Geometra griseata subsp. griseata, Denis & Schiffermuller, Denis & Schiffermuller

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 : 20-21

L. griseata griseata (Denis & Schiffermüller)

( Figs. 25, 26 , 51 , 52; Map 6)

Geometra griseata Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775: 116 . Syntypes 3 Ƥ, ZISP (examined). Type locality: Vienna district, Austria. Phalaena asinata Fabricius, 1794: 184 . Types not traced.

Geometra duplicaria Hübner , [1799] 1817: pl. 40, fig. 208. Types not traced. Type locality: Europe. Geometra grisearia Hübner , [1799] 1817: pl. 41, fig. 216. Types not traced. Type locality: Europe.

Phalaena incanata Hufnagel, 1767: 604 . Types not traced. Berlin region, Germany.

L. griseata gigantea Bytinski-Salz & Brandt, 1937 : (13). syn. nov. Syntypes 3 3, ZFMK; Type locality: Karaj, Iran. Lithostege griseata: Prout, 1914: 172 , pl.6d; Viidalepp, 1996: 47; Parsons et al., 1999: 546.

Material examined. Type material: 3 3 ( L. griseata gigantea ): ‘ Iran, Keredj [Karaj], 1400 m, leg. F. Brandt, 1938, Dr. H. Bytinski-Salz’; ‘Cotypus L. griseata gigantea Brandt & Bytinski , = L. griseata griseata ( Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) det. H. Rajaei’, ‘gen. prep. 1035 and 1057 /2010 H. R.’; coll. ZFMK. Additional material: more than 300 specimens in SMN, ZSM and ZFMK; genitalia preparation from: 1 3: Armenian, Agri-Dagh, Juli 2500 –3000, leg. Kotzsch, gen. prep. 1048/2010 H. R.; 5 3: [ Germany] Naumburg-S. 19.5.43, gen. prep. 1047/2010 H. R.; 1 3: Keredj [Karaj], Iran, 1800 m, Brandt.-B.-Salz. coll. Dr. Wehrli; in ZFMK; 3 Ƥ ( L. griseata griseata ): ‘[ Turkmenistan] Askhabat’, ‘Coll. Great Knjaz Nikolaj Mikhajlovich’, ‘ 3.5.82, 244 griseata Chr. ’; coll. ZISP; 5 3: Austr [ia] inf., Leitzersdorf bei Stockerau, 1.v.1931, A. Ortner [leg.], gen. prep. 1050/2010 H. R.; in SMNK. Preparations of genitalia: 5 3.

Description & Diagnosis. Wingspan 26–29 mm. Moths grey to grey-brown, similar to L. coassata but only the oblique darker submarginal line present, anteriorly reaching the apex. Other transverse bands in medial area of forewing absent ( Figs 25, 26 ). Male genitalia ( Figs 51 , 52) with sclerotised costa of valve short, without a free distal process; harpe rounded at tip, shorter than half of valve length Dorsal arm long and narrow, apically spined, reaching the tip of the valve. The juxta is relatively broad, more or less equal in length and width (in L. farinata distinctly longer and vase-shaped, rather similar to griseata , but distal part longer and narrower in ancyrana , just a little longer, but more distinctly bilobed in palaestinensis ).

Taxonomic note. Bytinski-Salz & Brandt described L. griseata gigantea as a new subspecies especially according to its bigger size (3 32 mm) in comparison to the nominate subspecies (3 26–29 mm). Measuring the wingspan of three paratypes (collected from same locality as holotype) of L. griseata gigantea yielded 27 mm for the male. The transverse band, as the second distinguishing character in the original description, occurs in some specimens of nominate subspecies as well. So we think that the ssp. gigantea cannot be reliably separated from the nominate subspecies. Therefore, both are synonymized here.

Bionomics. Confined to steppe and mountain steppe belt in Georgia ( Didmanidze, 1978), to irrigated land and steppe in Central Asia ( Viidalepp, 1988). Food-plants: Erysimum cheiranthoides (Cruciferae [ Brassicaceae ]) ( Parsons et al., 1999), Descurainia sophia ( Heinicke & Müller, 1976) . Flight-period from end of April to mid of June ( Heinicke & Müller, 1976). Specimens collected at altitudes between 300 and 1400 m.

Additional data on distribution based on literature sources. Parsons et al. (1999) and Prout (1937 – 1939): L. griseata gigantea Bytinski-Salz & Brandt from Karaj (Tehran prov.); Viidalepp (1988): from Kopet-Dagh.

Distribution. From N Spain and Central Europe to Kazakhstan and E Kyrgyzstan and also in N Iran (Karaj) (Map 6).

Figures

FIGURES 22 – 26. Adult moths of Lithostege Hübner (left column, a: upperside, right column, b: underside). 22. L. coassata (3, Gonbad, N Iran); 23. L. ancyrana (3, Aladag, Turkey); 24. L. narynensis (3, Samarkand, Kasakhstan); 25. L. griseata griseata (3, Agri-Dagh, Armenia); 26. L. griseata gigantea (3, Karaj, N Iran). Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURES 48 – 51. Lithostege Hübner: Male genitalia. 48. L. coassata (gen. prep. 1041 H. R.; Gonbad, N Iran), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 49. L. ancyrana (gen. prep. 1013 H. R.; Gürün, Turkey), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 50. L. narynensis (gen. prep. 1055 H. R.; Narine, Turkestan, type locality), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 51. L. griseata griseata (gen. prep. 1048 H. R.; Agri-Dagh, Armenian), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view. Scale bar: 1 mm.