Dichagyris kurbatskyi, Varga, Zoltán, Ronkay, Gábor & Ronkay, László, 2021

Varga, Zoltán, Ronkay, Gábor & Ronkay, László, 2021, Contributions To The Taxonomy And Biogeography Of The Genus Dichagyris (Subg. Dichagyris) Lederer, 1867 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 67 (4), pp. 313-340 : 317-323

Dichagyris kurbatskyi sp. n.

( Figs 1–4, 39–42)

Holotype. Male, Kazakhstan, Prov. Almaty, Mt. Toraygir, Pass Alasay , 1600 m, 78°57’E,

43°17’N, 1.VIII.1995, leg. Fábián & Varga, slide No. VZ 10087m (coll. Varga, SMNK) ( Fig. 39). Paratypes. Kazakhstan, Prov. Almaty. 7 males, 2 females, with same data as holotype

(colls Gy. Fábián, P. Gyulai, G. Ronkay and Z. Varga). Slide Nos: VZ 10094m ( Fig. 40), VZ 10095m ( Fig. 41), VZ10256f ( Fig. 42).

Diagnosis. This species is on average somewhat larger with its wingspan 35–38 mm than all but one species of this group, only D. apochora is similar in size to D. kurbatskyi . The forewing ground colour is light brownish-ochreous grey, not sandy ochreous as in its relatives, and the forewing markings, especially the crenulate postmedian line, are more distinctly marked than in the closely related D. psammochroa ( Figs 9–10) and D. afghana ( Figs 7–8). The species is somewhat similar also to the co-occurring D. clara ( Figs 5–6), but the forewings of D. clara are more concolorous ochreous-grey, the crosslines are finer and sharper defined, and the hindwing is also darker, light fuscous grey. The females of D. clara can be easily distinguished from D. kurbatskyi also by the much stronger sclerotised ovipositor.

Description. Ground colour of head, thorax and forewings very light brownish ochreous-grey, interspersed with darker brown hairs and scales. Forewing noctuid maculation faint, defined with a few darker grey scales only; crosslines simple, blackish-brown, with blackish-brown spots on costa; antemedial line and median shadow zigzagged; postmedian line crenulate; submarginal field brownish-ochreous; subterminal line represented by zigzagged, diffuse blackish-brown shadow; inner part of the cilia darker brown chequered. Hindwings shining whitish with diffuse light brownish-grey marginal area and white cilia. Sexes similar, the hindwings of the females slightly darker.

Male genitalia ( Figs 39–41): Very similar to those of the other species of the species group. Valvae somewhat broader with stronger, less falcate harpe; the helicoidal vesica is also generally similar to that of the other species of the group but the subbasal diverticulum is bubble-shaped with somewhat smaller needle-like cornutus, and its medial part has a small pocket-shaped diverticulum which cannot be observed in any related species.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 42): papillae anales weakly sclerotised, quadratic, finely ciliate (more sclerotised and acutely pointed in D. clara , with strong setae); antrum with U-shaped bilateral sclerotisation; ductus bursae very short, shorter than in the related species; appendix bursae subglobular, remarkably shorter than corpus bursae.

Bionomics and distribution. The new species is known from the type locality only. Its habitat is a moderately grazed plateau at medium altitudes of the Toraygir Mts in southern Kazakhstan, Almaty province .

Etymology. The new species is gratefully dedicated to Mr. Vladimir Kurbatsky for his friendly helpfulness during the expeditions of G. Fábián, A. Orosz, and Z. Varga in Kazakhstan.

Dichagyris psammochroa kopetdaghimena ssp. n.

( Figs 11–14, 43)

Holotype. Male, Iran, Prov. Khorasan, Kopet-Dagh Mts, 10 km N of Jevenly, Tandure NP, 2300 m, 9–10.VII.2010, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. P. Gyulai, later to be deposited in the HNHM).

Paratypes. Iran, Prov. Khorasan . 1 male, 2 females, with same data as holotype (coll. P. Gyulai) ; 1 male, 1 female, Kopet-Dagh Mts, Qucan , 2000 m, 10.VII.2005, leg. T. Hácz, G. Petrányi & I. Juhász (coll. P. Gyulai) ; 4 males, Kopet-Dagh Mts , 50 km NE of Qucan, 2000 m, 13.VII.2005, leg. B. Benedek (colls P. Gyulai, G. Ronkay) ; 5 males, Kopet-Dagh , 80 km NE of Qucan, 2000 m, 14–15.VII.2005, leg. B. Benedek (colls P. Gyulai, G. Ronkay, Z. Varga) ; 1 male, Kuh-e-Binaloud , 1770 m, NE of Neyshapur, 7–8.VII.2010, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai (coll. P. Gyulai) ; 1 male, Binaloud , 2507 m, N36°28,56’, E59°46,17’, 10.IX.2012, leg. M. M. Rabieh (coll. P. Gyulai). Slide No VZ 9321m . Turkmenistan. 10 males, 2 females, Kopet-Dagh Mts, Dushak Mt. , 57°54’E, 37°57’N, 2300–2400 m, 9–12.VIII.1992, Nos L 70 and L71, leg. M. Hreblay, Gy. László, G. Ronkay (colls G. Ronkay and Varga) ; 2 males, with same data, MHNG ENTO 20676 and 20677 (coll. J. Plante, MHNG) ; 1 male, Kopet-Dagh Mts, 15 km W of Firyuza, Dushak Mt. , 2100–2200 m, 3–13.VII.1990, leg. V. V. Dubatolov & T. D. Dubatolova (coll. G. Ronkay) ; 1 male, with same data, MHNG ENTO 20678 (coll. J. Plante, MHNG). Slide Nos VZ 6778m, VZ 9322m ( Fig. 43) .

Diagnosis. This subspecies is on average slightly smaller than the typical subspecies and D. psammochroa dichroa with its wingspan 31–34 mm (most frequently 32 mm). Head, thorax and forewings light ochreous-brown, collar and tegulae with some reddish tint. Forewing light ground colour more or less suppressed by dark brown irroration, being essentially stronger than in the subspecies psammochroa ( Figs 9–10) and dichroa (the “ dichroa ” form rarely occurs as individual form also within the typical subspecies). Crosslines, medial shadow and submarginal field dark brown, antemedial line interrupted, postmedian line crenulate; noctuid maculation defined by dark brown scales and dark brown intermaculation. Cilia medially subdivided, inner part ochreous brown, outer part white. Hindwing shining white with diffuse ochreousgrey margin and white cilia.

The male genitalia ( Fig. 43) are generally similar to those of the nominotypical subspecies ( Fig. 37), having shorter clavus and somewhat shorter and distally more tapering valvae. The female genitalia of the ssp. kopetdaghimena are also similar to those of the other subspecies, only the appendix bursae is proportionally somewhat shorter.

Bionomics and distribution. The ssp. kopetdaghimena occurs in the Binaloud and Kopet-Dagh mountains in Khorasan province of Iran and in Turk-

10 = female, Iran, Elburz Mts ; 11–14 = D. psammochroa kopetdaghimena ssp. n.: 11–12 = paratype males, Iran, Khorassan, Kopet-Dagh, 13 = paratype, male, Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh, 14 = paratype, female, Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh; 15–16 = D. taftana taftana Brandt, 1941 :

15 = holotype, male, Iran, Baluchestan , Kuh-i-Taftan, 16 = paratype, same data as 15

menistan. Its habitats are rupicolous mountain steppes in medium-high and high altitudes.

stan, Koh-i-Baba Mts, 26 = paratype, male, Afghanistan, Koh-i-Baba Mts; 27–28 = D. humilis ( Boursin, 1940) , 27 = male, Iran, Elburz Mts, Shemshak, 28 = male, Iran, Prov. Zanjan.

Kuh-i-Sendan; 29–32 = D. hypotacta sp. n., 29 = holotype, male, Afghanistan, Wakhan valley , 30–31 = paratype males, Pakistan, Hindukush Mts, Shandur Pass, 32 = paratype, female ,

Afghanistan, Paghman Mts, Salang Pass

Taxonomy of the Dichagyris taftana group with the description of a new species and two new subspecies

Dichagyris taftana Brandt, 1941 was described based on a long series of both sexes from the Koh-i-Taftan Mts (Iranian Baluchistan). The holotype and a part of the paratypes are deposited in the NRS; the other part of the paratypes was distributed in large European museums and private collections (e.g. NHMW, SMNK, ZSM). In the original description it was compared with D. terminicincta and D. humilis ; these two species are, however, essentially smaller in size and are not closely related to D. taftana according to the structural traits of genitalia.

The typical subspecies taftana ( Figs 15–16) is the largest among the disjunct populations of the species with its wingspan 37–40 mm, and is characterised by the most contrasting forewing pattern. The light ochreous-brown to ochreous slate-grey ground colour of the head, thorax and forewings is only moderately suppressed by greyish-brown hairs and scales. The „noctuid” maculation is only faintly defined, the double crosslines are filled with darker greyish-brown colouration; the submarginal area is darker ochreousbrown with fine darker brown suffusion and 3–4 blurred arrowheads. The male hindwing is whitish with blurred greyish-brown marginal suffusion; the female hindwing is somewhat darker grey-brown irrorated, with light smoky-brown marginal field; cilia whitish.

According to the original description, the type series was collected at fairly high elevations (3000–3300 m). Unfortunately, no more recent material available. The populations of the Elburz and Zaghros mountain systems are geographically separated and taxonomically differentiated from the typical subspecies, while the more differentiated populations inhabiting the Afghan Hindukush represent a distinct species. These unnamed taxa are described below.