Dasypolia templi (Thunberg, 1792)

Volynkin, Anton V., 2012, A review of the genus Dasypolia Guenée, 1852 from the Russian part of the Altai Mountain Country, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3478, pp. 416-428 : 417-419

Dasypolia templi (Thunberg, 1792)

( Figs. 1–4 , 30, 31 , 46 , 55 )

Noctua templi Thunberg, 1792 , Dissertatio Entomologicae 4: 56, pl. 4 (Type-locality: Sweden).

Material Examined. 2 females, 22.v.2011, Altai terr., Krasnoschekovo distr., Tigireksky Ridge, Tigirek vill. env., h = 450 m. On light [Coll. AVB]; 3 male, 26–28.ix.2009, Altai Republic, Ulagan district, Aktash village, bottom of southern steppe stony slope, h = 1350 m. 50°19' N, 87°35' E. On light. Nakonechny A.N. leg. [Coll. AVB]; 2 females, 03.v.2010, same locality, Volynkin A.V. leg. [Coll. AVB]; 2 males, 18.x.2010, Altai Republic, Shebalino district, Shebalino village, 51°18' N, 85°41' E. Nakonechny A.N. leg. [Coll. AVB]; 2 males, 26.ix.2011, Altai Republic, Ongudai district, NW Tuekta env., 53º10'31'' N, 83º46'53'' E, h = 900 m. On light. Volynkin A.V. leg. [Coll. AVB]; 1 female, Altai, Teletskoye lake, 29.iv.1982, A. Esenin [leg.] / ex coll. A.V. Nekrasov [Coll. ZISP]; 2 males, 11.iv.1961, Altai, Yajlyu [Coll. SZMN].

Diagnosis. D. templi is well distinguished from other Altaian Dasypolia species by larger size and wing pattern. Externally it strongly varies in size and wing coloration from red brown to brown olive. The male genitalia ( Figs. 30, 31 ) vary in the width of the cucculus, the length of harpe and the size of diverticuli of vesica.

Bionomics & Distribution. This species is common and widely distributed in the Altai Mountains. It inhabits mesophilous and xerophilous biotopes at low and medium altitudes. Larvae feed on Apiaceae ( Ronkay et al. 2001) . More broadly, the species is widely distributed in the temperate zone of Eurasia from Europe eastward to Transbaikalia southward to the Pamir Mts. Some authors divide this polymorphic species into a number (up to twelwe) of subspecies ( Ronkay et al. 2001). Taking into account the high level of polymorphism in the habitus and genitalic morphology even within one population, the infraspecific structure of D. templi requires revision.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 10. Dasypolia and Tholera spp., adults. 1, Dasypolia templi, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 2, D. templi, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 3, D. templi, female, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB]; 4, D. templi, female, Russia, Altai Mts., Tigireksky Ridge [AVB]; 5, D. maria, male, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [ZISP]; 6, D. maria, male, paratype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [MČK]; 7, D. akbar, male, holotype, Afghanistan (photo by U. Buchsbaum) [ZSM]; 8, ditto, labels (Photo by U. Buchsbaum); 9, D. melancholica, female, paratype, N India, Himachal Pradesh, after Hacker & Peks, 1992; 10, Tholera cespitis, male, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash [AVB].

FIGURES 30 – 35. Dasypolia spp., male genitalia. 30, D. templi, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0428 Volynkin; 31, D. templi, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0392 Volynkin; 32, D. maria, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0407 Volynkin; 33, D. maria, paratype, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0587 Volynkin; 34, D. akbar, holotype, Afghanistan, ZSM Genitalprp. 960 Boursin (photo by U. Buchsbaum); 35, D. melancholica, paratype, N India, Himachal Pradesh, Pr. 5382 Hacker, after Hacker & Peks, 1992.

FIGURES 46 – 53. Dasypolia spp., female genitalia. 46, D. templi, West Siberia, Altai terr., Lugovskoe, slide AV 0475 Volynkin; 47, D. fraterna, holotype, [NW China, Xinjiang, Tien-Shan Mts.], Karagai tau (photo by L. Ronkay); 48, D. tuektiensis, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0389 Volynkin; 49, D. bubnovae, holotype, Russia, Altai Mts., Kucherla; 50, D. lama, Russia, Altai Mts., Aktash, slide AV 0390 Volynkin; 51, D. fani, holotype, Russian Far East, Bikin (photo by L. Ronkay); 52, D. fani, Russian Far East, Nikolsk-Ussurijsky, slide 3240 LR Ronkay (photo by V. S. Kononenko); D. fani, Russian Far East, Blagoveschensk, prep. Volynkin.

FIGURES 54 – 55. 54, Map of type localities of Dasypolia: orange point— D. tuektiensis, green point— D. bubnovae, blue point — D. maria; 55, Collecting site: vicinity of Aktash, Aigulaksky Ridge. Type locality of D. maria and locality of D. templi, D. lama and D. tuektiensis.