Eupithecia nemrutica, Seven & Mironov & Akin, 2019

Seven, Erdem, Mironov, Vladimir & Akin, Kesran, 2019, A new species of Eupithecia Curtis (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae) from Turkey, Zootaxa 4668 (3), pp. 443-447 : 444-445

Eupithecia nemrutica sp. n.

( Figs 1 . a–b, 2. a–b)

Material. Holotype: ♂. Turkey, Prov. Bitlis, Nemrut Caldera, road of Yayla residues, big lake 1 km SE, 2300 m, 07.viii.2017, 38°36’42’’N, 42°14’ 52’’E, leg. E. Seven & K. Akın, coll. Batman University, slide no. 565♂ . Paratypes: 3 ♂♂, same data as holotype, 9 ♂♂ and 2 ♀♀ Yayla residues, south pit, 2400 m, 07/ 24.viii.2017, 38°36’32’’N, 42°16’01’’E, slide no. 590♀, leg. E. Seven & K. Akın, coll. Batman University ; 1♂ Tatvan-Ahlat crossroad, 2350 m, 25.viii.2017, and 2 ♂♂, 15.viii.2018, 38°37’49’’N, 42°15’ 09’’E, leg. E. Seven & K. Akın, coll. Bitlis Eren University.

Diagnosis. The new species is distinguished from E. jizlensis muelleri , following the description given in Hausmann (1991) (table 6, genital figures in 44–46) and Hausmann et al. (2016) (vol. 1., p. 111–112 and vol. 2., pl. 169) by having narrower and darker brownish-red wings. In Eupithecia nemrutica sp. n. the fore wing has the medial transverse line sharply angled from the discal dot to the costal margin, the postmedial line almost straight, slightly angled near the costa, and the discal dots larger. The hind wing is narrower, more ovate than in E. jizlensis muelleri ( Fig. 1c ). In the male genitalia of Eupithecia jizlensis muelleri the uncus is broader, and the valva broader with a slightly prominent dorsal margin, a broader apex, a rounded process on the middle of the ventral margin and a sclerotized sacculus. The vinculum is rounded with no medial hollow. The aedeagus has two longer and narrowed horn-like cornuti and a very long and narrow plate-like cornutus almost equal to the length of the aedeagus. The eighth sternite has a broader membranous, deep medial hollow; the apical rods are sclerotized with blunt and rounded apices (see Hausmann, 1991, taf. 6, fig. 45). In the female genitalia of Eupithecia jizlensis muelleri the corpus bursae is slightly assymetrical, with a patch of larger spines in the posterior part and small spines restricted by a row of larger spines in the anterior part. The colliculum is larger and broader than in the genitalia of Eupithecia nemrutica sp. n. (see Hausmann, 1991, taf. 6, fig. 46).

Description ( Figs 1a, b ). Wingspan 19 mm in male, 19.5 mm in female; fore wing 10 mm in male and 10.5 mm in female. Labial palpi small, shorter than diameter of eye, covered with mixed brownish and greyish scales. Proboscis brownish-red, almost length of the antenna and mostly scaled. Head brownish. Antennae filiform and dark reddish brown. Fore wing triangular, costal margin broad and straight, with evenly curved terminal margin; ground colour brownish-red; basal, postbasal and antemedial transverse lines evenly curved, greyish, forming dark brown costal spots; a large black and elongate discal dot between postmedial line and M3 and costa; terminal area darker brownish, with a wavy line. Hind wing broad, almost rounded; ground colour greyish but basal area paler; basal, antemedial and medial transverse lines dark grey, oblique; postmedial line curved, wavy; terminal area and anal margin darker with black points; discal dot roundish or elongate. Fringes on all wings pale brown-greyish with brown at vein ends. Thorax and abdominal segments brownish with a darker brown first segment.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 2a ). Uncus elongate, broad when viewed dorso-ventrally, uniapical. Valva of medium length with evenly curved ventral margin, arched at the middle of dorsal margin and with a narrowly rounded apex; sacculus thickened, lightly sclerotized. Vinculum broad with shallow medial hollow. Papillae elongate and clavate. Aedeagus stout, nearly same length as valva. Vesica armed with three small triangular horn-like cornuti, and an elongate, V-shaped cornutus, and with one small folded cornutus near ductus ejaculatorius base. Sternum A8 with a deep apical hollow about 0.4 times sternum length, and with two rather long, narrow and membranous, horn like apical rods.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 2b ). Bursa copulatrix small, almost globular, membranous, and almost half covered with large dense spines, with a single spine in the sclerotized medial part. Ductus bursae short, sclerotized, with a tract of spines along one side between base of ductus seminalis and colliculum. Ductus seminalis elongate, narrow, slightly broadened at base, attached to middle of corpus bursae at left side (see in the upper left corner of fig. 2b). Colliculum collar-like, short and broad. Antrum relatively wide, funnel-shaped, slightly sclerotized. Tergite A8, wide, with sclerotized and broader anterior margin. Posterior apophyses nearly 3 times longer than anterior apophyses. Papillae anales broad and rounded.

Etymology. Eupithecia nemrutica is named after ‘‘Nemrut Caldera’’, which is the type locality of the species.

Distribution. The new species is known only from the collecting locality, Nemrut Caldera, Bitlis, in Eastern Anatolia, Turkey.

Biology. Unknown. The specimens of the new species were collected from open steppe area and shrub-steppe, mostly hosting Astragalus, Thymus , Acantholimon and Onobrychis species, with Betula pendula , Populus tremula and Juniperus communis . We think the new species very probably lives in these steppe habitats ( Figs 3a, b ).

Remarks. The nominate subspecies of the compared materials, E. j. jizlensis was described by Wiltshire (1986) from Saudi Arabia. Subsequently, Hausmann, described a new subspecies, E. j. muelleri from Jordan in 1991. There is little information about the biology and distribution areas of this scarce subspecies. Comparison of the new spe- cies with these closely related taxa from nearby areas, relied on the literature ( Hausmann 1991; Stadie & Lehmann 2012; Hausmann et al. 2016). Type material was not examined.

Figures

FIGURE 1. a–b. Adults of Eupithecia nemrutica sp. n. a. Holotype, male; b. Paratype, female; c. Eupithecia jizlensis muelleri, female, (from Jordainen at Tafila Umg. Afra Umg. 2 km östlich, N 30°51’36’, E 35°31’ 06’’, 29.xii.2008, LF/FK, 650 m, Leg. D. Stadie & L. Lehmann, in coll. BC ZSM, Lep 21909).

FIGURE 2. a–b. Genitalia of Eupithecia nemrutica sp. n., (scale bar: 1 mm). a. Male genitalia, with sternite A8, holotype; b. Female genitalia, paratype.

FIGURE 3. a–b. Habitats of Eupithecia nemrutica sp. n., a. Yayla residues, south pit, 2400 m, 23.ix.2017; b. Tatvan-Ahlat crossroad, 2350 m, 8.vii.2018.