Rhodostrophia cuprinaria (Christoph, 1876)

(Figs 52–56, 75, 92, 104–105, Map 13)

Eusarca cuprinaria Christoph, 1876: Horae Societatis Entomologicae Rossicae, 12: 261, pl. 7, fig. 33. (Nord Persien [Iran], Schahrud). Lectotype ♂ (examined, hereby designated in order to stabilize nomenclature): ‘ Schahrud’, ‘coll. Erschov. ’, ‘ex. mater. Mus., Acad. Petrop. ’, ‘GU 625/2005 R. Trusch’, ‘ Lectotyus ♂ Eusarca cuprinaria Christoph design. Trusch & Hausmann’ in ZIN.

Rhodostrophia nubifera Brandt, 1941, syn. nov.

Rhodostrophia nubifera Brandt, 1941: Mitteilungen der Münchner Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 31 (3): 866, pl. 28, fig. 1. Lectotype ♂ (examined, hereby designated in order to stabilize nomenclature), ‘ Iran Khorassan, Kouh i Binaloud (Meched), 1800 m. 18.Aug.1938, Coll. Brandt’, ‘ Holotype Rhodostrophia nubifera Brdt. Brandt’, ‘47 | 60’, ‘ Preparation 1135 W. P. Wiltshire’, ‘2:75, R.M.prep. 3703’, in NHRS.

Paralectotypes: 1 ♂, id., 16.Aug.1938, NHRS-LEPI 000010264, g.p. 10948 H. Rajaei; 1 ♂, id., 16.Aug.1938, ‘ Allotype Rhodostrophia nubifera Brdt. Brandt’NHRS-LEPI 000010265, g.p. 10949 H. Rajaei, both in NHRS (examined). 1 ♀, Iran Khorassan, Kouh i Binaloud (Meched), 1800 m. 16.Aug.1938, Coll. Brandt’ , ‘ Paratype Rhodostrophia nubifera Brdt. Brandt’, 2 ♀, id., 2500 m, ‘ Rh. nubifera Brdt. ’; all in SMNK. 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Iran Khorassan, Kouh i Binaloud (Meched), 2500 m. 20.Aug.1938, Coll. Brandt’ , ‘ Paratype, Rhodostrophia nubifera Brdt. Brandt’, ex coll. Cl. Hörhammer, in ZSM (all examined) .

Remarks. According to the wing pattern as well as to the genitalia of the lectotype examined here, R. nubifera Brandt, 1941 is a synonym of R. cuprinaria . The misidentification of R. cuprinaria by Christoph in Romanoff (1885: 126 no. 181 and pl. 6 fig. 8a, b) as one of the standard works of Lepidopterology led to the misinterpretation of this species, see above under R. phaenicearia Hampson. Christophs publication in 1885 was used by nearly all later authors as reference for the identification of R. cuprinaria instead of the original description and lead also to the description of R. nubifera syn. nov. by Brandt (1941).

Rhodostrophia nubifera klapperichi Wiltshire, 1966, syn. nov.

Rhodostrophia nubifera klapperichi Wiltshire, 1966: Zeitschrift der Wiener Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 51: 135, genitalia fig. 32. (no holotype mentioned in original description and all approx. 80 syntypes listed as paratypes), Afghanistan nr.[near] Kabul, 26. & 27.5.1965, ca. 82 Expl., und Khurd-Kabul, 26.5.1965 and 4.9.1965, leg. Kasy & Vartian; [Afghanistan] ‘ferner Paghman Mts., 2200 m, 15 km v. Kabul, 29.6.– 8.7.1963, leg. Kasy & Vartian.; In NHMW. 1 ♂, Afghanistan, 10 km NW v. Kabul, 1900 m, 1.6.1965, leg. Kasy & Vartian, Wiltshire coll. B.M. 1979–433, NHMUK (E)972068; 1 ♀, Afghanistan, Paghman, 30 km NW v. Kabul, 2450 m, leg. E. & A. Vartian, Wiltshire Coll. B.M. 1979–433, NHMUK (E)972069 ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, O-Afghanistan, Djebel Seratsch, 1650 m, Kohdaman, 13.10.[19]52, [♂ genitalia] Preparation E.P. Wiltshire 9041, Wiltshire Coll. B.M. 1979–433, NHMUK (E) 972070 & 71, all in NHMUK (examined). 1 ♂, Afgh. [anistan], Khurd-Kabul, SO v. Kabul, 1900 m, 26.v.1965, [leg.] Kasy & Vartian, NHRS-LEPI 000010266, g.p. 10950 H. Rajaei, in NHRS .

Records in literature. Rhodostrophia cuprinaria: Staudinger (1901: 279); Prout (1913: 42); Prout (1935: 25); Viidalepp (1996: 58); Scoble (1999: 822); Scoble & Hausmann (2007); Müller et al. (2019: 845).

Previous records from Iran. Tarsee [Tar Lake], 2000–2800m (Schwingenschuss 1939); near Tehran (Wiltshire 1966). Brandt (1939) reports R. cuprinaria from Fars, which may refer to R. phaenicearia . Wiltshire (1977) mentioned R. cuprinaria from northern Oman which refers to R. skulei (cf. Hausmann, 1998: 94)

Additional material examined. 1 ♂, Iran, prov. Kohkiluyeh-va-Boyerahmad, 30 km S Yassudj, road Abshare-Tange-Tamoradi, 8 km before Abshar (= waterfall), N 30°31'53’’, E 51°25'11", 2254 mNN, 24.5.2009 , leg. Hossein Rajaei, g.p. 2401/2021 H. Rajaei, SMNK E-Lep. 259 . 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Iran, Balutschestan, Khasch, Kuhe Taftan, E-exp., 1800 m, Ebert & Falkner leg. 20.v.1972 , g.p. 576/2005 R. Trusch & 2399/2020 H. Rajaei; 1 ♀, Iran, Prov. South Khorassan, Kuh-e Mirza Arab NW, gorge S Ahangaran, N 33°22'22.1", E 60°07'39", 2.v.2006 , leg. B. Plössl & G. Tarmann, SMNK E-Lep. 239, barcode BC ZSM Lep. 33889; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, E-IRAN, Prov. Ostan-e Khorasan, NE Birjand, S Haji Abad, Gomenj vic., Kuh-e Mirza Arab, 2.040 mNN, N 33°16'13.9'', E 060°06'59.7'', 2.v.2008, leg. R. Trusch, M. Falkenberg & B. Müller, g.p. (♂) 2403/2021 H. Rajaei, barcode BC ZSM Lep. 33892, BC ZSM Lep. 33891, BC ZSM Lep. 33890; 1 ♀, Iran N, Prov. Semnan, 20 km N Damghan, Cheschme Ali, N 36°15'07'', E 054°04'20'', 1560 m, 23.v.2005 , leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka, B. Müller; 1 ♂ id, 24.v.2005; 5 ♂, Iran NE, Kopet Dagh, Prov. Khorasan, ca. 50 km N Bojnurd, S Izmansufla, N 37°44'20'', E 057°25'53'', 1240 m, 17.v.2005 , leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka, B. Müller, g.p. (♀) 598, (♂) 626/2005 R. Trusch; 3 ♀, Iran, Khorasan, Kopet Dagh, Rabat 25 km SW Izman soflea [Sufla], 27.5.2008 , J.-U. Meineke & W. Kramer, (♂) 2397/2020 H. Rajaei; 2 ♂, NE Iran, Prov. Ostan-e Khorasan, Kopet Dagh, NW Mashad, N Tschenaran, N Radkan, Dolmeh Olia, 1.560 mNN, N 36°55'56.6'', E 059°02'18.6'', 8.v.2008, leg. R. Trusch, M. Falkenberg & B. Müller ; 4 ♂, 3 ♀, id. 9.v.2008; 5 ♂, id. 10.v.2008; 9 ♂, 1 ♀, id. 11.v.2008, all in SMNK. 1 ♂, id. 11.v.2008, g.p. (♂) 2386 & 2398/2020 H. Rajaei; I ♀, id., 10.v.2008; 1 ♂, Iran, Kerman, Sarbishan, Shingara, 2789 m, 32°17'26"N, 55°27'17"E, 28.iv.2016 , leg. Sh. Feizpour; all in SMNS. 3 ♀, id, in PCMB. 1 ♀ Esfahan, Natanz, Abianeh, 2150 m, 6.vi.1988 , leg. Hash[emi] & Badii, g.p. 674/2005 R. Trusch; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, [Iran] Bl. [Baluchestan], Taftan, 17.–19.iv.1973, leg. Broum [and], both in HMIM. 1 ♂, 2♀, Iran, prov. Kerman, 5 km S Deh-Bakri, 2350 m, 1.vi.1997 , leg. A, Hoffmann & P. Kautt, barcodes: BC ZSM Lep 08556, BC ZSM Lep 08557, BC ZSM Lep 08558, in ZSM .

Specimens studied total: 36 ♂, 29 ♀.

Differential diagnosis (Figs 52–56, 104–105). Wingspan 28–32 mm. Forewing with straight termen. Wings with yellow-sandy to reddish ground colour, with varying light to darker hue; medial fascia slightly darker than background. Ante- and postmedial lines of both fore- and hindwings serrate, bordered by a light shadow. Discal spots small, but present on all wings, slightly larger on forewings. Underside of the wings yellow-creamy, only postmedial lines visible. Male antennal flagellum ventrally dentated. Male hindtibia with three spurs.

Male genitalia (Fig. 75). Uncus thumb-shaped (Fig. 3); valva triangular, at apex with a triangular upsidedirected fold; costal part of valva medially swollen; sacculus largely projected and dentated (see the lower arrow in Fig. 75d) (not dentated in R. peripheres, best diagnostic character between these two species) (Figs 75d, 76d). Juxta wide, apically concave (apical part of juxta not concave in R. peripheres). Aedeagus medially angled to 90° (aedeagus only slightly curved in R. peripheres); vesica membranous, cornuti developed as a large spines. Male sternite A8 bilobed (Fig. 75c), with wide, short octavals (octavals longer in R. peripheres).

Female genitalia (Fig. 92) with large and wide papillae anales (clear diagnostic character from all other Iranian Rhodostrophia species); corpus bursae spherical, signum developed as large sclerite covering over half of corpus bursae. Ductus bursae cylindrical; its length roughly that of corpus bursae. Posterior apophyses twice length of anterior apophyses.

Genetic data. BOLD:AAE3641. Two additional BINs from specimens of Mazandaran-Baladeh Valley (BOLD: ABY4371; 2.4% from main cluster) and Khorasan-Izmansufla (BOLD:AAB9862; 2.7% from main cluster) requiring further integrative study. Nearest species: R. peripheres (5.1%) and R. vahabzadehi sp. nov. (4.9%) (Fig. 119, Table 1).

Distribution (Map 13). This species is distributed in Turkmenistan (Kopet-Dagh), Iran and Afghanistan. Most probably it is present also in Pakistan. In Iran it is recorded from the central and eastern parts of the country (provinces: Khorasan-e Shomali, Razavi, Semnan, Jonubi, Sistan-o-Baluchistan, Kerman, Fars, Esfahan and Kohgiluyeh-va-Boyerahmad).

Due to taxonomical confusion of R. cuprinaria and R. phaenicearia in previous studies, all records of R. cuprinaria from Caucasus (Georgia) and Transcaucasus (Armenia and Azerbaijan) (Viidalepp 1996) and Turkey (Koçak & Kemal 2018) are under question and could refer to R. phaenicearia .

Life history and habitat (Figs 109, 110, 117). The species is univoltine, recorded from mid-April to early July. According to the material examined here, it flies at altitudes from 1200 m up to 2800 m.