Cteipolia murina ( Ménétriés, 1848 )

Titov, Sergey V., Gorbunov, Pavel Yu., Černila, Matjaž, Matov, Alexey Yu & Volynkin, Anton V., 2024, New data on the distribution of Cteipolia murina (Ménétriés, 1848) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae: Xylenini), Ecologica Montenegrina 71, pp. 269-283 : 270-275

Cteipolia murina ( Ménétriés, 1848)

( Figs 1–4 , 11–14 , 17, 18 , 22 )

Diloba murina Ménétriés, 1848 , Mémoires de l’Académie impériale des sciences de St.-Pétersbourg, 4: 699, pl. 6: 8 (Type locality: “les steppes au delà de l’Oural” [“the steppes beyond the Urals”]).

Type material examined. Holotype (by monotypy) ( Figs 1 , 17 ): male, “Sibir. Uralens.” / “coll. Acad. | Petrop.” / “микр. [micr.] | преп. [prap.] №8278” / square piece of golden foil, slide No.: 0386 Matov (ex prep. No. 8278) ( ZISP).

Additional material examined. RUSSIA: 1 female, Orenburg Province, Novoorsk District, Kumak River valley at Zakumachnoe vill., 51°15'N, 59°09'E, 22.IV.2015, P. Gorbunov leg. ( KNC) ; 1 female, Bashkortostan Republic, Khaybullinsky District, Tanalyk River basin at Adel’ vill., 51°53'N 58°32'E, 17.IV.2022, P. Gorbunov & V. Zurilina leg. ( PGC) ; 1 male, same data as previous, 9.X.2022 ( PGC) ; KAZAKHSTAN: 1 male, West Kazakhstan, Aktobe Province , 15 km NE of Emba town, chalk hills, 48°55'N, 58°18'E, 11.X.2013, P. Gorbunov leg. ( KNC) ; 1 female, West Kazakhstan, Mugodzhary Mts , 5 km W of Altyndy vill., 480m, 48°55'N, 58°38'E, 12.X.2013. K. Nupponen leg. ( KNC) ; 4 females, West Kazakhstan, Irgiz River basin, Aiyrkyzyl Sands , 24 km W of Irgiz settl., 48°37'N 60°50'E, 8.IV.2019, P. Gorbunov leg. (BBС, SMC) ; 1 male, Karaganda Region, Asyl , 11.X.1936 ( ZISP) ; 1 male, Central Kazakhstan, Karaganda Province, 70 km N of Balkhash town, Konyrkulzha Mt. , 680m, 47°27'N, 74°43'E, 7.X.2014. P. Gorbunov leg. ( OPB) ; 2 females, 04.IV.2014, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Reg., Bayanaul Mts., vic. of Shonai vill., 50°48'53.88"N 75°44'22.45"E, 503m, steppe rocky slope with sparse mixed forest, S.M. Reznichenko leg. ( STP, CAV) ; 2 females, 12.IV.2016, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Region, Zhartas natural landmark, 51°38'7.49''N 74°39'54.86''E, S. V. Titov & M. Černila leg. ( STP, MC / ZSM ; 10 males, 3–4.X.2014, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Reg., Ekibastuz Distr., Shiderty River valley , at foot of Ulken-Akzhar cretaceous slope, 51°54'25.6''N 74°47'30.4''E, steppe and dry river bed, S. V. Titov & M. Černila leg. ( STP, MC / ZSM, CAV) ; 1 female, same data as previous but 11.IV.2016 ( STP) ; 1 female, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Reg., Ekibastuz Distr., western shore of Shiderty reservoir, 51°48'2.09"N 74°35'26.55"E, steppe, S. V. Titov leg. ( STP) ; 1 male, 1 female, same data as previous but 17.IV.2017 ( STP) ; 2 males, 7.X.2014, SE Kazakhstan, Almaty Reg., Aksu Distr., SE Balkhash Basin, Kushikzhal Sands, 2.5 km W of Matay, 440m, 45°5322.1"N 78°41'01.9"E, M. Černila & S. V. Titov leg. ( CAV) .

Notes. (1) In the 12th volume of the fundamental book series ‘ Noctuidae Europaeae’, Fibiger et al. (2010) erroneously attributed the authorship of C. murina to Eduard Eversmann (as Dasypolia (Cteipolia) murina ( Eversmann, 1848)) . However, Orthosia murina Eversmann, 1848 described from the south-western foothills of Ural Mountains is a junior subjective synonym of Agrotis cinerea ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), and a junior secondary homonym of Phalaena noctua murina Goeze, 1781 ( Poole 1989). (2) The type locality of the species, “the steppes beyond the Urals” ( Ménétriés 1848) or “Sibir.[ia] Uralens.[is]” (according to the label) most probably is situated in the east of the Orenburg or Chelyabinsk Region. (3) The species was described from a single specimen ( Ménétriés 1848), which should be treated as the holotype by monotypy. (4) Cteipolia murina is most similar to C. isotima known from Dzhungar Alatau and Saur-Tarbagatai mountain massifs ( Kazakhstan) and C. amissa Gordeev, Gordeeva, G. Ronkay & L. Ronkay, 2023 recently described from Transbaikalia ( Russia). The male genitalia structures of this species complex are very uniform and the male clasping apparatus appears to be poorly informative for species identification. In contrary, the female genitalia structures are diagnostic. The female genitalia of C. murina display minor but recognisable differences from C. isotima in their signa bursae size and shape therefore these two taxa are treated as distinct species in the present paper. However, the range of variability of their female copulatory organs remains unstudied and it is still possible that C. isotima is conspecific to C. murina . Clarification of this question requires the examination of more extensive materials of both sexes from various localities along with molecular analysis.

Diagnosis. Cteipolia murina is externally quite polymorphic ( Figs 1–4 , 11–14 ) and is very similar to C. isotima ( Figs 5–8 , 15, 16 ), from which it differs only in its slightly less contrast forewing pattern. The male genitalia of the two taxa ( Figs 17–20 ) are almost alike and the only structure displaying a recognisable difference is the uncus, which is somewhat longer in C. murina . However, it is currently impossible to say if the length of uncus is stable and can be used as reliable diagnostic character. Compared to C. isotima ( Fig. 23 ), the female genitalia of C. murina ( Fig. 22 ) have a broader posterior (narrow) section of the corpus bursae, shorter signa bursae, and a broader appendix bursae. Unlike C. murina and C. isotima , C. amissa ( Figs 9, 10 ) has a somewhat broader distal section of the valva in the male genitalia ( Fig. 21 ), and a broader antrum and considerably longer signa bursae in the female genitalia ( Fig. 24 ).

Distribution. The species is found from the Russian part of the southern Ural as well as West, Central and Northeast Kazakhstan ( Fig. 25 ).

Bionomics and behavior. Cteipolia murina is found in a number of diverse habitats and landscapes ( Figs 26–32 ). Most specimens were collected in stony steppes or southern steppes (including steppe and rocky slopes in Bayanaul Mountains) ( Figs 26–29 ). In some places (e.g., Emba River valley and Ulken-Akzhar slope in Shidery River valley) the species is associated with vast chalk outcrops ( Figs 30 , 31 ). In the Irgiz River basin, the moths were collected in hummocky sands overgrown with sparse bushes and low trees of the genera Calligonum , Salix , Halimodendron, Atrophaxis , and Elaeagnus ( Fig. 32 ). Adults of both sexes fly in October; females overwinter and are active in March–April. In the Shidery River valley and at the Ulken-Akzhar cretaceous slope, within a radius of ca. 3 meters from the actinic light traps equipped with 8W tubes, adults were observed at night (ca. 23:00) actively running along rocks and chalk outcrops, apparently preferring walking to flying. In contrary, adults attracted to the MV light remained motionless for a long time.

Figures

Figure 25. Distribution map of Cteipolia murina and C. isotima in Kazakhstan and Russia.

Figure 26. Habitat of Cteipolia murina: Russia, Orenburg Province, Novoorsk District, Kumak River valley, 22.IV.2015 (photo by P. Gorbunov).

Figure 27. Habitat of Cteipolia murina: Russia, Bashkortostan Republic, Tanalyk River basin at Adel’ village, 18.IV.2022 (photo by P. Gorbunov).

Figure 28. Habitat of Cteipolia murina: Central Kazakhstan, Karaganda Province, 70 km N of Balkhash town, Central Kazakh Upland, Konyrkulzha Mt., 7.X.2014 (photo by P. Gorbunov).

Figure 29. Habitat of Cteipolia murina: NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Region, Central Kazakh Upland, Zhartas natural landmark (photo by T. Abylkhasanov).

Figure 30. Habitat of Cteipolia murina: West Kazakhstan, Aktobe Province, 15 km NE of Emba town, 11.X.2013 (photo by P. Gorbunov).

Figure 31. Habitat of Cteipolia murina: NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Reg., Central Kazakh Upland, Ulken-Akzhar, 3.X.2014 (photo by S.V. Titov).

Figure 32. Habitat of Cteipolia murina: West Kazakhstan, Irgiz River basin, Aiyrkyzyl Sands, 8.IV.2019 (photo by P. Gorbunov).

Figures 1–10. Cteipolia spp.: adults, dorsal view. Depositories of the specimens: 1 in ZISP; 2 in KNC; 3, 4, 7 and 8 in CAV; 5 and 6 in MfN; 9 and 10 in IGEB (photo by S. Gordeev).

Figures 11–16. Cteipolia spp.: adults in nature. 11, C. murina, male, Kazakhstan, Aktobe Province, 15 km NE of Emba town, 11.X.2013 (photo by P. Gorbunov); 12, idem., female, Russia, Orenburg Province, Kumak River valley at Zakumachnoe vill., 22.IV.2015 (photo by P. Gorbunov); 13, idem., male, NE Kazakhstan, Pavlodar Reg., Ulken-Akzhar, 3.X.2014 (photo by S.V. Titov); 14, idem., same locality as previous, 3.X.2014 (photo by S.V. Titov); 15, C. isotima, SE Kazakhstan, Dzhungar Alatau, Cherkasay Valley, 4.X.2015 (photo by S.V. Titov); idem., 16, male, Kazakhstan, Tarbagatai Mt. Range, Bazar River bank, 6.X.2018 (photo by P. Gorbunov).

Figures 17–20. Cteipolia spp.: male genitalia, ventral view. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 17 in ZISP; 18 and 20 in CAV; 19 in MfN.

Figures 21–24. Cteipolia spp.: male (21) and female (22–24) genitalia, ventral view. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 21 and 24 in IGEB (photo by T. Gordeeva); 22 in CAV; 23 in MfN.