Phaselia deliciosaria (Lederer, 1855)

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 : 24

P. deliciosaria vs. ( P. joestleinae )

External characters (figs 50–53; 56–58). On forewing antemedial line with three acute tips, middle one longer (antemedial line with rounded or acute tips, costal tooth reduced to a curve).

Male genitalia (figs 103–105; 107–108). Sacculus triangular; spines gradually enlarging towards the ventral tip of sacculus; aedeagus with a long, straight, unbent cornutus (sacculus slightly oval, smoothly transitioning to valvula; without or with very small and fine, evenly distributed spines on the sacculus; claw-like cornutus strongly bent).

Female genitalia (figs 140; 142–143). Antrum roundish to triangular, tapering towards corpus bursae (antrum small, roundish to triangular).

Phenology. Investigated specimens have been collected from late April to late July. Bi- or trivoltine, early March to late July, August, and early September to late November.

Biology. Larval stages possibly on Ephedra (Ephedraceae) ( Hausmann et al. 2016; Hausmann et al. 2020)

Habitat. Investigated specimens have been collected at altitudes from sea-level ( Israel) up to 2000 m (North Oman). Xerothermophilous, psammophilous. Deserts and semi-deserts, Mediterranean vegetation, and coasts (see also: Hausmann et al., 2020).

Distribution. From South Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Israel and Jordan to Saudi-Arabia and Northeast Oman ( Hausmann et al., 2016; László et al., 2018; Hausmann et al. 2020) (fig. 144).

DNA barcoding. Genetic distances from morphologically most similar species: Phaselia joestleinae (7.94%), P. erika jonubi ssp. nov. (7.58%), P. sp. cf. deliciosaria (3.09%). Genetically closest species in percentage terms: P. phaeoleucaria stat. rev. (1.99 %) and P. sp. cf. deliciosaria (3.09 %) (fig. 145, Tab. 1).