Pyrausta limbopunctalis (Herrich-Schäffer, [1849])

Alipanah, Helen, Asselbergs, Jan, Malm, Tobias & Slamka, František, 2023, Taxonomic study of the subfamily Pyraustinae (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Iran, Zootaxa 5289 (1), pp. 1-82 : 47

Pyrausta limbopunctalis (Herrich-Schäffer, [1849])

( Figs 20E, F , 22A )

Botys limbopunctalis Herrich-Schäffer, 1849: 115 , pl. 17 fig. 117.

TL: Spain.

Material examined. 24 ♂♂, 4 ♀♀: Alborz Prov.: 1 ♀, Karaj, Dizin , 2900 m, 12.viii.1981, Hâshemi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2402, HMIM) , 1 ♂, Tâleghân, Tijkuh , 1950 m, 9.vii.1997, Barâri, Mofidi-Neyestânak leg. (gen. prep. HA-2398, HMIM) , 2 ♂♂, Tâleghân, Kalânak , 1950 m, 26.vi.1994, Ebrâhimi leg. ; Ardebil Prov.: 3 ♂♂, Sabalân , 30.vii.1970, Naim leg. (gen. prep. HA-2403, HMIM) , 2 ♂♂, Sabalân, Shâbil , 2550 m, 1.viii.1997, V. Nazari leg. (gen. prep. HA-2532, HMIM) ; Esfahân Prov.: 1 ♂, Ghamishloo garden, 2000 m, 16.-17.vi.1993, Mirzâyâns, Badii leg. ; Qazvin Prov.: 1 ♂, Qazvin, 1.vi.1970, Âyatollâhi, Abâi leg. , 1 ♀, Qazvin, Gostinlâr , 1.vii.1970, Abâi, Âyatollâhi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2400, HMIM) ; Gilân Prov.: 1 ♀, Tâlesh- Asâlem Rd. , 1250 m, 6.ix.1972, Borumand, Zairi leg.; Kordestân Prov.: 3 ♂♂, 45 km SW Saghez, Saghez- Bâneh Rd. , 2000 m, 30.vi.1975, Pâzuki leg., 2 ♂♂, 10 km W Bijâr, Bâbâ Sorkheh, 2180 m, 29.vi.1975, Pâzuki leg.; West Âzarbâijân Prov. : 6 ♂♂, 1 ♀, W Mâku, Ghezelbulâgh , 2220 m, 17.-18.vii.1976, Pâzuki, Borumand leg., 3 ♂♂, Takâb, Takht-e Soleymân, N 36˚35΄40˝, E 47˚19΄43.5˝, 2528 m, 1.vii.2013, Afsariân leg. (gen. prep. HA-2531, HMIM) .

Distribution. Spanish mainland, Portuguese mainland, Sardinia, southern part of Europaean Russia, Turkey; Transcaucasia ( Slamka, 2013), Iran ( Zerny 1940; Amsel 1961).

Remarks. According to Nuss et al. (2003 –2022), this species is represented by two subspecies: P. limbopunctalis limbopunctalis (Herrich-Schäffer, 1849) and P. limbopunctalis dissolutalis (Staudinger, 1880) . The latter subspecies is reported from Iran, including the Alborz (Elburz, Nesa, Osman Mt.), Fars (Barm Firuz), Hamedan (Alvand), Mazandaran (Kandovan Rd., Tarsi Kola), and Tehran (Lar valley, Tochal and Damavand: Rineh) Provinces ( Zerny 1940; Amsel 1961).

All of the examined specimens in this study have been collected in the northern and western parts of Iran. Most of them have a pale brown ground colour with a yellow tint and brown cross lines and discoidal spots ( Fig. 20E ), but in a few of them (collected in Ardebil and Alborz Province) the ground colour of the forewing is dark brown ( Fig. 20F ). In all the specimens, the ground colour of the hindwing is the same colour as the forewing or slightly paler ( Fig. 20E, F ); however, in the two females collected from Gilan and Qazvin Provinces, the hindwing has a dark brown ground colour with a yellow medial band, and forewing with more contrasting markings compared to the remaining specimens ( Fig. 22A ). The genitalia structures of the examined material were the same.

Genus Nascia J. Curtis, 1835

Figures

FIGURE 20. A) Pyrausta pionalis Toll, female. B) P. aerealis (Ḩbner), male. C, D) P. tatarica Kemal et al., 2020: male, West Azarbaijan, Maku (C), male, East Azarbaijan, Kaghazkonan (D). E, F) P. limbopunctalis (Herrich-Schäffer): male, Kordestan, Saghez- Baneh Rd (E), male, Alborz, Dizin (F) (scale bar = 10.0 mm).

FIGURE 22. A) Pyrausta limbopunctalis (Herrich-Schäffer), female, Gilan, Asalem. B) Sclerocona acutella (Eversmann), male. C) Sitochroa palealis (Denis & Schifferm̧ller), male. D–F) S. verticalis (Linnaeus): male, Tehran, Evin (D), male, Razavi Khorasan, Mashhad (E), female, Mazandaran, Palang Darreh (F) (scale bar = 10.0 mm).