Athamanthia balucha povolnyi ( Howarth & Povolny, 1976 ) Howarth & Povolny, 1976

Krupitsky, Anatoly V., Pljushtch, Igor G. & Skrylnik, Yuriy Ye., 2017, Systematic position of two Athamanthia Zhdanko, 1983 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) taxa from the Iranian Plateau, Zootaxa 4232 (4), pp. 575-581 : 578-579

Athamanthia balucha povolnyi ( Howarth & Povolny, 1976) , comb. nov.

(Plate 1, figs. 5–8, 11–13; plate 2, fig. 3)

Lycaena athamantis povolnyi — Howarth & Povolny 1976: 149.

Type locality. East Afghanistan, Kabul Province, Sarobi [Surobi].

Material examined. holotype ♂, East Afghanistan, Province Kabul, Sarobi , 12.IV. [19]65, leg. Povolny ( MMB) (photo examined) ; 11 ♂, 5 ♀, Central Afghanistan, Province Bamyan, Bamyan district, 0.5 km SE Sabzak vill., 34°52'41" N, 67°39'14" E, 2790 m, 08-09.VII.2013, Yu.Ye. Skrylnik leg. (YuSK) ; 2 ♂, 2 ♀, same data, Yu.Ye. Skrylnik leg. (AKM) ; 2 ♂, same data, Yu.Ye. Skrylnik leg., gen. prep. AK0065, AK0067 (AKM) ; 12 ♂, same data, O.V. Pak leg. (OPD); 2 #, same data, O.V. Pak leg. (AKM) ; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Central Afghanistan, Province Bamyan, Bamyan district, 4 km SE Sabzak vill., 34°51'48" N, 67°41'13" E, 2700 m, 09.VII.2013, Yu.Ye. Skrylnik leg. (YuSK) ; 15 ♂, 8 ♀, same locality, 24.VII.2013, I.G. Pljushtch leg. ( SIZK) ; 3 ♂, 3 ♀, same data, I.G. Pljushtch leg. (AKM) ; 8 ♂, 5 ♀, same data, Yu.Ye. Skrylnik leg. (YuSK) ; 10 ♂, 3 ♀, same data, O.V. Pak leg. (OPD) ; 7 ♂, Central Afghanistan, Province Bamyan, Yakawlang district, Band-e Amir National Park , 2 km SW Kotak vill., 34°48'12" N, 67°05'12" E, 2820 m, 17.VII.2013, I.G. Pljushtch leg. ( SIZK) ; 2 ♂, same data, I.G. Pljushtch leg. (AKM) ; 12 ♂, same data, O.V. Pak leg. (OPD) ; 25 ♂, 4 ♀, same data, Yu.Ye. Skrylnik leg. (YuSK) ; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Central Afghanistan, Province Bamyan, Yakawlang district, Band-e Amir National Park, Gumob vill. env., 34°49'39" N, 67°04'04" E, 2900 m, 23.VII.2013, I.G. Pljushtch leg. ( SIZK) ; 2 ♀, same data, O.V. Pak leg. (OPD).

Description. Male. Head white, frons black with white hairs. Second joint of palpus white from outside, black from inside, third segment black. Antenna black, white-ringed with black club. Thorax and abdomen dark-brown on upperside, white on underside. Legs white.

Wings upperside ochraceous-brown with violaceous suffusion extending from base to submarginal region, more intensive in basal region. Forewing with dark-brown spot near discoidal vein. Submarginal region dull ochraceous, most intensive near anal angle of hindwing, with black spots between veins in subcostal region and ochraceous suffusion along veins. Hindwing with thin silvery-blue line along edge of tornal region, bears rather long black tail with white tip. Outer margin of both wings with black edge.

Wings underside dirty-white, with pattern of large extended black dots surrounded by white rings and spots. Submarginal orange band well-developed on both wings, rather broad, broader on forewing, inner edge of hindwing band with weak black suffusion. Subcostal region with black dots, rounded on forewing, strike-like on hindwing. Outer margin of both wings with black edge. Fringe black internally, white externally, with brown markings near veins. Forewing length 15,0 mm in the holotype, 12,0–16,0 mm in the series of specimens.

Male genitalia. Uncus well-developed, prominent. Falx long, thin, pointed, with tip slightly curved upwards. Saccus very short, triangle. Valva thin, long, with inner fold situated close to rounded distal end. Aedeagus long, crescent, gradually pointed to tip.

Female. Similar to male, but orange pattern of both wing surfaces more developed, especially on forewing upperside where band reaches transverse vein. Forewing length 13,0–15,0 mm.

Individual variation. Size and shape of spots on wings underside strongly varies from circles to thin strokes; extension of orange area on forewing upperside of females varies slightly.

Diagnosis. Poorly developed orange pattern along costal edge of wings upperside, silvery line on hindwing upperside, and reduced black spots on inner edge of orange submarginal band of hindwing underside are diagnostic characters of A. balucha according to the original description ( Howarth & Povolny 1976) and photos of the type specimens ( Nekrutenko 1984; Bozano & Weidenhoffer 2001). These traits are shared with povolnyi and specimens recently found in Afghanistan. The male genitalia are identical to those of the nominate subspecies. Compared with A. phoenicurus ( Lederer, 1871) , they are characterized by broad uncus, extended valva with developed inner fold and less indented apex, slightly upturned stout saccus and crescent aedeagus. Taking into consideration these differences as well as disjunct distribution, we treat the taxon povolnyi as a subspecies of A. balucha — A. balucha povolnyi ( Howarth & Povolny, 1976) , comb. nov. The diagnostic characters of the subspecies we found are more developed orange submarginal pattern on the hindwing upperside of both sexes and well developed orange area on the forewing upperside of female.