Lassaba nikkonis (Butler)

Beljaev, Еvgeniy A. & Titova, Olga L., 2023, New data on geometroid moths (Lepidoptera: Geometroidea: Uraniidae and Geometridae) from Sakhalin and Moneron islands with notes on their taxonomy distribution and ecology, Zootaxa 5369 (1), pp. 1-41 : 10

Lassaba nikkonis (Butler)

( Fig. 13 )

Lassaba nikkonis : Vertyankin 2015: 147 (Shebunino).

Material examined. 1 ♀, S Kholmsk, 14.V.2019 .

Distribution. Russia (S RFE: SW Sakhalin, S Kurils—Kunashir ( Rybalkin et al. 2022)), Japan (Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu, Tsushima, Yakushima), South Korea.

Remarks. For the first time in Sakhalin L. nikkonis was found near the Shebunino village ( Vertyankin 2015), 70 km south of Kholmsk. Our new record confirms the habitation of the species in the island and indicates its possible expansion to the north. Notable, in both cases only a single female was collected, possibly, dispersing individuals. The finding of L. nikkonis in Sakhalin significantly expands its distribution range to the north. The known host plants in Japan are Fagus ( Fagaceae ) and Malus ( Rosaceae ); this species is possibly polyphagous on broad-leaved trees. In Sakhalin the moths were recorded from mid-May to early June.

Figures

FIGURES 2–21. Epipleminae, Ennominae, Desmobathrinae and Geometrinae from Sakhalin. 2—Dysaethria illotata, ♀, S Kholmsk; 3—D. moza, ♀, Sokhonda mount.; 4—Eversmannia exornata, ♀, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk; 5—Eilicrinia wehrlii, ♂, “Chertov most”, photo in nature by O.L. Titova; 6—Lomographa simplicior, ♂, Sokhonda mount.; 7—Platycerota incertaria, ♂, Pionery, photo in nature by O.L. Titova; 8—Aethalura ignobilis, ♀, S Kholmsk; 9—Gigantalcis flavolinearia, ♂, S Kholmsk; 10—Pachyerannis obliquaria ♂, central Kholmsk, photo in nature by O.L. Titova; 11—Cusiala stipitaria, ♂, S Kholmsk; 12—Larerannis orthogrammaria, ♂, S Kholmsk; 13—Lassaba nikkonis, ♀, S Kholmsk; 14— Zanclidia testacea, ♀, Sokhonda mount.; 15—Abraxas niphonibia, ♀, Moneron (a—upper side; b—underside); 16—Macaria continuaria, ♂, Nysh; 17–18—Alsophila japonensis, S Kholmsk: 17—♂, 18—♀, photo in nature by O.L. Titova; 18—Inurois asahinai, S Kholmsk; 20—Geometra dieckmanni, ♀, S Kholmsk; 21—Comibaena amoenaria, ♂, S Kholmsk. Scale—10 mm.