Phthorarcha haberhaueri, Kostjuk & Mironov & Viidalepp, 2020

Kostjuk, Igor, Mironov, Vladimir G. & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2020, Review of the Central Asian species of Phthorarcha Meyrick (Geometridae Alsophilinae) with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4861 (2), pp. 232-240 : 236

Phthorarcha haberhaueri sp. n.

Material. Three males from the P. primigena syntype series. Holotype, male, labelled with brown paper circles [ Staudinger, 1895: 291 from Samarkand, by Haberhauer], “Origin” (pink label), “ex coll. Staudinger 2/11”, “Genit. pr. 323 I. Kostjuk ”. Paratypes: 1♂, labelled with brown paper circles, “Origin”, “10/11” (handwritten), “Sa- markand”, “ ex coll. Staudinger 4/11”; 1♂, labelled with brown paper circles, “Origin”, “Samarkand”, “ ex coll. Staudinger 5/11”. The holotype and the paratypes are deposited in MNHU, Berlin .

Diagnosis: Discal spots conspicuous, dark grey on hindwings ( Figs 4–6 ) (as in P. ishkovi but light grey or inconspicuous in P. primigena ). Male antennae weakly dentate ventrally, with lateral tufts of long bristles ( Fig. 21 ), and with segments shorter than in P. primigena , i.e. as long as in P. ishkovi (see below). Uncus triangular, longer than wide at base ( Fig. 17 ) as in P primigena , more slender than in P. ishkovi . Valva without a basal dorsal process, the long process on middle of dorsum slender and evenly curved. Aedeagus thinner than in P. primigena and P. ishkovi , provided with a short cornutus.

Description: Male. Wingspan 31–35 mm ( Figs 4–6 ). Forewing grey-brown, translucent, the costal edge, and marginal line are densely scaled, therefore seeming darker grey. Postmedial fascia paler grey, beginning in a whitish costal spot and cut by a straight row of grey vein-streaks. The apical streak is grey, reaching the postmedial fascia on vein R5. The forewing discal mark is linear, long and thin. The fringe is long, light grey, distally darker. Hindwing paler grey than forewing (but not whitish as in P. primigena ), without any fascia but with a bold discal spot between origins of veins M1 and M2. Marginal line and fringe as in forewing. Male genitalia: Saccular corner of valva a rounded triangular shape ( Fig. 17 ), broader than in P. primigena and not projecting. Juxta slender at base, broad and four-tipped distally. Aedeagus short and thin. Female unknown.

Distribution. Uzbekistan, “Samarkand province”. See Fig. 27 .

Derivatio nominis. Josef Haberhauer was the collector who provided Staudinger and other European museums with moths from the “Samarkand province”. We propose the name “haberhaueri” for the species probably reared by him from larvae.

Figures

FIGURE 27. Distribution map of Middle Asian species of Phthorarcha Meyrick.

FIGURES 1–15. Phthorarcha moths of Central Asia: 1–12, males, 13–15, females. 1, P. primigena, Lectotype, Prov. Samarkand; 2, P. primigena, Paralectotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 3, P. primigena, Paralectotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 4, Phthorarcha haberhaueri, sp. n., Holotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 5, Phthorarcha haberhaueri, sp. n., Paratype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 6, Phthorarcha haberhaueri, sp. n., Paratype [Prov. Samarkand]; 7, P. ishkovi, Holotype, Novonikolajevka; 8, P. ishkovi, Paratype, Novonikolajevka; 9, P. ishkovi, Alma–Ata; 10, P. ishkovi, Chichkan; 11, P. ishkovi, Sosnovka; 12, P. chaoticaria, Holotype, Nian Schian; 13, P. primigena, Paralectotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 14, P. primigena, Paralectotype, [Prov. Samarkand]; 15, P. ishkovi, Novonikolajevka. Scale bar 10 mm.

FIGURES 20–24. Male antennae. 20, P. primigena; 21, P. haberhaueri; 22, P. ishkovi; 23, Alsophiloides acroama; 24, Chimaphila zabolne

FIGURES 16–19. Male genitalia of some Phthorarcha species: 14, P. primigena, Lectotype, Prov. Samarkand (Gen. pr. 324); 15, P. haberhaueri, sp. n., Holotype, [Prov. Samarkand] (Gen. pr. 323); 16, P. ishkovi, Novonikolajevka (Gen. pr. 445); 17, P. chaoticaria, Holotype, “Nian Schian” (photo of gen.pr. from E. Beljaev)