Pyropteron borreyi ( Le Cerf, 1922 )

Bartsch, Daniel, Pühringer, Franz, Milla, Liz, Lingenhöle, Arthur & Kallies, Axel, 2021, A molecular phylogeny and revision of the genus Pyropteron Newman, 1832 (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) reveals unexpected diversity and frequent hostplant switch as a driver of speciation, Zootaxa 4972 (1), pp. 1-75 : 60

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.4972.1.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E78473FE-5662-409A-90C2-7C4912DC57E8

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.4914604

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/EB498780-E80A-FFE5-5BA4-FF09BF6FFF26

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Pyropteron borreyi ( Le Cerf, 1922 )
status

 

Pyropteron borreyi ( Le Cerf, 1922) View in CoL

( Figs 40, 41 View FIGURES 39–46 , 194–199 View FIGURES 191–205 )

Chamaesphecia borreyi Le Cerf, 1922 View in CoL : Études de Lépidoptérologie Comparée , 19 (1): 133. Lectotype: ♂, Morocco east, Chabat-el-Hamma (MNHN).

Pyropteron atlantis sensu Kallies, 1999 View in CoL (in part); nec Schwingenschuss, 1935, misidentification.

This species is an endemic of the Atlas Mts in Morocco. It was revised by Kallies (1999) who also figured the male and female genitalia. It was thought to be confined to the Middle Atlas mountain range with larvae feeding in the roots of Limonium View in CoL . Similar populations feeding in Armeria View in CoL and common at high altitudes of the High Atlas Mts were considered P. atlantis View in CoL (compare Kallies 1999). Surprisingly, however, our barcode analysis and field observations have revealed that the populations associated with Armeria View in CoL also belong to P. borreyi View in CoL , while P. atlantis View in CoL is confined to feeding on Helianthemum View in CoL .

Diagnosis. P. borreyi is similar to several medium sized, dark brownish-grey to black coloured species of the genus, namely P. atlantis , P. maroccana and P. erodiiphaga from North Africa, and P. hispanica , P. koschwitzi and P. kautzi from south-western Europe. P. atlantis differs clearly by the glossy black (not dark grey to black) body, the pure white (not partly yellowish) markings, the deep black (not whitish mottled) abdomen. The remaining species differ by the more brownish base colour, the presence of a white patch between antenna and ocellus in male (present in males of P. maroccana and P. hispanica ). One specimen ( Fig. 99 View FIGURES 91–105 ) from Mischliffen, Middle Atlas Mts, has the inner margins of the tegulae and the dorsal stripe of the abdomen white, very similar to P. atlantis , but the abdominal sternites are densely mottled with white (black in P. atlantis ).

Variability. This species shows a considerable degree of variability. Populations from higher altitude and feeding in Armeria show somewhat smaller transparent areas of the forewings, wider discal spots and appear grey rather than brownish.

Barcodes. Despite the small range inhabited by this species, sequence analysis shows some heterogeneity among P. borreyi , also reflected in the morphology, including the size of the transparent areas of the forewing. This is perhaps due to the wide range of habitats and hostplants, ranging from open, stony and bushy terrain with Armeria as well as forest openings with Limonium and Armeria in the Middle Atlas Mts to alpine meadows with exclusively Armeria in the High Atlas Mts. The maximal intraspecific sequence differences are at 1.5%, suggesting that all specimens examined are conspecific.

Biology and habitat. P. borreyi is an oligophagous species, whose larvae live in the root of various species of Limonium and Armeria (Plumbaginaceae) . It inhabits humid subalpine and alpine meadows between 1600 and 2900m, and often occurs together with the previous species.

Distribution. Only known from the High and Middle Atlas Mts and from Rabat, Morocco ( Kallies 1999, our own observations).

Specimens examined. 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas , 30km W Azrou, Mrirt, e.l. ex Limonium sp. , 10. V.1997, leg. AL (BOLD DB-Lep-00057 [contaminated]); 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, Tanout-ou-Filiali, 6. VI.1999, leg. DB; 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, S slope of Col du Zad, 2000m, 18. VI.2007, leg. DB; 3♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, Ifrane, Tizi-n Tretten, 1950m, 19. and 21. VI.2007, leg. DB; 1♂, ibid., e.l. ex Limonium sp. , larva 16.IV., adult 25. V.–15.VI.1997, leg. AK (CDB); 1♂ ( Fig. 196 View FIGURES 191–205 ), Morocco, Middle Atlas, Mischliffen, 23. VI.1998. leg. Špatenka; 4♂, Morocco, High Atlas , Oukaimeden, 2700m, 23. VI., 25. VI. and 8. VII.1998, leg. AL; 1♂, ibid., 11. VI.1999, leg. DB; 31♂ ( Figs 197–198 View FIGURES 191–205 ), 3♀ ( Fig. 199 View FIGURES 191–205 ), ibid., 22.–24. VI.2007, leg. DB ( Bartsch gen. prep. 2007-50; 2007-51) ( CDB, SMNS); ibid., 23. VI.1998, leg. AL ( Bartsch gen. prep. 2007-56) ; 4♂, 1♀, Morocco, Middle Atlas , Ifrane, Tizi-n Tretten, 2200m, 30. VI.–5.VII.1994, leg. Riefenstahl; 8♂ ( Fig. 194 View FIGURES 191–205 ), 3♀, Morocco, Middle Atlas , Ifrane, Tizi-n Tretten, 1700m, 27. VI.–6.VII.1994, leg. Riefenstahl; 1♀, ibid., 1900m, e.l. ex Limonium sp. , larva 16.IV., adult 10. VII.1997, leg. AK (CCDB-04613-C07) 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas , Col du Zad, 2000m, 5. VII.1998, on Limonium sp. , leg. AL (Bartsch gen. prep. 2007-57); 1♀ ( Fig. 195 View FIGURES 191–205 ), Morocco, Middle Atlas , 5km NNE Mrirt, 1200m, e.l. ex Limonium sp. , larva 14.IV., adult 15.-31. V.1997, leg. AK (CCDB-04613-C09); 5♂, Morocco, High Atlas , Oukaimeden, 2630m, 29. VI.2009, leg. FP (SMNS); 16♂, Morocco, Haut Atlas , Oukaimeden, 2630–2720 m, 1. VII.2005, leg. FP (BOX-2220 F07, photo 2005/1199-1227); 16♂, ibid., 2. VII.2005, leg. FP (BOX-2221 C07); 17♂, ibid., 20. VI.2008, leg. FP (photo 2008/864-869); 34♂, ibid., 29. VI.2009, leg. FP (CCDB-02113-F11 and F12, photo 2009/435-445); 1♀, ibid., 6. VII.2009, leg. FP (photo 2009/557-565); 4♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas , Col du Zad, 2100–2165 m, 22. VI.2009, leg. FP (photo 2009/258-277); 29♂, ibid., 25. VI.2009, leg. FP (CCDB-02112 A11); 5♂, ibid., 3.VII.2009, leg. FP ; 36♂, ibid., 4.VII.2009, leg. FP (CCDB-02113 F09, CCDB-02112 A10, photo 2009/464-474) ; 1♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas, Ait Mhammed SE Azilal, 1690 m, 27. VI .2009, leg. FP (CCDB-02113 F10) (CFP).

VI

Mykotektet, National Veterinary Institute

SMNS

Staatliches Museum fuer Naturkund Stuttgart

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Sesiidae

Genus

Pyropteron

Loc

Pyropteron borreyi ( Le Cerf, 1922 )

Bartsch, Daniel, Pühringer, Franz, Milla, Liz, Lingenhöle, Arthur & Kallies, Axel 2021
2021
Loc

Pyropteron atlantis

sensu Kallies 1999
1999
Loc

P. atlantis

sensu Kallies 1999
1999
Loc

P. atlantis

sensu Kallies 1999
1999
Loc

Chamaesphecia borreyi

Le Cerf 1922
1922
Loc

P. borreyi

Le Cerf 1922
1922
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