Lemonia taraxaci (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)

(Figs 1–17, 53, 58–63, 88–93, 114–115)

Bombyx taraxaci Denis & Schiffermuller, 1775, Ankündung eines systematischen Werkes von den Schmetterlingen der Wienergegend, 57. Type locality: Austria, Vienna area. Types do not exist.

= Phalaena Bombyx taraxaconis Gmelin, 1790, Caroli a Linné, systema naturae, 1(5), 2415. Type locality: Austria. Types were not found. Unnecessary replacement for Bombyx taraxaci Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775 .

= Lemonia taraxaci terranea Rothschild, 1909, The Annals and magazine of natural history; zoology, botany, and geology, Series 8, 3(13), 7. Type locality: France, Le Lautaret, 45.03541° N, 6.40171° E. Lectotype ♂ (NHML).

= Lemonia taraxaci ab. depuncta Stephens, 1924, Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift “Iris,” 38: 204. Type locality: Poland, Karłów, 50.4742° N, 16.3379° E and Poland, Fort Karola, 50.4642° N, 16.3472° E. Syntypes ♂ and ♀ were not found. Invalid infrasubspecific name.

Diagnosis. Lemonia taraxaci is a Central European species, it is restricted to the Alps and the surrounding lowlands. It has a 2.18% gap analysis distance from L. sibirica and 2.98% from L. italiana sp. n. (Fig. 115). Lemonia taraxaci is externally and morphologically variable, without reliable characters found to distinguish it from the other closely related species.

Variability. The coloration of the species varies from pale yellow to vivid yolk yellow and from brownish yellow to brown (see Figs 1–17). The brown tint suggested to be related to inhabiting height – as higher specimen flies as darker it is (Antoshin & Zolotuhin, 2011), compare Figs 10 and 11 – 199 and 2275 m accordingly.Although, specimens from the same location may be of a different color (Figs 8 and 9). In addition, specimens with a brown tint are known not only from a mountainous areas but from lowlands too: Osp, Slovenia (35 m; Fig. 12) and Prague, Czechia (250 m; Fig. 14). Few specimens known with darkened veins (Figs 5–6). Discal spot a slightly variable in size dot (Figs 2 and 10) or a lunule- or a comma-shaped spot (Fig. 13).

Uncus in male genitalia (Fig. 53) varies in a wide range with no system (Figs 58–63), even specimens from the same location are different (Figs 59–60).

Spurs on tarsi vary in number and size without any system (Figs 88–93).

Distribution (Fig. 114). The range, especially in the lowlands around the Alps, is not clear. The western, northern and eastern distribution boundaries are likely to shrink because of active land use (The Council of the European Union, 2013). In the northeast and east it is probably limited by the Ore Mountains, the Sudetes and then the Carpathian Mountains. The species range does not exceed the Alps in the southwest and is limited by the Po Valley in the south. In the southeast, the border between L. taraxaci and L. strigata may be somewhere across coastal Croatia if it exists at all. Specimens externally looking like L. taraxaci are known from the Balkans but here we regard them under L. strigata according to fresh DNA data (see “Taxonomic note. 1.” for L. strigata strigata). Wang (1998) recorded L. taraxaci from China, but later Cui et al. (2017) showed it is a misidentified Bombycidae species.

Taxonomic notes. 1. The species was described from the “Wienergegend” – Vienna area – a lowland below 300 m. Here we consider mountain and lowland populations within the same species. Further studies are necessary, and DNA analysis may show in fact some differences.

2. Antoshin and Zolotuhin (2011) listed Lemonia taraxaci var. montana Buresch, 1915 as a synonym of L. taraxaci, assuming it is just “an ecologic form with dark and somewhat hyaloid scales.” A syntype female from the NMNHS collection was known to the authors and to us by a color photo (Fig. 38). Here we regard it under L. strigata strigata (see “Taxonomic notes. 2.”). They also listed Lemonia taraxaci ab. antigone Stauder, 1913 (type locality: Adriatic Sea coast) among invalid infrasubspecific names for L. taraxaci, but considering the type locality we list it as a synonym of L. strigata strigata instead.

Material examined: France: ♂, Provence-Alpes-Cote d’Azur, N Col de la Boucharde / Col de la Cayolle N, 44.2833° N, 6.7433° E, 1930 m, 26.VII.2009, leg. P. Huemer, TLMF Lep 00400 (TLM) ; ♂, Les Gleizolles, 44.4759° N, 6.76167° E, 25.VIII.1962, leg. W. Strehlau (CGM) ; 2♂, High Alps, Queyras Valley, 44.7333° N, 6.8166° E, 1400–2000 m, 12.VIII.1964, 17.VIII.1964, slides 14.529, 14.539 (MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, High Alps, Les Vigneaux, 44.82342° N, 6.54189° E, 28.VIII.1965 (CGM) ; ♀, High Alps, Briançon, Prelles, 44.85842° N, 6.5812° E, 13.VIII.1969 (CGM) ; ♂, High Alps, Chantemerle, 44.98801° N, 6.54999° E, 1900 m, 2–14.VIII.1978, leg. P. Walter (ZSM) ; ♂, High Alps, Col du Galibier, 45.06409° N, 6.40773° E, 2600 m, 3.VIII.1962, leg. Lukasch (ZSM) ; ♂, High Alps, Argentière, 45.98359° N, 6.92688° E, 1400 m, VIII.1975, leg. W. Pevlee (CGM) . Switzerland: 2♂, Valais, Zeneggen, 46.27357° N, 7.86696° E, 1450 m, 10.VIII.1968 (ZSM) ; ♂, Bern, Kandersteg, 46.49473° N, 7.67443° E, 1500 m (CGM) ; ♂, St Moritz, 46.49079° N, 9.8355° E, 29.VII.1955 (CGM) ; ♂, Andermatt, 1700 m, 46.63391° N, 8.59356° E, 26.VII.1979, leg. H. Hacker, slide 14.528 (MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Valais, Col du Simplon, 46.25059° N, 8.0322° E, 12–26.VII.1952 (MNHN) ; 3♂, Tremorgio Lake, 46.48086° N, 8.7197° E, 24.VII.1952, 27.VII.1952, leg. L. Settele (SMNH) . Germany: ♂, ♀, Hossingen, 48.1888° N, 8.9223° E, 8.VIII.1985, 10.VIII.1985, leg. Lingenhöle (CGM) ; ♀, S Bavaria, N Munich, Fröttmaninger Heide, Am Kiefernwald, 48.2077° N, 11.6122° E 5–20.X.1930, leg. Kolb (CGM) . Italy: ♂, Piedmont, Cottian Alps, Colle delle Finestre, 45.077° N, 7.051° E, 2155 m, 26.VIII.2019, leg. Ch. Wieser, KLM Lep 14638 (KLM) ; ♂, Piedmont, Cottian Alps, Testa dell’Assietta, 45.064° N, 6.951° E, 2530 m, 25.VIII.2019, leg. Ch. Wieser, KLM Lep 14639 (KLM) ; ♂, South Tyrol, Terlan, 46.52951° N, 11.24852° E, leg. F. Dannehl (ZSM) ; ♂, Valle d’Aosta, Val di Rhêmes, S Talende, Rifugio Benevolo, 45.51564° N, 7.08442° E, 2300–2400 m, 25.VII.1989, leg. E. Brockmann (ZSM) ; 5♂, 5♀, Autonomous Province of Trento, Vela, 46.083° N, 11.1008° E, 19.IX.1999, leg. M. Gick, slide Lemon-10 (CGM) ; ♂, Gardasee, Monte Baldo, 45.72638° N, 10.84388° E, 1100 m, VII.2002, leg. Weiss (CGM) ; ♂, Piedmont, Cottian Alps, Colle delle Finestre, 45.077° N, 7.051° E, 2155 m, 26.VIII.2019, leg. Ch. Wieser, KLM Lep 14638 (KLM) ; ♂, Bassano del Grappa, 500 m, 9.X.1972, leg. K. Heuberger-Regensburg (CGM) . Austria: ♀, Baden bei Wien, 48.00214° N, 16.23091° E, VIII.1931 (ZSM) ; ♀, Vienna, Lainzer Tiergarten, 48.16969° N, 16.22052° E, 9.X.1922 (ZSM) ; ♂, Burgenland, Kohfidisch, 47.17423° N, 16.35754° E, 260 m, 5–12.VIII.1964 (ZSM) ; ♂, ♀, Burgenland, Aspang – Edlitz, 47.5866° N, 16.09962° E, 20.X.1981, leg. Pinker (CGM) . Czechia: ♂, Prague, 50.07553° N, 14.4378° E (CGM) . Hungary: ♂, Nógrád, Egyházasgerge, 48.18002° N, 19.64529° E, 2.IX.1996, leg. O. Kostjuk, slide 14.543 (MWM / ZSM; CGM) ; ♂, Bükk Mountains, 48.08333° N, 20.5° E, 8.IX.1963, leg. J. Jablonkay, slide 14.405 (MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Jósvafő, Tohonyavölgy, 48.48262° N, 20.55044° E, 6.IX.1978, leg. P. Gyulai (CGM) . Slovenia: ♂, Kamniška Bistrica, 46.32465° N, 14.59978° E, 12.VII.1978 (ZSM) ; ♂, Osp, 45.57159° N, 13.85846° E, 6.X.1972, leg. P. Tonkli (CGM) . Croatia: ♂, Rovinj, 45.08116° N, 13.6387° E, 0–50 m, 9.X.1967, leg. Dantel, slide 14.441 (MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Medveja, 45.26906° N, 14.26834° E, 10–16.IX.1955 (ZSM) .