Lithostege distinctata, Christoph

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 : 6-7

L. distinctata Christoph

( Figs. 4 , 35 , 59 ; Map 1)

Lithostege distinctata Christoph, 1887 (a): 104. Syntypes 2 Ƥ, ZISP (examined). Type locality: Turkmenistan: Ashkhabad. Lithostege distinctata: Prout, 1914: 174 , pl. 13c; Viidalepp, 1996: 46; Parsons et al., 1999: 546.

Material examined. Type material: Syntypes 2 Ƥ: ‘[ Turkmenistan] Askhabat’, ‘101.’, ‘Coll. Great Knjaz Nikolaj Mikhajlovich’, [a piece of green paper] ‘ 5.6.82 ’, ‘ distinctata Chr. ’; coll. ZISP. Additional material: 3 3, 6 Ƥ: 3 Ƥ: USSR, Turkmenia, Dzahar, Kurgan, 15.4.1966, leg. Ganson V.A., Coll. K.Krušek, gen. prep. 1618/2011 H. R.; in ZFMK. 2 Ƥ: Transcaspia, Repetek, [3] 14.IV.1966, [Ƥ] 13.V.1966, A. Tsvetajev leg., gen. prep. 1086/2010 H. R.; 1 3: Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh Mts. Dushak Mt., 57°56'E, 37°54'N, 1500 m, 7.-8. VII.1992, No. L69, leg. M. Hreblay, Gy. Laszlo, G. Ronkay, gen. prep. 1089/2010 H. R.; all in ZSM. 3, Ƥ: Central Karakum desert, 27.09.1967, F. Luppov [leg.]; 1 3, Turkmeenia 1977, Uzboi [river-bed], Yashan, 27.04–02.05, leg. (gen. prep. 3429, J.V.); in ZIAT. Preparations of genitalia: 2 3, 2 Ƥ.

Description & Diagnosis. Wingspan 16–20 mm. Easily recognized by the small size and the conspicuous pattern elements ( Fig. 4 ): the blackish antemedial line nearly straight in forewing, the postmedial line with three projections outwards at veins M1, M3-CuA1 and near hind margin of wing. Both lines highlighted distally by broad, whitish bands, the postmedial proximally by a brown band. Apex of forewings with a triangular whitish patch, giving rise to a faint, white submarginal line. Fringes chequered black and white. Hingwings small, longitudinally oval in shape, greyish-brown, with a medial, slightly curved line, the latter accompanied distally by a broad, whitish band. Underside of both wings lighter than above, with distinct postmedial of forewing and medial line of hindwing. Male genitalia: valve plain, short, sclerotized costa with a rounded lobe apically; juxta trapezoid, triangularly furrowed dorsally ( Fig. 35 ). Uncus rather stout and broad at base. Saccus not elongated. Aedeagus straight, with a curved line of cornuti. Female genitalia with a short, membranous ductus bursae; corpus bursae elongate-oval, similarly membranous, without internal spines; anterior diverticulum absent. Antevaginal sclerotization broad, bandlike ( Fig. 59 ). Similar genitalia are found in L. excelsata (diagnosis see previous species).

Bionomics. Specimens studied are collected in April, May and July, September. Possibly bivoltine. Additional data on distribution based on literature sources. Shchetkin (1965a): South Tajikistan; Falkovitsh (1986): Uzbekistan.

Distribution. S Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and S and SE Turkmenistan. The species is not yet reported from Iran, but it may occur in the Iranian parts of the Kopet-Dagh area (Map 1).

MAP 1. amoenata species group: L. amoenata ; L. amseli (type locality); L. excelsata ; L. distinctata .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 5. Adult moths of Lithostege Hübner (left column, a: upperside, right column, b: underside). 1. L. amoenata (3, from Kopet-Dagh, NE Iran); 2. L. amseli? (3, Dasht-i-Nawar, E Afghanistan); 3. L. excelsata (3, Dzahar, Turkmenistan); 4. L. distinctata (3, Repetek, E Turkmenistan); 5. L. buxtoni (3, Bakhtegan-Tashk National Park, S Iran). Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURES 35 – 38. Lithostege Hübner: Male genitalia & details of abdominal integument. 35. L. distinctata (gen. prep. 1089 H. R.; Dushak Mt., Turkmenistan), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 36. L. buxtoni (gen. prep. 1066 H. R.; Kazerun, S Iran), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 37. L. stadiei (photo of L. Lehmann; type locality, NW Iran), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 38. L. obliquata (gen. prep. 1087 H. R.; Ashkhabad), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, c: 8 th tergite (lateral margins slightly curved up). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 56 – 59. Lithostege Hübner: Male & female genitalia. 56 - 57: Male genitalia. 56. L. infuscata (gen. prep. 1032 H. R.; Maku, NW Iran), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 57. L. flavicornata (gen. prep. 1062 H. R.; Ak-Chehir, Turkey), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; Figs 58 - 59: Female genitalia. 58. L. amoenata (gen. prep. 1023 H. R.; Nikolajevsky pass, Tajikistan); 59. L. distinctata (gen. prep. 1618 H. R.; Kurgan, Turkmenistan). Scale bar: 1 mm.