Rhodostrophia bahara Brandt, 1938

Rajaei, Hossein, Hausmann, Axel & Trusch, Robert, 2022, Taxonomic review of the genus Rhodostrophia Hübner, 1823 (Geometridae: Sterrhinae) in Iran, Zootaxa 5118 (1), pp. 1-64 : 23-24

Rhodostrophia bahara Brandt, 1938

( Figs 23–24, 67, 84, Map 5)

Rhodostrophia bahara Brandt, 1938 : Entomologische Rundschau, 55 (49): 573, figs 249–251.

( Iran, Fars, Schiraz, 2300 m) Lectotype ♂, Paralectotypes 2 ♂, 3 ♀, (in the original description a holotype is not mentioned, but the type series is labeled by Brandt as holotype and paratypes, the lectotype is designated here in order to stabilize nomenclature, in NHRS.

Lectotype ♂ (examined, hereby designated, this male was labelled by Brandt as “ holotype ” but is not mentioned as such in the original description): ‘S-Iran, Fars, Umgebung von Chiraz, ca. 2000 m. 24.vi.1937, coll. Brandt’ , ‘ Holotype, Rhodostrophia bahara Brdt. , Brandt’, ‘RMS 93’, ‘slide no. RMS 5766 G. Ebert praep.’ ‘ Lectotype Rhodostrophia bahara design. Rajaei, Hausmann & Trusch’, in coll. NHRS.

Paralectotypes (examined): 1 ♂, with paratype label ‘ Rhodostrophia bahara Brdt. , Brandt’, ‘ Iran, Fars, Strasse Chiraz-Kazeroun, Fort Sine-Sefid , ca. 2200 m, 1. Mai.1937, coll. Brandt’ , NHRD.LEPI 000010258, g.p. 10943 H. Rajaei; 1 ♀, id., 4.v.1937, NHRD.LEPI 000010259, g.p. 10944 H. Rajaei; in coll. NHRS. 1 ♂, 1 ♀, with paratype label ‘ Rhodostrophia bahara Brdt. , Brandt’, ‘ Iran, Fars, Strasse Chiraz-Kazeroun, Fort Sine-Sefid , ca. 2200 m, 4.v.1937,’ [leg. F. Brandt] ’, ‘ Paralectotype Rhodostrophia bahara design. Rajaei, Hausmann & Trusch’; both ex coll. Reisser; 1 ♂, 2 ♀, id., both with det. labels ‘ Rhodostrophia bahara Brdt. ’, g.p. 2374/2020 H. Rajaei; all ex coll. Brandt; in SMNK . 1 ♂ [SW] Iran, Fars, Umgebung von Chiraz, ca. 1600 m, 24.iv.1937, leg. F. Brandt, ex coll. Cl. Hörhammer, GU: G1563, in ZSM .

Records in literature. Rhodostrophia bahara: Viidalepp (1996: 57) ; Scoble (1999: 822); Doğanlar & Hausmann (2003: 317); Scoble & Hausmann (2007); Müller et al. (2019: 844).

Previous records from Iran. Iran, Ardabil, Kuhha-ye-Sabalan, S Meshginshar, Ghotour Sui, 3050–3100 m, 26.vii.2007 ( Lehmann & Zahiri 2011)

Additional material examined. 1 ♂, Iran c., Prov. Esfahan, Kashan-Meymeh, Qorud , N33°39'04", E051°23'53", 2450 m, 11.v.2005, leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka & B. Müller ; 10 ♂, id., 12.v.2005, g. p. (♂) 600/2005 R. Trusch, (♀) 595/2005, R. Trusch, (♂) 2375/2020 H. Rajaei , barcode: BC ZSM 33877 , BC ZSM 33878 , BC ZSM 33879 ; 1 ♂, id., 13.v.2005, leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka & B. Müller; 1 ♂, Iran, Hamadan, Avaj (Pass, Südseite ), 2100 m, 15./ 16.v.2002 ; 1 ♀, Iran, Markazi, E Tafresh, vic. Dashtgerd , 1700 m, 3.v.2002, leg. ten Hagen ; 1 ♂, Iran, Zanjan, NE Takab , 10 km E Takht-e Suleyman, 2300 m, 1.–2.vi.2006, leg. ten Hagen ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Iran, Fars, 40 km W Schiraz , 2.v.1975, leg. W. Thomas ; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Iran, Prov. Zanjan, 2350 m, W-Alborz range, Tarom vic., 20 km NE of Zanjan, 13.–14.vi.2005, leg. Gyulai & Garai , g.p. 641/2005 R. Trusch; 1 ♂, NW-Iran, 15 km westl. Rezaiyeh [Urmia], 1400 m, Artemisia-Steppe , 11.vi.1975, leg. Amsel , g.p. 2376/2020 H. Rajaei; 3 ♀, N-Iran, Elburs mts., Prov. Teheran, Arangeh , 25 km N Karaj, 1550 m, 1.–6.vi.1972, g.p. (♀) 666/2005 R. Trusch; all leg. Ebert & Falkner ; 1 ♂, Turkey, BItlis, Kuskunkiran geo., 3.viii.1982, leg. W Thomas , g.p. 580/2005 R. Trusch; all in SMNK . 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Iran c., Prov. Esfahan, Kashan-Meymeh, Qorud , N33°39'04", E051°23'53", 2450 m, 11.v.2005, leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka & B. Müller ; in SMNS. 1 ♂, Iran, Esfahan, 35 km N Borujen , 2300 m, 11./ 12.v.2002, leg. ten Hagen , in PCJM. 1 ♂, Iran c., Prov. Esfahan, Kashan-Meymeh, Qorud , N 33°39’04’’, E 051°23’53’’, 2450 m, 12.v.2005, leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka & B. Müller in PCJG. 1 ♂, Ghom, 8 km S Fordu / Wesb , 7.–8.vi.1984, leg. Paz [uki] & Hash [emi], in HMIM .

Specimen studied total: 26 ♂, 11 ♀.

Differential diagnosis. ( Figs 23–24) Wingspan 28–37.5 mm. Wings and body concolorous with yellow-grey to sand-white colour, sprinkled with dark brown scales (wings in R. tumulosa are less sprinkled with dark scales and look slightly lighter). Forewing with antemedial, postmedial and subterminal lines dark brown; hindwing with postmedial and subterminal lines dark brown; all lines are thin, uneven and broken. Discal spot as a dominant dark brown dot or streak on forewing, as tiny dot on hindwing. Underside of the wings lighter than upperside, glossy; subterminal line on both fore- and hindwing visible. Male antennal flagellum ventrally dentated. Male hindtibia with four spurs. This species may be confused with some Iranian species of the badiaria species-group (especially R. iranica and R. tumulosa ). Examination of genitalia enables a confident determination in any case, but also the consideration of the geographic distribution as mapped here.

MAP 5. Distribution of Rhodostrophia bahara BRANDT, 1938 in Iran.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 67) with a long rod-shaped uncus, gradually getting narrower towards base (similar to, but slightly shorter than uncus in R. iranica ) (cf. Fig. 67–68), gnathos long, dagger-shaped, curved; valva apically bilobed, not spinulose; sacculus at tip characteristically curved to ventral side, and basally bulbed (see arrow on Fig. 67a), in contrast to all other Iranian species in the badiaria species-group. Aedeagus slightly S-shaped, with two characteristic horn-shaped projections on its apex (diagnostic to separate R. bahara from R. badiaria and all Rhostrophia species in Iran). Male’s sternite A8 bilobed (octavals very short).

Female genitalia ( Fig. 84) with a membranous, small, oval corpus bursae with a pair of band-shaped signa on its posterior part. Ductus bursae characteristically swollen and short (all other species in the badiaria species-group have a long and narrow ductus bursae), strongly sclerotized, antrum wide and funnel-shaped ( Fig. 84b). Posterior apophyses twice length of anterior apophyses.

Genetic data. BIN: BOLD:ABY4272. Nearest species: R. badiaria (2.3%), R. iranica (2.8%), R. tumulosa (2.2%) ( Fig. 119, Table 1).

Distribution (Map 5). This species is mainly distributed in Iran (from the Iranian Azerbaijan provinces across the whole Zagros massive to the mountains north of Shiraz). The southernmost localities are “Chiraz”[Shiraz] and “Fort Sine-Sefid”, where it was already known from the original description ( Brandt 1938). Outside of Iran it is known from Azerbaijan ( Viidalepp, 1996), Turkey and Syria ( Doğanlar & Hausmann 2003). Most probably it occurs also in Armenia, but this is not reported so far.

Life history and habitat ( Fig. 113). Biology and larval stages are unknown The species was found at altitudes from 1400 m up to near 2500 m. It develops one generation per year. According to Brandt (1938) R. bahara was found in the southern Zagros Mts. (Shiraz region) from late April until early May. According to the material studied here, the species was observed in Iran from mid-April to mid-June. The duration of the total flight period at one place in one year is unknown. The record at the lowest altitude mentioned here are from 11.vi. (1975, leg. Amsel) but moths were also found remarkably late in the year at such low elevation (1550 m): 1.–6.vi. (1972, leg. Ebert & Falkner). This is probably caused by varying weather conditions in different years. Its typical habitat is an Artemisia -steppe with shrubs of Artemisia cf. herba-alba ( Asteraceae ) (see Fig. 113).