Lithostege fissurata subsp. fissurata, Mabille

Sh, Hossein Rajaei, Stüning, Dieter & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2011, A review of the species of Lithostege Hübner, [1825] 1816 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae), occurring in Iran and adjacent countries, with description of two new species from Iran and Pakistan, Zootaxa 3105, pp. 1-46 : 15

L. fissurata fissurata Mabille

( Figs. 17 , 45 ; Map 4)

Lithostege fissurata Mabille, 1888: 58 . Holotype Ƥ, ZSM (examined). Type locality: Tunisia.

Lithostege fissurata: Prout, 1914: 172 , pl. 11b; Prout, 1937: 84; Prout: 1938: 241; Parsons et al., 1999: 546.

Material examined. 3 3, 5 Ƥ: 1 3, 1 Ƥ: [locality not mentioned] 1957, coll. L. Lhomme, gen. prep. 3 1045/2010 H. R.; in ZSM. 1 3: Algeria, Centre Hassi Bahbah Plantation, 24.IV.1930, Schwingenschuss; 1 3, 2 Ƥ: Algier, El Mesrane Predota, 26.– 27.4.1931, preps. 3 1608/2011 H. R.; 2 Ƥ: Algier, Roche de Sel, Predota, 18.41931; Biskra, Mars, 1910, V. Faroult; all in ZFMK. Preparations of genitalia: 2 3.

Description & Diagnosis. Wingspan 19–28 mm. Forewing creamy white, with a short, curved, narrow apical dark grey line. Hindwing dirty white, without pattern ( Fig. 17 ). Tergite A–8 ( Fig. 45 c) strongly sclerotised, distally prominent and irregularly crinkled. Male genitalia ( Fig. 45 ): Valve with its larger, proximal part densely sclerotised, with a small, rounded l projection more ventrally on its outer margin; harpe a small, rounded, somewhat elongate lobe at base of valva, dorsal projection short, semicircular, with a pointed tip; aedeagus straight. Female genitalia (see Hausmann & Seguna, 2005: 12, fig. 3) very similar to those of L. fissurata inanis .

Bionomics. Specimens studied are collected in April only.

Distribution. Western Algeria to Libya, Malta, Southeast of Egypt, Israel ( Hausmann & Seguna (2005) (Map 4).

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 21. Adult moths of Lithostege Hübner (left column, a: upperside, right column, b: underside). 16. L. notata (3, Sarkhoun, SW Iran); 17. L. fissurata fissurata (Ƥ, Roche de Sel, Algier); 18. L. fissurata inanis (Ƥ, Baluchistan, E Iran); 19. L. parva (3, Kopet-Dagh, Turkmenistan); 20. L. turkmenica (3, Karakum desert, Uzbekistan); 21. L. farinata (Ƥ, Sarepta, Russia). Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURES 45 – 47. Lithostege Hübner: Male genitalia & details of abdominal integument. 45. L. fissurata fissurata (gen. prep. 1608 H. R.; El Mesrane, Algeria), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, c: 8 th tergite (left margin curved); 46. L. parva (gen. prep. 1021 H. R.; Kopet-Dagh, Turkmenistan), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 47. L. farinata (gen. prep. 1054 H. R.; Hamburg, Germany), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, c: 8 th tergite. Scale bar: 1 mm.