Gnopharmia sarobiana Ebert

Sh, Hossein Rajaei, Stüning, Dieter & Trusch, Robert, 2012, Taxonomic revision and zoogeographical patterns of the species of Gnopharmia Staudinger, 1892 (Geometridae, Ennominae), Zootaxa 3360, pp. 1-52 : 25-27

Gnopharmia sarobiana Ebert

( Figs 31, 32, 33, 34 & 40 ; Map 3)

Gnopharmia sarobiana Ebert, 1965: 19 , pl. 1, fig. 16; pl. 4, fig. 1. Holotype 3, paratypes 10 3, 7 Ƥ, SMNK (examined). Type locality: Sarobi, E. Afghanistan.

Gnopharmia objectaria luxuriosa Wiltshire, 1967: 156 , pl. 2, figs 18, 19; pl. 13, figs 51–53. syn. nov. ( Figs 33 & 34 ). Holotype 3, paratypes 3/Ƥ (see material studied), SMNK (examined). Type locality: Nuristan: Bashgul valley (NE. Afghanistan).

Type material examined. Gnopharmia sarobiana : Holotype 3, [ Afghanistan] ‘Sarobi, 1150 m | 16.iii.1963, O. Hammer leg., ‘Genital-Untersuchung Nr. G. 91, 3’, ‘ G. s a ro b i a n a Ebert, 1965 | Holotype’, ‘ G. sarobiana Ebert, 1965 | det. H. R., 2009’, in SMNK. Paratype Ƥ (examined), ‘[ Afghanistan] Sarobi, 1150 m | 13.iii.1963, O. Hammer leg., ‘Genital-Untersuchung Nr. G. 83, Ƥ’, ‘ G. sarobiana Ebert, 1965 | Paratype’, ‘ G. sarobiana Ebert, 1965 | det. H. R., 2009’; further paratypes (examined): same locality and collector, 1 3, 13.iii.1963, GU Nr. G 9; 5 Ƥ, 7.–19.iv.1962, GU Nr. G 101; 1 Ƥ, 22.iii.1963, gen. prep. 905/2009 H. R., all in SMNK. Gnopharmia objectaria luxuriosa : Holotype 3 (examined), ‘[leg.] J. Klapperich | Bashgultal 1100 m | Nuristan, 6.5.1953 | Afghanistan’, ‘ Gnopharmia objectaria luxuriosa Wiltshire, Holotype’, ‘gen. prep. 603/2009 H. R.’, ‘ G. sarobiana Ebert, 1965 | det. H. R., 2009’, in SMNK. Paratypes (examined; same locality as holotype, but with different data and altitudes): 4 Ƥ, 6.4.1953, 3 Ƥ, 2 3, 6.5.1953, gen. preps 597, 902 and 903/2009 H. R. and 443 Wiltshire [the latter not traced], 1 Ƥ, 1 3, 14.5.1953, gen. prep. 605/2009 H. R.’, 1 Ƥ, 9.4.1953, 1 Ƥ, 22.4.1953; 3 3, 1 Ƥ, id. 1150 m, 19.5.1953 ‘gen. preps 601, 606 and 608/2009 H. R.’; 2 3, id. 1200 m, 3.5.1953, gen. preps 598 and 602/2009 H. R, 1 3, id. 11.5.1953, gen. prep. 604, 13 id., 30.4.1953, gen. prep. 607, 1 3, id. 1300 m, gen. prep. 600/2009 H. R.; 1 3, 1 Ƥ, ‘[leg.] J. Klapperich | Kutiau 1450 m | Nuristan, 2.5.1953 | Afghanistan’, ‘genitalia preparation E. P. Wiltshire no. 939’; all labelled ‘ Gnopharmia objectaria luxuriosa Wiltshire, Paratype’, and ‘ G. sarobiana Ebert, 1965 | det. H. R., 2009’. Additional material studied: 22 3, 3 Ƥ, see appendix.

Description. Wings and body ( Figs 31–34 ). Frons strongly extended, but distally without a separate central process. Free apical flagellomeres in male antennae 12 (13 by Ebert, 1965). Tibial spine long and acute. Wingspan 25–28 mm, ground colour of wings yellowish ochreous, suffused with grey and dark brown. Forewing with antemedial, medial and postmedial lines represented by a few dark grey spots, most conspicuous those on costa. Postmedial incurved in the middle, sometimes the spots connected by a narrow, reddish-brown line. Area between postmedial and the light, zigzag-shaped submarginal line dark grey, forming a centrally constricted band. Marginal area rather homogenously reddish-brown, striated dark grey, a light ochreous apical patch present, but sometimes indistinct. Hindwing with medial and postmedial lines similar, rather straight. Submarginal area like in fore wings. Under side with basal two thirds greyish-white or grey, strongly suffused with darker scales; a darker grey submarginal band without distinct borders present, a pale creamy forewing apical spot often clearly visible. Discal dots present, large and clear on under side, but also visible on upperside. Variation. Rather low in Sarobi specimens. Remnants of the ochreous yellow ground colour are more ample in the luxuriosa form. The latter also have the dark marginal bands on under side more distinct. Male genitalia and pre-genital abdomen ( Fig. 40 ). Sacculus not extended, tooth-like projections small, the proximal a bit larger than the distal ones. Aedeagus long (> 1.5 mm), with a long coecum penis and a rather small ventral fin. Proximal subapical spines inserting dorsolaterally, consisting of at least one large spine (length up to 0.3 mm) and one or two small ones, sometimes of two or even three large spines, all of them slightly curved. Distal subapical spines always a single, short tooth, inserting ventrally near the apex, with a large gap between both groups. A tiny multiple cornutus present. Octavals of sternite A8 straight and a narrow, almost v-shaped opening between them.

Diagnosis. G. s a ro b i a n a is distinctive in its rather large size, broad and rounded wings and dark brown and grey coloration. Rarely, specimens of G. colchidaria objectaria and G. cocandaria may be similar. G. cocandaria afghanistana Wiltshire approaches the range of distribution of sarobiana in the North of Afghanistan (see map 3). However, the only known specimen of afghanistana is smaller and lighter and exhibits the ‘ maculifera’ -pattern of cocandaria (see fig. 12). Male genitalia of both are rather similar, but cocandaria has a shorter and stouter aedeagus, especially a shorter coecum penis, more numerous distal subapical spines which are closer to the proximal ones and cornuti on vesica are absent in cocandaria . The only species which has been found flying together with sarobiana is G. i r a k e n s i s (see Ebert, 1965). It can be distinguished externally by lighter ground colour, distinct dark marginal bands on under side of both wings, rounded, not conically extended frons, 18 unpectinated, distal segments in male antennae (12 in sarobiana ) and by means of genitalia. G. s a ro b i a n a is known only from East and Northeast Afghanistan and N. Pakistan (see map 3).

Taxonomic note. Ebert (1965: 19) described G. sarobiana as bona species, explicitly distinguishing it from other Gnopharmia specimens collected at Arghandab river, 30 km N of Kandahar (about 300 km SW of Sarobi). The latter he named as “ Gnopharmia objectaria Staudinger ? ssp.”. He clearly described the external differences and also the variations of male genitalia which occur in this objectaria ssp. (and which agree with those we also found in other objectaria specimens). Indeed, G. sarobiana looks quite different externally by size, wing-shape and coloration. By the long proximal subapical spines in male aedeagus it even seems to be more closely related to G. cocandaria than to G. colchidaria objectaria . On the other hand, comparatively long proximal spines also rarely occur in objectaria specimens and length and shape of aedeagus (long coecum penis, ventral fin almost at centre), shape of octavals and other characters (frons, tibial spines) also seem to place sarobiana closer to objectaria . Moreover, Wiltshire (1967: 156) described his “ luxuriosa ” as a subspecies of G. objectaria . We synonymised it with sarobiana , as it surely does not represent a real geographic race. Even the type material contains specimens rather more similar to true sarobiana . Male genitalia are also like those of sarobiana . So luxuriosa should be considered as infrasubspecific form or variation. We were inclined to treat G. sarobiana as the fourth subspecies of G. colchidaria rather than as a distinct species. Unfortunately, molecular data for sarobiana which could prove this are not yet at hand and so we have to leave this question unsolved at present.

Life history and habitat. Flight period from March to July. The earliest collecting-date of the material studied here is 13th of March (Sarobi), the majority of specimens were collected in May and July, and the latest record is of 20th July (Paghman, 2500 m). Early stages and host plants of larvae are unknown.

Distribution (Map 3). Most specimens are collected from Eastern and North-Eastern Afghanistan. Here we report the species from Pakistan for the first time.

Figures

FIGURE 30 – 34. 30: G. r u b r a r i a, colour variants from: a, Kirikkale (Central Turkey), b – c, Marasch (Maraš, E. Turkey); 31 – 32: G. s a ro b i a n a, 31: holotype, male, 32: paratype, female, 33: G. objectaria luxuriosa, holotype, male, 34: G. objectaria luxuriosa, paratype, female. a, upperside; b, under side; c, original label (except fig. 30). Scale bar: 1 cm.

FIGURE 39 – 40. Male genitalia and abdominal sternites. 39: G. irakensis, syntype, gen. prep: 7217, by Wehrli, SEM prep. 6 / 2009 H. R.; 40: G. sarobiana, holotype, gen. prep: 91, G. Ebert. a: genital capsule; b: aedeagus; c: distal part of aedeagus (SEM; with scale); d. sternite A 8. Scale bar: 1 mm.