Phaselia kasyi Wiltshire, 1966

Werner, Maria Johanna, Hausmann, Axel, Kostjuk, Igor, Wanke, Dominic & Rajaei, Hossein, 2023, Integrative taxonomic revision of the genus Phaselia Guenée, [1858] (Geometridae: Ennominae) in the Middle East and Central Asia, Zootaxa 5326 (1), pp. 1-66 : 22-23

Phaselia kasyi Wiltshire, 1966

( Figs 47–49, 101–102 , 138–139 , 144 ).

Phaselia kasyi Wiltshire, 1966 . Zeitschrift der Wiener Entomologischen Gesellschaft. 51 (9–11): 144, pl. 11, fig. 8. Holotype ♁, NHMV ( Afghanistan, Band-i-Amir ).

Type material examined.

Holotype ♁, “Afghan[istan], centr. Band-i-Amir, 3000 m, 1.viii.1965, [leg.] Kasy and Vartian”, g. prep. Mus. Vind. 15.911 (in NHMV).

Additional material examined. 3 ♁♁, 2 ♀♀ (see the complete list in the appendix).

Re-description. Wingspan, males: 33–37 mm (average 35 mm, n = 2), females: 36–38 mm (average 37 mm, n = 2).

Forewing. Ground colour warm white, slightly speckled with very fine brown to pale grey dots; basal area and postmedial area darker than medial area; antemedial line darker than basal area, clearly zigzagged with rounded tips, all three teeth are of similar length; medial line present as a diffuse darker brown shadow close to postmedial line; postmedial line thin, dark brown, well-curved inwards on costal area; subterminal line dark brown, serrate with well-pronounced triangular spikes, distally accompanied by a white shadow, terminal line dark brown, wavy.

Hindwing. Ground colour white, speckled with brown towards terminal area; postmedial line brown, medially projected outwards; sometimes interrupted or even invisible; subterminal line barely visible as a light shadow.

Discal spots usually visible as brown, short streaks or tiny dots on all wings, sometimes faded. Fringes in all wings white and brown, dark at the end of the veins. Ventral side generally paler than dorsal side, pattern of upper side shines through the wings, visible as a shadow (figs 47–49).

Male genitalia. Uncus triangular, tip incurved; gnathos well-sclerotized, medially not fused; valva trapezoidal; costal part of valva slightly sclerotized, distally finger-shaped, extended over the apex of valvula; sacculus small, triangular, with small, equally distributed spines; ventral tip of sacculus slightly elongated; juxta well- sclerotized, formed as two ovals fused on the upper half; saccus wide, triangular, terminally curved. Aedeagus thick and short, straight or slightly curved; vesica with two separate, well-sclerotized cornuti: a large claw-like curved cornutus and a smaller, slightly twisted, spinose plate-like cornutus (figs 101–102)

Female genitalia. Ovipositor large and wide; apophyses posteriores two times longer than apophyses anteriores; lamella antevaginalis wide and with a ruffle-like sclerotization, widening towards ductus bursae; ductus bursae formed from two semispherical lateral halfs fused together, wider than lamella antevaginalis, tapered strongly towards corpus bursae; corpus bursae membranous, ornamented with a small but well-sclerotized, round, stellate signum (figs 138–139).

Diagnosis. Phaselia kasyi can be confused with P. serrularia , P. pithana bona sp., P. erika and P. sihvoneni sp. nov.

For differentiation, see the diagnosis of the respective species above.

Phenology. Possibly uni- or bivoltine. Investigated specimens have been collected from June to early August.

Biology. Unknown.

Habitat. Investigated specimens have been collected at altitudes from 2900 m up to 3000 m in Afghanistan.

Distribution. Central Afghanistan. Viidalepp (1996) reported this species for Turkmenistan and N Iran; however, none of the examined specimens from these regions belong to P. kasyi (fig. 144).

DNA barcoding. No data available.

Figures

FIGURE 144: Distribution pattern of Phaselia species in Middle East and Central Asia.

FIGURES 101–102: Variation of the male genitalia of Phaselia kasyi. 101: Holotype, from:Afghanistan, Band-i-Amir (g. prep. 15.911 Mus. Vind.); 102: from: Afghanistan, Band-i-Amir (g. prep 0061/2021 M. Werner). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scalebar = 1 mm.

FIGURES 136–139: Female genitalia of Phaselia species. 136–137: P. sihvoneni sp. nov. 136: Holotype, from: India, Ladakh Kharbu (g. prep. 1213/2021 D. Wanke); 137: from: Pakistan, Baltistan, Satpara Lake (g. prep. 0165/2021 M. Werner); 138– 139: P. kasyi, 138: from: Afghanistan, Khindjan (g. prep. 0042/2021 M. Werner); 139: from: Afghanistan, Khindjan (g. prep. 0043/2021 M. Werner). Scalebar = 1 mm.