Dichagyris taftana elborsasta, 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 : 323-326

Dichagyris taftana elborsasta ssp. n.

( Figs 17–20, 45)

Holotype. Male, Iran, Prov. Mazandaran, Elburz Mts, Shahkuh-e-Bala , 2400 m, N36°33’, E54°36’, 19.VII.2003, leg. G. Ebert & R. Trusch; slide No. VZ 9269m (coll. SMNK).

Paratypes. Iran. 2 males and 3 females, with same data as holotype (coll. SMNK) ; 1 male, Prov. Mazandaran, Elburz Mts, Shahkuh-e-Pain , 2750 m, N36°33’, E54°26’ (coll. SMNK) ; 3 males, 2 females, Shahrud area, Tash vil. vicinity, 2600 m, 36°34’ 42’’ N, E 54°42’ 42’’E, 29-30. VI. 2010, leg. E. Gavristchuk (coll. M. Dvorak, Czech Rep.) , 3 males with the same data (coll. H. Seibald, Austria) , 1 male with the same data (coll. P. Gyulai, Miskolc, Hungary) ; 5 males, “N-Iran, Berge östl. Semnan, 18. VI.1963, leg. Kasy & Vartian ” (coll. NHMW). Slide Nos: GYP 5555m, GYP 5556m, VZ 9270m, VZ 10132m, VZ 10133m, VZ9464f .

Diagnosis. Generally smaller and more gracile than the typical ssp. taftana and the next new subspecies, ssp. safavida , with its wingspan 32–37 mm. Light ochreous colouration of head, thorax and forewings strongly suppressed by reddish ochreous-brown hairs and scales; all forewing markings blurred; reniform and orbicular stigmata defined only by a few lighter ochreous spots; crosslines faint, submarginal field darker brown with some reddish tint; hindwings in males whitish with diffuse, pale greyish marginal area; in females somewhat darker, light grey with fuscous marginal field.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 45). The diagnostic features are the distally tapering valvae with robust, obtuse and terminally slightly dilated harpe (clasper),

stan, VZ 10087m, 40 = paratype, Kazakhstan, VZ 10094m

and the subbasal diverticulum of the vesica is relatively larger than in the two other subspecies.