Spilogona taeniata

Spilogona taeniata (Stein, 1916)

(Figs 3, 5, 7)

Limnophora taeniata Stein, 1916: 93.

Diagnosis. S. taeniata may be immediately recognised by its very dark appearance (e.g. Figs 5, 7) and by the characters given in the key.

Material examined. GEORGIA: Mtskheta-Mtianeti (all collected by A.C. Pont): meadow E of Kazbegi, 1900 m, 28.vi.1983, 23♂ 7♀ (1♂ ZISP & ZMUM, 2♂ 1♀ SZMN, 3♂ 1♀ OUMNH, 16♂ 5♀ BMNH); forest E of Kazbegi, 1950–2000 m, 5.vii.1983, 2♂, 6.vii.1983, 1♂ 1♀, 9.vii.1983, 2♂ 1♀ (BMNH); forest E of Kazbegi, 2000 m, Malaise trap, 23.vii.1983, 1♂, 45. vii.1983, 1♂, 89. vii.1983, 1♀ (BMNH); forest SE of Kazbegi, c 1950 m, 5.vii.1983, 2♂ (BMNH); near Sno, meadows, 1750–1810 m, 3.vii.1983, 1♂ (BMNH); Mt Sameba, forest, 2100–2200 m, 4.vii.1983, 3♂ 1♀ (2♂ 1♀ BMNH, 1♂ OUMNH), and 12.vii.1983, 2♂ (BMNH); Mt Sameba, pasture, 2250–2300 m, 2.vii.1983, 3♂ 1♀ (2♂ 1♀ BMNH, 1♂ OUMNH); Sameba, S, river, 2150–2250 m, 2.vii.1983, 2♂ 4♀ (BNNH); Dzhuta, river, 2200 m, 12.vii.1983, 10♂ 4♀ (1♂ each ZISP, ZMUM, SZMN, OUMNH, the rest BMNH); Mt Kuro, heath, 2120– 2330 m, 29.vi.1983, 1♂, 2330 m, 29.vi.1983, 2♂ 2♀, 2450–2500 m, 29.vi.1983, 2♂ 2♀ (all BMNH); Mt Koltesh, meadows, 2000–2100 m, 8.vii.1983, 17♂ 6♀, 2100 m, 30.vi.1983, 20♂ 9♀ (2♂ 1♀ ZISP & ZMUM, 2♂ 2♀ SZMN, 6♂ 2♀ OUMNH, 25♂ 9♀ BMNH); Mt Koltesh, meadow/heath, 2300 m, 30.vi.1983, 1♂ 1♀, 8.vii.1983, 1♀ (BMNH); Mt Koltesh, heath, 2500 m, 30.vi.1983, 1♂ (BMNH); Mt Bash, heath, 2240 m, 2.vii.1983, 6♂ 1♀ (1♂ OUMNH, 5♂ 1♀ BMNH); Devdoraki, meadows, 2100 m, 10.vii.1983, 1♂ 1♀ (BMNH); Gergeti, upper heaths, 2300–3000 m, 11.vii.1983, 1♀, 3000 m, 14.vii.1983, 1♂ (BMNH); Gergeti, scree & river, 2950–3200 m, 11.vii.1983, 1♂ (BMNH); Gergeti, scree, 2950–3000 m, 14.vii.1983, 1♂ (BMNH). ARMENIA: Aragatsotn: Lake Kari, N40.28 E44.11, 3190 m, 21.vii.2015 (A.C. Pont), 4♂ 2♀ (1♂ SZMN, rest OUMNH); Mt Aragats, N40.29 E44.11, 3240–3350 m, 29.vii.2015 (A.C. Pont), 2♂ (OUMNH).

Distribution. Georgia and Armenia.

Remarks. This species was described by Stein from a single male from Mamison Pass in Georgia, which was redescribed by Hennig (1959b: 347–348) who also described the female. The holotype ♂ is in ZMHU and is labelled “Kaukasus / 50638. IX”. This number refers to a collection made at the Mamison Pass in the far north of Georgia at 2500 m on 1 September 1903. There is also a ♀ in ZMHU, labelled “Kaukasus / 50632. IX”, which is part of the same collection as the holotype. The holotype was reviewed by Pont & Werner (2006: 103) and Pont (2013b: 112) and was briefly redescribed by Couri & Pont (2020: 41–42). These authors noted the presence of short setulae on the notopleuron adjacent to the second seta. However, this character, which is usually a reliable differentiating character in Spilogona, is variable in this species. In the long series listed above, there may be one or several or no setulae on the notopleuron. Males from the same locality and collected on the same day may be with or without these setulae, and sometimes the setulae are present on one side of the body but not on the other.

Couri & Pont (l.c.) pointed out that the eye is “with sparse” hairs in the holotype. During my earlier examination of the holotype, in the early 2000s (Pont & Werner, l.c.), I had noted “eye with some short, sparse but distinct hairs”. Such hairs are hardly discernible in the series listed above, where “eye bare” is the most accurate description.

It should be noted that at the start of his redescription of this species, Hennig (1959b: 347) wrote “Typus im Zoolog. Museum Berlin”. This is the holotype, discussed above. At the end of his description, however, Hennig (1959b: 348) wrote “Terra typica und einziger bekannter Fundort: Kaukasus. Vom Kluchor-Pass, Fl. Teberda, im Mus. Leningrad”. This statement is ambiguous, but the Klukhor Pass (2850 m), which is in the far north-west of Georgia, is a second locality for this species. The specimen in question has not been found in ZISP. As the holotype is intact, Hennig’s illustrations of the male terminalia of S. taeniata must have been made from this male from the Klukhor Pass (Hennig, 1959a: fig. 238; 1959b: fig. 355).