Rhodostrophia abscisaria Brandt 1941

Rhodostrophia abscisaria Brandt, 1941

(Figs 44–47, 73, 90, 102, Map 11)

Rhodostrophia abscisaria Brandt, 1941: Mitteilungen der Münchner Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 31 (3): 866, pl. 28, fig. 4. (Iran, Khorassan, Kouh i Binaloud, 2500 m) (examined).

Lectotype ♂ (examined, in the original description the holotype is not mentioned, but in the type series holotype an paratypes are labeled; lectotype hereby designated in order to stabilize nomenclature): ' Iran Khorassan, Kouh i Binaloud (Meched), 2500 m, 21.Aug.1938, Coll. Brandt', ' Holotype, Rhodostrophia abscisaria Brdt., Brandt', '46, 60', 'Preparation, WBS.4', '2:75, R.M. prep. 3702' in coll. NHRS. Paralectotypes, 1 ♂ (examined), ' Iran, Khorassan, Kouh i Binaloud (Meched), 1800 m, 14.Aug.1938, leg. F. Brandt', NHRS-LEPI 000010256, g.p. 10941 H. Rajaei; 2 ♀ [one of them labeled as Allotype Rhodostrophia abscisaria Brdt., ' Iran, Khorassan, Kouh i Binaloud (Meched), 2500 m, 14.Aug.1938, leg. F. Brandt', NHRS-LEPI 000010257, g.p. 10942 H. Rajaei; all ex coll. Brandt, all in NHRS. 1 ♂, 1 ♀, ‘ Iran Khorassan Kouh i Binaloud, 2500 m, 25.viii.1938 Brandt’, ex coll. Cl. Hörhammer, in ZSM.

Rhodostrophia abscisaria chlorotica Wiltshire, 1967: Beiträge zur naturkundlichen Forschung in Südwestdeutschland, 26 (3): 148, pl. 5, fig. 62 & pl. 10, fig. 33. ([Afghanistan], Hindu Kush, Ejan, Salang valley), Holotype ♂ (examined): ‘J. Klapperich, Ejan, 2050 m, Salangtal, 11.10.52. Hindukush, O-Afghanistan’, ‘preparation EP Wiltshire 952’, ‘ Rhodostrophia chlorotica holotype’ in SMNK. A worn specimen of the second generation of R. abscisaria Brdt., the genitalia preparation of no. 952 Wiltshire is missing in SMNK, but figured well pl.10, fig. 33. Even Wiltshire, 1967: 148 stated that it is identical with the nominate form of R. abscisaria, which was dissected by him. Therefore here we conclude that this subspecies is not valid, syn. nov.

Records in literature. Rhodostrophia abscisaria: Viidalepp (1988: 58); Viidalepp (1996: 57) [erroneously misspelled to abcisaria); Scoble (1999: 821); Scoble & Hausmann (2007).

Additional material examined. 17 ♂, 26 ♀, Iran NE, Kopet Dagh, Prov. Khorasan, ca. 50 km N Bojnurd, S Izmansufla, N 37°44’20’’, E 057°25’53’’, 1240 m, 17.v.2005, leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka & B. Müller, g.p. (1 ♂) 589/2005 R. Trusch, (3 ♀) 587, 588, 607/2005 R. Trusch; barcode: BC ZSM 33875, 33874, 33876; 1 ♂, 12 ♀, id., 18.v.2005; 29 ♂, 60 ♀, id., 8.v.2008, leg. R. Trusch, M. Falkenberg & B. Müller, g.p. (♀) 2372/2020 H. Rajaei; 4 ♂, 11 ♀, id., 10, 11.v.2008, g.p. 0516/2020 D. Wanke; 4 ♂, 1 ♀, Iran NE, Kopet Dagh, Prov. Khorasan, Kopet Dagh, NW Mashad, N Tschenaran [Chenaran], N Radkan, Dolmeh Olia, N 36°55’56.6’’, E 059°02’18.6’’, 8.–9.v.2008, 1560 mNN, lux, leg. R. Trusch, M. Falkenberg & B. Müller, g.p. (1 ♂) 2371/2020 H. Rajaei; 1 ♀, Iran NE, Kopet Dagh, Prov. Khorasan, E Torbat-e Heidarye, S Fariman, Zharf vic., N 35°24’25.1’’, E 059°56’08.2’’, 6.v.2008, 2160 mNN, lux, leg. R. Trusch, M. Falkenberg & B. Müller; all in SMNK. 2 ♂, 2 ♀, Iran NE, Kopet Dagh, Prov. Khorasan, ca. 50 km N Bojnurd, S Izmansufla, N 37°44’20’’, E 057°25’53’’, 1240 m, 11.v.2005, leg. R. Trusch, G. Petschenka & B. Müller; 1 ♀, Iran, prov. Khorasan Shomali, IsmanSufla, 18.v.2015, leg. Sh. Feizpour, g.p. 0721/2020 D. Wanke; 1 ♀, Iran, Shahrud, Shahkouh, Tash, Ayoub Hosseini Region, 2588 m, 36°37'18"N, 54°33'42.6"E, 11.07.2016, leg. Sh. Feizpour; 1 ♀, Iran, Khorasan-e Shomali prov., N Qochan, Emam Gholi to Kabkan road, After Agh-Mazar, Allah-o Akbar Mt., Alt. 1763 m, N 37°19'27.2'', E 058°43'26.1'', 18.06.2013, leg. H. Rajaei; J.-U. Meineke; B. Hafezi; 1 ♀, Iran, Khorasan-e Shomali prov., Bajgiran, Bardar to Namanlu road, Alt. 1922 m, N 37°38'52.7'', E 058°15'41.7'', 19.06.2013, leg. H. Rajaei; J.-U. Meineke; B. Hafezi; in SMNS. 4 ♂, 5 ♀, Iran, Khorasan, Kopet Dagh, 1200m, Robat, 20 km SW Izman Olia, 25.– 26.5.2008, J.-U. Meineke, W. Kramer, g.p. 2370/2020 H. Rajaei; in coll. PCJM; 1 ♀, Iran, Prov. Golestan, Elburs-mts., Maghazy val., 1630 m, 36,649 23 N, 54,207 01 E, 11.vi.2007; 4 ♂, 7 ♀, id.; 1730 m, 36,658 05 N, 54,224 22 E, 13.vi.2007; all leg. N. Pöll; in PCNP.

Specimens studied total: 67 ♂, 132 ♀.

Differential diagnosis. (Figs 44–47). Wingspan 23–31 mm, one of the smallest Rhodostrophia species in Iran. Forewing with pointed apex and straight termen. Wings and body concolorous with light yellow-white colour. Forewing with brown antemedial, postmedial and subterminal lines; hindwing with brown postmedial and subterminal lines; all lines are thin and strongly dentated. Discal spot well visible on forewing, reduced or sometimes absent on hindwing. Underside of wings slightly darker than upperside, glossy; subterminal line on both fore- and hindwing visible. Male antennal flagellum ventrally dentated. Male hindtibia with three spurs. This species may be superficially confused with species of the badiaria species-group (especially with R. bahara and R. iranica), but it is significantly smaller and the male hindtibia has three spurs (four spurs in the badiaria species-group). Another externally similar species to R. abscisaria is R. vastaria (Christoph, 1876). The latter species shows also four spurs on the hindtibia and has different male genitalia (illustrated in Hausmann 2004: 521). The examination of the genitalia enables a confident determination in any case, as well as the consideration of the restricted occurrence only in the north-east of Iran.

Male genitalia (Fig. 73) with approximately digitiform uncus (Fig. 3); valva apically bilobed, spinulose; costal part of the valva with medial extension (diagnostic from all other Iranian Rhodostrophia species; Fig. 73a); sacculus curved interiorly. Juxta wide, elongated dorso-ventrally. Aedeagus subapically slightly curved; vesica membranous bearing a dentated plate. Male sternite A8 bilobed (Fig. 73c), with small octavals.

Female genitalia (Fig. 90) with a membranous, oval corpus bursae, signa developed as a pair of stripes, partially connected to each other on the anterior part of the corpus bursae (Figs 90 b, c). Ductus bursae funnel-shaped, short (half length of corpus bursae), strongly sclerotized. Posterior apophyses three times length of anterior apophyses.

Genetic data. Genetically heterogeneous with two BINs (BOLD:AAE7809; BOLD:ACF5327) at a distance of 1.5% from each other, and a third BIN (BOLD:AAX9132), retrieved from a specimen from Khorasan (Kueh-e Sorkh, N Torbat-e Heydariyeh, Turusen) at a large distance of 5.4%. Genetic variation possibly pointing to cryptic diversity and requiring further integrative study. Nearest species: R. praecisaria from central Asian mountains (7.8%) (Fig. 119, Table 1).

Distribution (Map 11). This is a Central Asian species, distributed in Tadjikistan (Hissaro-Darwaz), western Pamir, Afghanistan and north-eastern Iran (Binaloud and Kopet-Dagh Mts into eastern Elborz Mts.). Most probably, it can be found also in the northern parts of the Kopet-Dagh in Turkmenistan.

Life history and habitat (Fig. 116). The species seems to be bivoltine, recorded from early April to late August, collected by Fred Brandt in Binaloud Mt. as late as 21.viii.1938, apparently belonging to a second generation.

According to examined material here, it flies at middle altitudes from 1200 m up to 2200 m.