Triphosa taochata Lederer, 1870

Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel & Rajaei, Hossein, 2019, An integrative taxonomic revision of the genus Triphosa Stephens, 1829 (Geometridae: Larentiinae) in the Middle East and Central Asia, with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4603 (1), pp. 39-65 : 55-57

Triphosa taochata Lederer, 1870

( figs 17 , 31–34 , 43 , 50–52 ; map)

Triphosa taochata Lederer, 1870 . Annales de la Société entomologique de Belgique. 13, 40; 50. Syntypes 2 ♂, 2 ♀ ([ Georgia]: Achalziche, Hankynda ). Deposited in Museum für Naturkunde der Humboldt-Universität, Berlin, Germany .

Type material examined. LECTOTYPE (hereby designated based on examination of morphology and DNA barcoding, figs 31 , 51 ) ♀, Hankynda, Origin, 242, Coll. Led., g. prep. 0020/2018 D. Wanke .

PARALECTOTYPES (hereby designated) 1 ♀, Achalzich, Origin, 435, Coll. Led., g. prep. 2070/2016 H. Rajaei (according to morphological and barcoding studies this female specimen ( figs 32 , 50 ) belongs to T. dubitata ) ; also based on morphological studies the next two male specimens ( figs 18, 19 ) are externally Triphosa , but their genitalia are characteristic to Hydria cervinalis (see remark below): 1 ♂ Achalzich, Origin, 434, Coll. Led., g. prep. 2068/2016 H. Rajaei ; 1 ♂ Achalzich, Origin, 436, Coll. Led., g. prep. 2069/2016 H. Rajaei; all in MNHU .

Further material examined. 2 ♂, NE-Türkei, Provinz Erzurum, Höhle ca. 7 km östlich Ispir ( Tal des Coruh ), 1100 m, 27.vi.2002, leg. J. Gelbrecht & E. Schwabe, g. preps (♂) 0017, 0018/2018 D. Wanke; in PCBM . 1 ♂, Armenia, Yeghegnadzor, Villiage , Vayots Dzor, 39°46,0’N 45°19,5’E, 1280 m.ü.M, 24.vi.2011, LF, leg. Daniel Bolt, g. prep. 0088/2018 D. Wanke ; 1 ♀, Armenia, Meghri, Old City , Syunik, 38°53,8’N 46°14,5’E, 660 m.ü.M, 29.v.2010, LF, leg. Daniel Bolt, g. prep. 0145/2018 D. Wanke; all in PCDB . 1 ♂, NE-Türkei, Provinz Artvin, Tekkale bei Yusufeli , 800 m ( Tal des Coruh ), 13.iv.2002, e.o.: 30.v.–1.vi.2002, leg. T. Drechsel; coll. J. Gelbrecht, g. prep. 0033/2018 D. Wanke ; 2 ♀, NE-Türkei, Provinz Erzurum, Höhle ca. 7 km östlich Ispir ( Tal des Coruh ), 5.vii.2002, leg. J. Gelbrecht & E. Schwabe, g. preps. 0034, 0035/2018 D. Wanke; all in PCJG . 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Turkey, Agri, Ararat Ns, 18 km SE Suveren, 2050 m, 1.vii.2001, K. Larsen, g. prep. (♂) 0054/2018 D. Wanke; 1 ♂ , 1 ♀, Turkey, Kars, Karakurt , 10 km E, 1550 m, 7.vii.2001, K. Larsen, g. prep. (♂) 0057/2018 D. Wanke; all in PCPS . 9 ♂, 9 ♀, N-Iran, Elburs-Mts, Masandaran, Polur , Damavand , 2200 m, Ebert & Falkner leg. 11.vii.1972, g. preps (♂) 1231, 1232/2010 H. Rajaei, (♀) 754/2009, 1233/2010 H. Rajaei, (♂) 0012, (♀) 0011, (♀) 0027, (♀) 0028/2018 D. Wanke; all in SMNK . 3 ♂, 4 ♀, N-Iran, Elburs-Mts, Masandaran, Polur , Damavand , 2500 m, Ebert & Falkner leg. 7.–10.vii.1972, g. preps (♀) 1233/2010 H. Rajaei ; 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Turkey, G. Hane, Bayburt , 1500 m, 18.vii.1973, leg. A. Kocak, g. prep. (♂) 0141/2018 D. Wanke ; 1 ♂, Kars, Kagizman , 1900 m, 20.vi.1972, leg. A. Kocak; in SMNK . 1 ♀, Achalzich, Chambobel, 1910, Korb, Sammlung Osthelder, g. prep. 0146/2018 D. Wanke ; 1 ♂, Persia sept., Elburs mts.c.s., Tacht i Suleiman, Särdab-Tal ( Vanderban ), 25–2700 m, 14.–18.vii. [19]37, leg. E. Pfeiffer & W. Forster, München , g. prep. 0148/2018 D. Wanke ; 1 ♀, Persia sept., Elburs mts.c.s., Tacht i Suleiman, Särdab-Tal ( Hasankif ), 10–1400 m, 7.– 10.vii. [19]37, leg. E. Pfeiffer & W. Forster, München; all in ZSM .

Remark. Lederer (1870) described T. taochata based on four syntype specimens: 2 ♂, 1 ♀ from Achalziche ( Georgia) and 1 ♀ from Hankynda [= Khankendi / Stepanakert] ( Azerbaijan). All these four specimens belong to Triphosa according to their external characters ( figs 18, 19 , 31, 32 ). Genitalia investigation of these specimens revealed that the abdomens of both ‘male’ specimens from Achalziche belong to Hydria cervinalis (Scopoli, 1763) ( figs 18 d–e, 19d–e, 44). A second look at the specimens confirmed that their abdomens had been secondarily glued, apparently taking the abdomen from another specimen ( figs 18 b–c, 19b–c). Additional external examination of one of them revealed that it is a female (with female frenulum but with male abdomen). These evidences convinced us that both of these specimens have wrong abdomens secondarily attached to them. It’s imaginable that an unlucky accident broke the abdomen of multiple specimens in a box containing the specimens of both Triphosa and Hydria in the Staudinger collection ( figs 18c, 19c ) ( Wanke & Rajaei 2019). The genitalia of the female syntypes (one from Achalziche, the other from Hankynda) strongly differ from each other. The genitalia of the specimen from Achalziche are reminiscent of those of T. dubitata ( fig. 50 ), while those of the other ( fig. 51 ) are more similar to those of T. sabaudiata . To resolve the identity of the taxon we used a special protocol for DNA barcoding of old museum specimens which was successful at the Canadian Centre for DNA barcoding. Neighbourjoining analyses showed that the dissected female paralectotype from Achalziche clustered with T. dubitata ( fig. 54 ). The female (lectotype) specimen from Hankynda, however, clustered with several investigated specimens from Turkey, Armenia and Iran ( fig. 54 ). Both female genitalia and barcoding data convinced us to confirm this syntype of T. taochata as bona species. We designate the female from Hankynda as the lectotype, the other three as paralectotypes, and redescribe this species below.

Re-description. Wingspan 34–41 mm, forewing length 22–24 mm. Antennae filiform. Frons slightly convex (about half the diameter of eye), smoothly scaled. Chaetosemata present. Labial palpi rather thick and long, exceeding frons by half the diameter of eye, tip darker scaled. Ground colour sand-yellow covered with a slatecoloured tinge, which differs in its intensity. Forewing with a dark slate tinge, with stronger marked wing pattern of transversal lines towards costa, with bright sandy coloured scales between. Wing pattern fading from costa to the inner margin. Termen slightly wavy. Hindwing brighter, transversal lines fainter than those of the forewing. Termen heavily wavy. Fringes from yellow (sand-coloured) to pale yellow.

Male genitalia ( figs 17 , 43 ). Uncus long, curved, tapered and heavily sclerotized. Socii present, weakly developed, consisting of few setae, placed on protrusions at both sides of the uncus base. Subscaphium sclerotized, strewn with plenty of little spines on both sides. Tegumen arched, consisting of two broad sclerotized tapes. Valva apically rounded, its apical half weakly sclerotized; costa of valva and sacculus projection heavily sclerotized, the latter distally forked, both distally not connected to the valva. Costal projection, proximally narrow, finger-shaped, elongated slightly dilated at the distal part. Labides heavily sclerotized, fused into a spoon-shaped structure, apically covered with a lot of stout setae. Juxta three-lobed. Saccus laterally elongated, centrally furrowed. Sacculus projection well sclerotized, distally forked, the upper prong long, the lower prong short, with the angle between prongs being ~90°. Aedeagus broad, sclerotized. Vesica membranous, terminally bearing a patch of small microcornuti.

Female genitalia ( figs 51, 52 ). Ovipositor broad. Apophyses posteriores approximately twice the length of apophyses anteriores. Antrum funnel-shaped, short. Ductus bursae short, arch-shaped, folded, flat, wide in ventral view, but narrow in lateral view. Corpus bursae consisting of two parts: posterior part heavily sclerotized with thin longitudinal folds, anterior part membranous without signum.

Diagnosis. Triphosa taochata is mainly characterized and distinguishable by the male genitalia. Socii consist of a number of setae, placed on protrusions at each side of the uncus base (few setae at the base of the uncus in T. dubitata and T. silviae sp. n.; more setae at the uncus base in T. lecerfi sp. n.; setae located on protrusions in T. sabaudiata ) ( figs 13 a–17a). Labides are fused into a spoon-shaped structure (hump-like, not touching each other, equipped with setae in T. dubitata ; flat, thickened to the centre and setose in T. silviae sp. n.; flat, strongly and densely setose in T. lecerfi sp. n.; labides stick-like fused in T. sabaudiata ) ( figs 13 b–17b). Tip of sacculus projection with long upper prong and short lower prong, with a right angle (~90°) between them (lower prong shorter than upper one, upper prong curved, both arranged in less than 90° in T. dubitata ; prongs of sacculus projection tip slightly different with upper prong longer and broader, both arranged in less than 90° in T. silviae sp. n.; both prongs blunt and short, arranged in more than 90° in T. lecerfi sp. n.; two identical prongs, arranged in ~45° in T. sabaudiata ; upper prong long, lower prong shortened, arranged in ~90° in T. taochata ) ( figs 13 c–17c). Discrimination from other species based on female genitalia is difficult: corpus bursae pyriform; posterior part strongly sclerotized, with longitudinal folds, funnel-shaped (similar in T. silviae sp. n., T. lecerfi sp. n. and T. sabaudiata ; ‘guitar-shaped’, posterior part of corpus bursae tubular, heavily sclerotized with few longitudinal folds; anterior part membranous, in T. dubitata ) ( figs 46–52 ).

Phenology and Biology. Scarce data. Collection data from mid-April and from late June to mid-July potentially indicating a phenology similar to that of the sister species T. sabaudiata .

Habitat. Montane, most specimens have been collected at altitudes from 1100 m up to 2700 m, exceptionally as low as at 660 m. Some specimens have been collected in caves.

Distribution. The species is distributed from Azerbaijan, Armenia and eastern Turkey to north-eastern Iran.

DNA barcoding. The species clusters at low genetic distances (1.4%, 1.7%) ( tab. 2) with T. sabaudiata and T. silviae sp. n. However, these species show clear-cut morphological diagnostic characters (see figs 13–17 ). Diverging from T. lecerfi sp. n. by more than 2.6% ( tab. 2).

Figures

FIGURE 54. Un-rooted neighbour joining tree (Saitou & Nei 1987) based on 14 species of the genus Triphosa (calculated using K2P model: Kimura 1980 with MEGA7 (Kumar et al. 2016). Black arrows indicate the female lecto- and paralectotype of Triphosa taochata (the female paralectotype specimen that clustered with Triphosa dubitata has also dubitata genitalia pattern (see figs 46, 50); the female lectotype specimen that clustered with specimens from the Middle East has taochata genitalia pattern (see figs 51, 52).

FIGURES 13–17. Diagnostic characters of the genitalia of Triphosa species (ventral view). 13: Triphosa dubitata; 14: Triphosa silviae sp. n.; 15: Triphosa lecerfi sp. n.; 16: Triphosa sabaudiata; 17: Triphosa taochata; a = socii; b = labides; c = sacculus projections (unspread, in natural position).

FIGURES 20–37. Wing pattern. 20: Philereme transversata (Germany, Augsburg, 12.vii.1970; SMNS); 21: Pareulype berberata (Germany, Mannheim, 13.vii.1933; SMNS); 22: Triphosa dubitata (Georgia, Borjomi, 22.vii.2006, g. prep. 0016/ 2018 D. Wanke); 23-24: Triphosa silviae sp. n. (23: holotype, Iran, Fars, v.1937, g. prep. 0059/2018 D. Wanke; 24: paratype, Iran, Fars, Tange Surkh, g. prep. 755/2009 H. Rajaei); 25-26: Triphosa lecerfi sp. n. (25: holotype, Alai, Dugoba, 27.vii.1993, g. prep. 0042/2018 D. Wanke; 26: paratype, Alai, Dugoba, 27.vii.1993, g. prep. 0041/2018 D. Wanke); 27: holotype of Triphosa agnata syn. n. of Triphosa sabaudiata (Turkey, Cesarée, g. prep. 223); 28-30: Triphosa sabaudiata (28: Germany, Herrlingen, Tiefental; 29: Germany, Gempen, i.1959, g. prep. 0052/2018 D. Wanke; 30: Gempen, 25.vii.1955, g. prep 0005/ 2018 D. Wanke); 31-32: female ‘syntypes’ of Triphosa taochata (31: lectotype here designated, Azerbaijan, Hankynda; 32: paralectotype, Georgia, Achalziche); 33-34: Triphosa taochata (both Iran, Elburs, Damavand, 11.vii.1972; 33: g. prep 0012/ 2018 D. Wanke; 34: g. prep 0011/2018 D. Wanke); 35: Rheumaptera hastata (Germany, Federseemoor, 30.v.1967); 36: Hydria cervinalis (Germany, Heidelberg, 29.iii.1974, g. prep. 0051/2018 D. Wanke); 37: lectotype of Hydria ravulata (Issyk-kul, g. prep. 0048/2018 D. Wanke). a = upperside; b = underside.

FIGURES 41–43. Male genitalia. 41: Triphosa sabaudiata (Germany, Gempen, i.1959, g. prep. 0052/2018 D. Wanke); 42: holotype of Triphosa agnata syn. n. (Turkey, Cesarée, g. prep. 223); 43: Triphosa taochata (Turkey, Artvin, Tekkale near Yusufeli, 13.iv.2002, g. prep. 0033/2018 D. Wanke). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus.

FIGURES 50–53. Female genitalia. 50: paralectotype of Triphosa taochata, conspecific with T. dubitata (Achalzich, g. prep 2070/2016. H. Rajaei); 51: lectotype of Triphosa taochata (Hankynda, g. prep. 0020/2018 D. Wanke); 52: Triphosa taochata (Türkei, Erzurum, Tal des Coruh, 5.vii.2002, g. prep. 0034/2018 D. Wanke); 53: paralectotype of Hydria ravulata (Issyk-kul, g. prep. 0049/2018 D. Wanke). a = ventral view; b = lateral view.

FIGURES 18–19. Wing pattern, frenulum and genitalia structures of the two ‘male’ syntypes of Triphosa taochata with secondarily glued abdomens. a = upperside; b = underside; c = close up photography on the underside; d = genitalia capsule; e, aedeagus. Black arrows indicate on the awfully glued legs of the specimens; white arrows indicate the frenulum.

FIGURES 46–49. Female genitalia. 46: Triphosa dubitata (Italy, Trafoi, 15.vi.1927, g. prep. 0013/2018 D. Wanke); 47: Triphosa silviae sp. n. (Iran, Kohkiluyeh-va-Boyerahmad, 24.v.2009, g. prep 0009/2018 D. Wanke); 48: Triphosa lecerfi sp. n. (Kyrgyzstan, Alai, Dugoba riv., 27.vii.1993, g. prep. 0041/2018 D. Wanke); 49: Triphosa sabaudiata (Switzerland, Preda, g. prep 0001/2018 D. Wanke). a = ventral view; b = lateral view.