Lithostege excelsata, Erschov

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 : 5-6

L. excelsata (Erschov)

( Figs. 3 , 34 , 60 ; Map 1)

Anaitis excelsata Erschov, 1874: 70 , pl. 4, fig. 71. Holotype Ƥ not traced. Type locality: Turkestan: Kisil-Kum desert near Baїbek, 30 April.

Lithostege excelsata: Prout, 1914: 174 , pl. 8a; Viidalepp, 1996: 46; Parsons et al., 1999: 546.

Material examined. 37 3, 29 Ƥ: 1 Ƥ, 1 3, [ Turkmenistan] Askhabat, coll. Great Knjaz Nikolaj Mikhajlovich, 25.4.[?] excelsata Chr. [a piece of green paper]; coll. ZISP. 4 3, 1 Ƥ: USSR, Turkmenia, Dzahar, Kurgan, 15.4.1966, leg. Ganson V.A., Coll. K.Krušek; 1 3, 1 Ƥ: Tekke [Akhal-Tekke, Turkmenistan]; 7 3 Ƥ: Merw [Merv, E Turkmenistan]; 1 3: Turkmenistan, Karakum des. SW, 40 km NE Gizilarbat, 1996.05.03.-06, leg. Miatleuski J., leg. Povilaitis A.; 1 Ƥ: Kasachstan, Balchasch-See, Ümgeb. Wüste Sary-Tankum, bei Fl. Jli, 1.- 2.V. [19]67, gen. prep. 1617/2011 H. R.; all in ZFMK. 2 3: USSR, Turkmenia, Kara-Kum desert, 100 m, 50 km N of Ashkhabad, 58°33'E, 38°21'N, 29.IV.1991, No. L12, leg. G. Csorba, Gy. Fabian, B. Herczig, M. Hreblay & G. Ronkay, preps 1018/2010 and 1019/2010 H. R.; both in ZSM. 1 3: Central Kara-Kum desert, water-bed Kirpili [100 km] northwest to Kyzyl-Arvat; 3/Ƥ: Kopet-Dagh Mts.: Kyzyl-Arvat, Geok-Tepe; in ZIAT. 8 3 Ƥ: „Turkmeenia” [ Turkmenistan] 1977, Uzboi [river-bed], Yashan, 27.04–02.05, J.V. leg.; 2 3, the same locality but 20.05. [19]92, T. Kesküla leg.; 12 3 Ƥ: „Turkmeenia” [ Turkmenistan] 1977, Repetek, 16–17.04, leg. (gen. prep. 3417, 7646, J.V.); 20 3 Ƥ: „Turkmeenia” [ Turkmenistan] 1977, Lambe at Amu-Darja, 20.04, J.V. leg; 1 Ƥ: Zhamansai, Kyzylkum, Uzbek [istan], 27.04. [19]72, Falkovitsh leg.; all in IZBE. Preparations of genitalia: 3 3, 2 Ƥ.

Description & Diagnosis. Wingspan 22–26 mm. Easily recognized by the light grey forewings with numerous transverse grey and black lines ( Fig. 3 ), the postmedial and also the posterior two thirds of the antemedial lines being separated medially by a faint black line and slightly angled outwards at veins M3-CuA1, by the small, rounded, greyish-white hindwings, powdered with black scales, with a thin, black marginal line. Underside of forewings almost without any pattern elements, there is only a short, black line near costa at postmedial position. In the male genitalia ( Fig. 34 ), the plain, apically rounded valve without a basal process, the long and narrow uncus and the triangularly elongated saccus are distinctive. Similar male genitalia are only present in L. distinctata , but in the latter species, the valves are shorter, their costa terminating in a rounded, lobe-like process; the uncus is broad at base and rather short and stout; the female genitalia ( Fig. 60 ) are also distinctive by a triangular antrum and a weakly developed colliculum, the ductus bursae being narrow, elongated, membranous like the globular corpus bursae, the latter with very tiny spines internally and without a diverticulum. Antevaginal sclerotization narrow, strap-like. Female genitalia in L. distinctata are also membranous, corpus bursae without internal spines, but the latter is elongate-oval in shape and a colliculum is absent.

Bionomics. Larvae feed on Astragalus (sect. Ammodendron) ( Falkovitsh, 1986). Specimens studied are collected in April and May only.

Additional data on distribution based on literature sources. Shchetkin (1965a): South Tajikistan; Falkovitsh (1986): Uzbekistan.

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

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 32 – 34. Lithostege Hübner: Male genitalia & details of abdominal integument. 32. L. amoenata (gen. prep. 1022 H. R.; Nikolajevsky pass, Tajikistan), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, vesica partly everted, c: tympanal organ, tergite 1 + 2; 33. L. amseli? (gen. prep. 1025 H. R.; Dasht-i-Nawar, E Afghanistan); a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 34. L. excelsata (gen. prep. 1018 H. R., Kara-Kum desert, Turkmenistan), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, c: 8 th tergite (right margin turned up). Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 60 – 65. Lithostege Hübner: Female genitalia. 60. L. excelsata (gen. prep. 7646 J. V.; Repetek, E Turkmenistan); 61. L. obliquata (gen. prep. 7645 J. V.; Repetek, E Turkmenistan); 62. L. usgentaria (gen. prep. 1016 H. R.; Askhabad); 63. L. witzenmanni (gen. prep. 1027 H. R.; Hamadan, W Iran); 64. L. dissocyma (gen. prep. 1074 H. R.; Kazerun, S Iran); 65. L. hreblayi sp. nov. (gen. prep. 1085 H. R.; type locality, N Pakistan). Scale bar: 1 mm.