Nychiodes mauretanica Wehrli 1929

Nychiodes mauretanica Wehrli, 1929

(figs 3, 88, 127)

Nychiodes mauretanica Wehrli, 1929. Internationale Entomologische Zeitschrift 22 (42): 386. Lectotype ♂, designated by Fazekas (1997) (Algeria: Lambèse, juillet 1912, Harold Powel, gen. prep. Fazekas I. No. 2593), Paralectotypes 3 ♂, 2 ♀ (Tunisia: Ain-Drahan; Algeria: Lambèse; Yakouren; Selo el Ghelem) (in ZFMK, examined).

Type material examined. Lectotype (designated by Fazekas 1997), 1 ♂, Algeria, Lambèse, juillet 1912, Harold Powel, g. prep. Fazekas I. No. 2593; in ZFMK.

Diagnosis. Wingspan ♂ 46 mm, ♀ 41–45 mm (fig. 3). Ground colour of the wings pale brown with yellow tinge intermixed with brown scales (grey-brown to dark beige in N. obscuraria; light to dark brown in N. ragusaria; light brown to brown in N. andalusaria; dark beige to grey in N. notarioi; grey, sometimes irrorated with yellowish brown in N. hispanica). Basal area of the wings slightly brighter. Forewing with postmedial line curved outwards near costa; antemedial line faint. Hindwing with postmedial line well pronounced, medially curved inwards, acuteangled near costa. In male genitalia of N. mauretanica (fig. 88), uncus broad, triangular, tapered at tip, costa of valva strongly sclerotized, medially humped (basal part sclerotized, humped in N. obscuraria; only basal part sclerotized, basally humped in N. ragusaria; basal part sclerotized, strongly humped at centre in N. andalusaria and N. notarioi; sclerotized up to subapical part, medially humped in N. hispanica (see Müller et al. 2019: pages 667–668)). Ampulla superior clubbed, long, reaching clearly over the ampulla inferior; apex of both ampulla superior and inferior apically spinose; ampulla inferior short, digitiform (ampulla superior short, clubbed, covered with tiny setae, ampulla inferior very short in N. obscuraria and N. ragusaria; ampulla superior tubular covered with setae, ampulla inferior acute in N. andalusaria and N. notarioi; ampulla superior tubular covered with setae, ampulla inferior acute and long in N. hispanica (see Müller et al. 2019: pages 667–668). Sacculus process strongly sclerotized, short, basally triangular, apically acute (strongly reduced in N. obscuraria and N. ragusaria; acute and curved in N. andalusaria, N. notarioi and N. hispanica (see Müller et al. 2019: pages 667–668). Juxta anchor-shaped, stalk thin and long. Aedeagus short and broad, submedially curved; cornutus slightly shorter than aedeagus. In female genitalia of N. mauretanica (fig. 127) lamella postvaginalis sclerotized only at its medial part, without lateral extensions (sclerotized, with arch-shaped extension in N. obscuraria; apically split and bilobed in N. ragusaria; with lateral arch-shaped extension in N. andalusiaria; medially rectangular, with lateral arch-shaped extension in N. notarioi; medially heart-shaped, with lateral arch-shaped extension in N. hispanica (see Müller et al. 2019: pages 732–733). Corpus bursae membranous, oval (more spherical in other species of this group). Signum stellate.

Phenology, biology, habitat. Unknown.

Distribution. Known from Algeria and Tunisia (Wehrli 1929; Fazekas, 1997). Fazekas (1997) mentioned an isolated population in the French Pyrenees, which was considered as doubtful by Leraut (2009) and could not be confirmed by Redondo et al. (2009) and Müller et al. (2019).

DNA barcoding. Nearest species: N. ragusaria (4.6%) and N. hispanica (4.7%) (fig. 145).