Pyrausta taftanalis Amsel, 1961

Alipanah, Helen, Asselbergs, Jan, Malm, Tobias & Slamka, František, 2023, Taxonomic study of the subfamily Pyraustinae (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in Iran, Zootaxa 5289 (1), pp. 1-82 : 23-24

Pyrausta taftanalis Amsel, 1961

( Fig. 10A–E )

Pyrausta taftanalis Amsel, 1961: 424–425 , text fig. 113, pl. 6 fig. 236.

TL: Iran, Kuh-i-Taftan, 2500 m.

Material examined. NHRS: 1 ♂, holotype, Iran, Baluchestan, Kuh-e Taftan (Khash), 2500 m, 1938, Brandt leg. (gen. prep. GU 3569A; NHRS-TOBI 000005081) .

HMIM: 2 ♀♀, Iran, Sistân and Baluchestân Prov.: 1 ♀, Khâsh, Kusheh, 2000 m, 21.v.1972, Abâi , Ebert leg. (gen. prep. HA-2844, HMIM), 1 ♀, Khâsh, Taftân Mt. , Jamchin vill., N 28˚35΄, E 61˚03΄, 2500 m, 10.iv.2004, Rajâei leg. (gen. prep. HA-2477, HMIM) .

Distribution. Iran: Sistan and Baluchestan Province (Taftan Mt.) ( Amsel 1961).

Remarks. Pyrausta taftanalis was described by Amsel (1961) based on two males collected in Taftan Mt. and since then the female remained undescribed. During this study, we examined two females collected in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, with one of them exactly from the type locality of P. taftanalis . These two females ( Fig. 10C–E ) were very similar to P. taftanalis ( Fig. 10A, B ) and partly to one of the Iranian P. virginalis specimens collected in Hormozgan Province ( Fig. 6E ). Examining their female genitalia showed that in the specimens collected in Sistan and Baluchestan Province, the antrum is longer and wider than in P. virginalis and the signum also differs ( Fig. 9A–I ). It is most probable that these two moths are the unknown females of P. taftanalis ; however it is necessary to have the males from the same locality for more certainty.

We compared the male genitalia of the examined Iranian P. virginalis with that of the P. taftanalis holotype. Amsel (1961) stated that the uncus of P. taftanalis was wider than that of P. virginalis , and that the phallus had a sharp cornutus, which was absent in P. virginalis . Based on the results obtained in this study, the main differences in the male genitalia of these two species are: 1) The nearly triangular uncus of P. virginalis ( Fig. 8A–C ) compared with that of P. taftanalis ( Fig. 8J ); 2) The different shape of the juxta in these two species ( Fig. 8A, G, H, J ); and 3) The apex of the valva, which has a steeper slope in P. taftanalis ( Fig. 8J ) compared with P. viginalis ( Fig. 8A ). In both species the phallus always has deciduous feather-like multi-branched cornuti ( Fig. 8A, D–F, J ), which sometimes break off during copulation and remain within the female genital tract ( Fig. 8A ).

Figures

FIGURE 6. Pyrausta virginalis Duponchel. A, B) Females, Tehran, Firuzkuh. C) Female, West Azarbaijan, Maku. D, E) Female, male, respectively, Hormozgan, Bandar Abbas- Minab Rd. F) Male, Hormozgan, Rudan (scale bar = 10.0 mm).

FIGURE 8. Male genitalia of Pyrausta virginalis Duponchel (genitalia slides HA-2422, HA-2423, HA-2530, HA-2753, HMIM) (A–G), P. perkeo Amsel syn. n. (genitalia slide 4484mPT) (I), and P. taftanalis Amsel (genitalia slide GU 3569A; NHRS-TOBI 000005081) (H, J).A, I, J) Genitalia in ventral and phallus in lateral views. B, C) Uncus. D–F) Distal half of phallus. G, H) Juxta.

FIGURE 9. Female genitalia of Pyrausta virginalis Duponchel (genitalia slides HA-2424, HA-2524, HA-2527, HA-2762, HMIM) (A–D, H) and the specimens close to P. taftanalis Amsel (genitalia slides HA-2477, HA-2844, HMIM) (E–G, I). A, E) Genitalia in ventral view. B–D, G) Colliculum and posterior end of ductus bursae. F) Antrum area and posterior end of ductus bursae. H, I) Signum.

FIGURE 10. A, B) Pyrausta taftanalis Amsel, holotype, male, upperside (A) and underside (B), Sistan and Baluchestan, Taftan Mt. (NHRS). C–E) The female specimens close to P. taftanalis, upperside (C, E) and underside (D), Sistan and Baluchestan, Kusheh (C, D) and Taftan Mt. (E) (HMIM). F) P. castalis Treitschke, female (scale bar = 10.0 mm).