Gnophopsodos puengeleri Bohatsch 1910, stat. rev.

5. Gnophopsodos puengeleri (Bohatsch, 1910) stat. rev.

(adults Pl. 1, Figs 5 a, 5b and Pl. 2, Fig. 5 c; male gen. Pl. 3, Figs 5 d, 5e; female gen. Pl. 5, Fig. 5 f)

Gnophos puengeleri Bohatsch, 1910, Jahresbericht des Wiener Entomologischen Vereins, 20: 164.— Locus typicus: Uzbekistan, Fergana region, Alai Mountains. Deposition of lectotype: MNHU. Examined.

Chelegnophos alaianus Viidalepp, 1988 syn. nov., Fauna pyadenits gor Srednei Azii [Geometridae fauna of the Central Asian mountains]: 159, Pl. 3, Fig. 15, text-Pl. 37, figs. 2–5.— Locus typicus: Kyrgyzstan, northern slope of the Alaiski mountain range, River Terek, Darvaza, 2600 m. Deposition of holotype: ZRAS. Examined.

Material examined. Type material. Lectotype 1Ƌ of Gnophos puengeleri Bohatsch, 1910 (Pl. 1, Fig. 5 a; Pl. 3, Fig. 5 d) (hereby designated): [Kyrgyzstan:] ‘ Asia centr[al]. | Fergane, Alai | M. Korb’, ‘ Type | Püngeleri Bohatsch Ƌ’, ‘ Genit. Unters. | Nr. 5395 | Zool [ogisches]. Mus [eum]. Berlin’, MNHU.

Paralectotype 1♀ of Gnophos puengeleri Bohatsch, 1910 (Pl. 1, Fig. 5 b; Pl. 5, Fig. 5 f) (hereby designated): Kyrgyzstan: Fergana region, Togus –torau, 1901, leg. W. Rückbeil, gen. prep. SE–591, MNHU.

Holotype 1Ƌ of Chelegnophos alaianus Viidalepp, 1988: [Kyrgyzstan:] <in Russian> ‘ Alayskiy khr[ebet], sev[ernyi] sklon, | r[eka] Terek, uroch[ishche] Darvaza [Alai Range, northern slope, river Terek, tract Darwaza] | 20.7.1968, 2600 m, [leg.] Bundel’, ‘ Chelegnophos | alaianus Viid. ’, ‘2624 Ƌ’, ‘ Holotypus’, ‘ IZBE | IZBE 0096325 | Insecta Generale | LepPal –26225’, ZRAS.— Further material. Kazakhstan: 1Ƌ (Pl. 2, Fig. 5 c; Pl. 3, Fig. 5 e), SE Kazakhstan, Almaty, Bolshaya Almatinka, 2600 m, 10.–20.vii.1994, leg. A. Saldaitis, gen. prep. SE–588, barcode id. SE–MNC– Lep –00856, BIN BOLD: ABU 6743; 1♀, SE Kazakhstan, Transili-Alatau, valley of Alma-Atinka river, 0.5 km S Medeo, 28./ 29.viii.1990, lux, leg. T. Karisch, gen. prep. SE–590, barcode id. SE–MNC– Lep – 0 0 857, KTD.

Description. Adults (Pl. 1, Figs 5 a, 5b and Pl. 2, Fig. 5 c).

Measurements. Wingspan: 31–34 mm (Ƌ), 26–29 mm (♀); forewing length: 14–17 mm (Ƌ), 15–17 mm (♀); forewing width: 12 mm (Ƌ), 10–13 mm (♀).

Wings. Upper side ash-gray to brownish; antemedial line slightly visible or absent; postmedial line rather continuous; discal spot occasionally indistinct.

Male genitalia (Pl. 3, Figs 5 d, 5e). Total length: 1.91–1.99 mm; valvae span: 1.15–1.36 mm; valvulae span: 1.37–1.59 mm; valvae width: 0.60–0.64 mm. Costa padded, sparse costal thorns pooled to a subterminal cactus– like structure; uncus medium–broad, rounded with slender peak; gnathos strongly sclerotized, bulb–like, laterally compressed, moderately pointed and roof–shaped; juxta weakly sclerotized, caudally broadened; aedeagus length: 0.68–0.81mm; appendix aedeagi: 0.93–1.08 mm.

Female genitalia (Pl. 5, Fig. 5 f). Total length: 2.83–3.18 mm; antrum length: 0.60–0.62 mm; antrum width: 0.30–0.33 mm.

Diagnosis. The following species appear to be similar to G. puengeleri: G. fractifasciaria, G. sabine, and G. stemmataria. For distinction see diagnoses of the respective species.

Distribution (Fig. 5). Two of the examined specimens of G. puengeleri originate from the so called “Fergana region” in Kyrgyzstan: the lectotype (male) from the Alai Mountains and the paralectotype (female) from the province Naryn (Togus–Torau, about 2000 m). Two further specimens were captured in South– East Kazakhstan: there is a male from around Almaty (2600 m) and a female originating from the Transili–Alatau south of Medeo (about 2000 m). G. puengeleri was also recorded (as G. alaianus) from Kyrgyzstan (river Terek, northern slope of the Alaiski mountain range), and from Transalai Mountains, Tshatkal, south–east of lake Issyk–Kul (Viidalepp 1988), east of Naryn in Kyrgyzstan, and from the Alma–Ata National Park in Kazakhstan at altitudes between 1700 m and 2900 m (Kaila et al. 1996).

Biology. The flight period lasts from early July to the end of August (see Viidalepp 1988, Kaila et al. 1996).

Remarks. Gnophos puengeleri, that has been considered to be synonym of Chelegnophos stemmataria (= orbicularia) since Parsons et al. (1999) is herewith reinstated as bona species. Chelegnophos alaianus Viidalepp, 1988 is recognized to be conspecific with Gnophopsodos puengeleri (Bohatsch, 1910).

Based on available molecular data the nearest species of G. puengeleri is G. fractifasciaria with a COI distance of 4.77% (see also Tab. 1 and Fig. 6).