

FIGURE 145. Un-rooted neighbour joining tree (Saitou & Nei 1987) based on 20 species of the genus Nychiodes (calculated using K2P model: Kimura 1980 with MEGA X (Kumar et al. 2018).

FIGURES 93-95. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 93: Lectotype of N. persuavis syn. rev. of N. palaestinensis (Lebanon, Beirut, g. prep. 4065; aedeagus in genitalia capsule); 94: Paratype of N. muelleri (Jordan, Shaubak, g.prep. 14416); 95: N. aphrodite (Cyprus, Paphos, g.prep. 2109/2017 H. Rajaei). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 127-134. Female genitalia of Nychiodes species. 127: N. mauretanica (Algeria, Lambèse, g.prep. G2365); 128: N. waltheri (Bulgaria, Sozopol, g.prep. BMB386); 129: Paralectotype (herewith designated) of N. palaestinensis (Israel, Jerusalem, g.prep. 0226/2019 D. Wanke); 130: Paratype of N. muelleri (Jordan, Shoubak, G6437); 131: N. aphrodite (Cyprus, Moniatis, 2108/2017 H. Rajaei); 132: N. amygdalaria (Turkey, Artvin, g.prep. 2088/2017 H. Rajaei); 133: N. farinosa (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10925); 134: Lectotype (herewith designated) of N. antiquaria (Uzbekistan, Margelan, g.prep. 0227/2019 D. Wanke). Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 88-92. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 88: Lectotype of N. mauretanica (Algeria, Lambèse, g.prep. Fazekas I. No. 2593); 89: N. waltheri (Turkey, Kayseri, g.prep. 0453/2019 D. Wanke); 90: Uncus, lateral view, N. waltheri (Turkey, Aksehir, g.prep. 0409/2019 D. Wanke); 91: Lectotype of N. palaestinensis (Israel, Jerusalem, g.prep. 0225/2019 D. Wanke); 92: Uncus, lateral view, N. palaestinensis (Jordan, Ajlun, g.prep. 0392/2019 D. Wanke). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.