Metasia inustalis Ragonot, 1894

Alipanah, Helen & Slamka, František, 2023, A revision of the subfamily Spilomelinae (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) in Iran with description of a new species, Zootaxa 5248 (1), pp. 1-70 : 46

Metasia inustalis Ragonot, 1894

( Fig. 21C )

Material examined. 7 ÔÔ: Hormozgân Prov.: 1 Ô, Geno Mt. , 1550 m, 6.vi.1997, V. Nazari leg. (gen. prep. HA-2652, HMIM) ; Kermân Prov.: 5 ÔÔ, Bâft, Khabr National Park, 21 km E Dashtâb Ranger Sta., Pâyeshgâh-e Mobârakeh , N 28°47 ΄43.2″, E 56°30 ΄54.4″, 2271 m, 5.vi.2017, Âlipanâh, Afsariân, Mozhdehi leg. (gen. prep. HA-2545, HMIM) , 1 Ô, Bâft, Khabr National Park, Kabr vill., Khabr Ranger Sta., N 28°48 ΄42″, E 56°20 ΄38″, 2142 m, 6.vi.2017, Âlipanâh, Afsariân, Mozhdehi leg.

Distribution. Turkey, Iraq and Iran including Fars (Muk Rd.), Hamedan (Alvand), and Hormozgan (Minab) Provinces ( Amsel 1961; Slamka 2013).

Remarks. This species is almost similar to M. sefidalis externally, but they can easily be separated based on their genitalia structure. According to Slamka (2013), these two species can be separated from each other based on the following differences:

1) Wider marginal band of both fore- and hindwing in M. inustalis in contrast to the narrow bands of M. sefidalis ; 2) Brown costal margin of M. inustalis against white costa in M. sefidalis ; and 3) Slightly chequered fringes of both fore- and hindwing of M. inustalis compared with white fringes in M. sefidalis .

As we revealed in this study, there are three other external characters in M. inustalis that can help to separate it from M. sefidalis : forewing with a clearly distinguishable horizontal oval antemedial spot, curvature of its postmedial line, and the colour of the externo-lateral side of labial palpi. The postmedial line of the examined M. inustalis is outwardly curved slightly at one-fourth of its length from costal margin ( Fig. 21C ); whereas in M. sefidalis this part is nearly smooth ( Fig. 21B ). Moreover, the externo-lateral side of labial palpus of M. inustalis covered with ochreous to ochreous-brown or brown scales at three-fourth of its width, and only white at lower one-fourth ( Fig. 22A ). But, in M. sefidalis it has been covered by pale brown scales that are mostly concentrated at the middle part and is creamy with scattered pale brown scales towards the end ( Fig. 22B ). In most of the examined Iranian M. inustalis specimens, the reniform stigma of the forewing is “o”-shaped; while it is nearly dot-shaped in most M. sefidalis specimens. But, the latter character cannot be reliable to clearly distinguish them accordingly.

As noted by Slamka (2013) M. sefidalis was generally larger than M. inustalis . In our examined M. sefidalis specimens, length of the forewing of male is 6.8‒10.5 mm (x = 9.06 mm ± 1.06, n = 16), and that of female is 7.5‒9.1 mm (x = 8.3 mm ± 1.13, n = 2); while in M. inustalis is 9.3‒9.4 mm (x = 8.1 mm ± 1, n = 8) which all of them are male.

Figures

FIGURE 21. A) Metasia virginalis Ragonot, male. B) M. sefidalis Amsel, male. C) M. inustalis Ragonot, male. D) M. comealis Amsel, male. E) M. gigantalis Staudinger, male. F) M. rosealis Ragonot, male (scale bar = 10.0 mm).

FIGURE 22. A, B) Head of Metasia inustalis Ragonot (A) and M. sefidalis Amsel (B) in lateral view. C, D) Fibula of Metasia subtilialis Caradja.