Lithostege bosporaria, Herrich-Schaffer, Herrich-Schaffer

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 : 9-10

L. bosporaria (Herrich-Schäffer)

( Figs. 8 , 39 ; Map 3)

Chesias bosporaria Herrich-Schäffer, 1848: 182 ; pl. 53, fig. 327. Syntypes 2 Ƥ, ZISP (examined). Type locality: Constantinople [Istanbul] ( Turkey).

Lithostege bosporaria: Prout, 1914: 173 , 12c; Prout, 1938: 241; Viidalepp, 1996: 47; Parsons et al., 1999: 545. Larentia porcataria Boisduval, 1848: 30 . Syntypes in BMNH (not examined). Type locality: Odessa region ( Ukraine). Lithostege latestrigata Rebel, 1933: 24 . Syntype Ƥ in NHMW (not examined). Type locality: Ankara ( Turkey).

Material examined. Type material: Syntypes: 2 Ƥ: ‘[ Azerbaijan] Helen[en]dorf’, ‘Coll. Great Knjaz Nikolaj Mikhajlovich’, ‘ex coll. Zool. Inst. Acad. Sci. St. Petersburg, Russia’, ‘ Lithostege bosporaria H.-S. Ƥ, Mironov DET. 2000’; in ZISP; Additional material: 3 3, 5 Ƥ: 1 3, 3 Ƥ: Asia Minor, Ankara, 11.5.[19]66, leg. Dr. Sielmann, gen. prep. 1088 (3)/2010 H. R.; in ZFMK. 1 3: Asia min, Kirikkale, 65 km östl Ankara, 29.5.1964, [leg.] J. Klimesch, coll. Klimesch; in ZSM. 1 3, 1 Ƥ: Azerb [aijan] SSR, Kucheti, 16.05.[19]63 [H. Remm leg.] (gen. prep. K- 776, Ƥ, J.V.); 1 Ƥ: Arm [enia], Khosrov, 10.06.1969, J.V.; coll IZBE. Preparations of genitalia: 1 3, 1 Ƥ.

Description & Diagnosis. Wingspan 27–29 mm. Forewing crossed by straight, greyish-white bands, the distal two (postmedial and submarginal) lined blackish, basal and antemedial lines acutely angled near costa. Wing surface otherwise dark brown. Hindwings with a white, curved postmedial line without dark borders, veins black. L. witzenmanni has very similar pattern elements, but he wing surface between the lines is rather light grey instead of brown ( Fig. 8 ). Male genitalia ( Fig. 39 ) with broad, distally truncate valves, provided with elongate, distally curved harpes and straight, rather short, finger-shaped dorsal arms; strong, tooth-shaped projections are arising internally from the bases of the harpes; juxta broad, elongate, distally notched. Female genitalia with corpus bursae broad and spiculate; diverticulum of bursa present.

Bionomics. Confined to steppe and mountain steppe ( Didmanidze, 1978). Specimens studied are collected in May and June only.

Additional data on distribution based on literature sources. Didmanidze (1978): Georgia; Wardikjan (1985): Armenia.

Distribution. Southern Ukraine and southern European Russia to Transcaucasus ( Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan), Turkey (Map 3).

Figures

FIGURES 6 – 10. Adult moths of Lithostege Hübner (left column, a: upperside, right column, b: underside). 6. L. stadiei (3, type locality, NW Iran); 7. L. obliquata (3, Karakumi, Turkmenistan); 8. L. bosporaria (3, Kirikkale, Central Turkey); 9. L. usgentaria (Ƥ, Herat, W Afghanistan); 10. L. witzenmanni (Ƥ, Ghotor, NW Iran). Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURES 39 – 41. Lithostege Hübner: Male genitalia & details of abdominal integument. 39. L. bosporaria (gen. prep. 1088 H. R.; Ankara), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, vesica everted, c: tympanal organs & anterior sternites; 40. L. usgentaria (gen. prep. 1017 H. R.; N Ashkhabad), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 41. L. witzenmanni (gen. prep. 1037 H. R.; Hamadan, W Iran), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, vesica everted, c: 8 th tergite. Scale bar: 1 mm.