Bembecia (s. str.) sareptana ( Bartel, 1912 )

Gorbunov, Oleg G., 2020, A new and poorly known clearwing moth of the genus Bembecia Hübner, 1819 [“ 1816 ”] from the European part of Russia and northwestern Kazakhstan (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae), Zootaxa 4729 (4), pp. 551-565 : 552-554

Bembecia (s. str.) sareptana ( Bartel, 1912)

( Figs 1–16 , 32 , 34–36 )

“ D.[ipsosphecia] sareptana spec. nov. ”— Bartel 1912: 395, pl. 50, row i. Type locality: “Von Sarepta (Juli).” [= Russia: Volgograd, Sarepta]. Holotype ♀ (ZMHB).

Dipsosphecia sareptana— Dalla Torre & Strand 1925: 67; Cǎpuşe 1971: 253, fig. 7, pl. 2, figs C, D; Špatenka & Laštůvka 1988: 339.

Bembecia (s. str.) sareptana— Cǎpuşe 1973: 145.

Bembecia sareptana— Heppner & Duckworth 1981: 39; Laštůvka 1990: 467; Špatenka et al. 1993: 100; Laštůvka & Laštůvka 1995: 74, fig. 38, pl. 4, fig. 13; Špatenka et al. 1996: 9; de Freina 1997: 115, text-fig. 92, pl. 9, fig. 1, map 41; Špatenka et al. 1999: 201, text-fig. 383, pl. 26, fig. 206; Anikin et al. 2000: 273; Kallies & Zolotuhin 2000: 124; Laštůvka & Laštůvka 2001: 64, pl. 4, fig. 13, pl. 9, fig. 10; Gorbunov 2008: 111; Anikin et al. 2016: 145; Gorbunov 2018: 273, figs 31–40, 47–52.

Material. 11 ♂♂, Russia, Orenburg Region, 5 km NW of Olkhovka, 51° 02’ N, 57° 33’ E, 26.V.1998, ex pupae from roots of Oxytropis floribunda , moths emerged 29.V.–13.VI.1998, O. Gorbunov leg. (5 ♂♂ with Sesiidae pictures №№ 0149-0152–2013 and 0319-0324–2013; 1 ♂ with genitalia preparation № OG–006-1998); 6 ♀♀, same locality and date, ex pupae from roots of Oxytropis floribunda , moths emerged 3–6.VI.1998, O. Gorbunov leg. (2 ♀♀ with Sesiidae pictures №№ 0153-0154–2013 and 0317-0318–2013; 2 ♀♀ with genitalia preparation № OG–007-1998 and OG–016-1998); 1 ♂, Russia, Orenburg Region, 16 km S of Kuvandyk , 14.VI.1998, P. Gorbunov leg.

Description. Male ( Figs 1–2 ). Alar expanse 21.0 mm; body length 14.2 mm; forewing 9.5 mm; antenna 6.2 mm.

Head with antenna entirely dark brown to black with greenish sheen; frons dark brown to black with violet sheen and a few yellow to pale yellow scales medially; vertex black with dark violet sheen and a few pale yellow hair-like scales; labial palpus dark brown to black mixed with yellow and pale yellow scales dorsally on two basal joints; pericephalic hairs dark brown to black.

Thorax with patagia entirely dark brown to black with bright greenish sheen; tegula, meso- and metathorax dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen; besides this, tegula, meso- and metathorax densely covered with grey hair-like scales; thorax laterally dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen; posteriorly both metepimeron and metameron black with dark blue sheen densely covered with long grey hairs. Legs with neck plate dark brown to black with greenish sheen; fore coxa and femur dark brown to black with greenish sheen densely covered with dark brown hairs; fore tibia dark brown to black with greenish sheen dorsally and pale yellow with golden sheen ventrally; fore tarsus yellow with a few black scales dorsally and pale yellow with golden sheen ventrally; mid coxa and mid femur dark brown to black with greenish sheen and grey hairs on posterior margin of femur; mid tibia dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen and two small orange spots both medially and distally; spurs pale yellow with golden sheen; mid tarsus black with greenish sheen and a few yellow scales dorsally and pale yellow with golden sheen ventrally; hind coxa and hind femur dark brown to black with greenish sheen and grey hairs on posterior margin of femur; hind tibia externally dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen and with a large orange spot medially and a group of orange scales distally, internally yellow to pale yellow with golden sheen; spurs pale yellow with golden sheen; basal joint of hind tarsus orange to pale orange with golden sheen and a few black scales with greenish sheen, remain joints pale orange with golden sheen densely mixed with black scales with greenish sheen dorsally. Forewing dorsally with basal part black with blue-violet sheen; costal margin up to tip of vein R 3 dark brown to black with greenish-bronze sheen; CuA-stem dark brown with greenish-bronze sheen and a few orange scales; anal margin orange with a few black scales with greenish-violet sheen; discal spot trapeziform, dark brown to black with dark violet sheen and orange distal third; veins R 4, R 5 and M 1 –M 3 orange with an admixture of black scales with violet sheen distally; apical area orange with narrow brown to dark brown with violet sheen outer margin; ventrally costal margin up to tip of vein R 1, CuA-stem and anal margin pale yellow with golden hue and a few orange and black scales; veins R 4, R 5 and M 1 –M 3 orange; apical area orange with golden sheen and narrow dark brown outer margin with bronze sheen; discal spot black with dark blue-violet sheen and orange distal third; trans- parent areas well-developed, but densely covered with translucent scales with light golden-greenish hue; posterior transparent area slightly not reaching proximal margin of discal spot; external transparent area large, divided into five cells between veins R 3 and CuA 1, level to vein M 2 about 2.8 times as broad as discal spot and apical area; cilia brown with bronze sheen. Hindwing transparent; dorsally veins Sc, M 1, M 2, CuP, 1A and 2A orange with a few dark brown to black scales with bronze sheen; other veins dark brown to black with dark bronze-purple sheen and a few orange scales; discal spot narrow, cuneiform, not reaching base of common stem M 3 –CuA 1, orange; outer margin narrow, about 0.6 times as broad as cilia, dark brown to black with bronze sheen, anally orange; ventrally common stem M 3 –CuA 1 and veins M 3, CuA 1 and CuA 2 dark brown with bronze sheen, other veins orange; discal spot orange; cilia brown to dark brown with bronze sheen.

Abdomen dorsally black with dark violet sheen; tergites 2, 4, 6 and 7 each with a narrow yellow stripe distally; ventrally black with greenish sheen; sternite 1+2 with a small yellow spot lateral-distally; sternites 4 and 7 each with a broad yellow stripe distally; anal tuft dorsally black with greenish sheen and a few yellow scales medially at base; ventrally pale yellow to yellow-orange.

Male genitalia (Genital preparation № OG–006-1998) ( Figs 11–15 ). Tegumen-uncus complex relatively broad; scopula androconialis well-developed, about 0.4 times as long as tegumen-uncus complex ( Fig. 11 ); crista gnathi medialis long and broad; crista gnati lateralis subcordiform, about half as long as and slightly narrower than crista gnathi medialis ( Fig. 11 ); valva ( Fig. 12 ) trapeziform-ovoid, crista sacculi oblique, dual, covered with apically pointed setae anteriorly and flat-topped ones posteriorly; caudal part of row of setae bent towards ventral margin; saccus ( Fig. 13 ) narrow, rounded basally, long, about twice as long as vinculum; aedeagus ( Fig. 14 ) thin, straight, nearly as long as valva; vesica with numerous small cornuti ( Fig. 15 ).

Female ( Figs 9–10 ). Somewhat more robust than male. Alar expanse 25.0 mm; body length 16.5 mm; forewing 11.1 mm; antenna 5.8 mm.

Head with frons dark brown to black with violet sheen and a large yellow-orange spot with golden hue medially; vertex black with dark violet sheen and an admixture of orange scales; labial palpus orange with golden sheen, basal joint dark brown to black ventrally. Thorax with a tuft of orange hairs on metathorax laterally and black hairs on both metepimeron and metameron posteriorly. Legs with fore tibia dorsally orange with golden sheen and black with strong blue sheen base and a few black scales posteriorly; fore tarsus orange with golden sheen dorsally and pale orange ventrally; mid femur with black hairs on posterior margin; mid tibia with a broad orange spot medially; mid tarsus entirely pale orange; hind femur with brown hairs on posterior margin; hind tibia orange with golden sheen and a few black scales with dark blue sheen both basally and exterior-posteriorly; hind tarsus entirely orange to pale orange with golden sheen. Forewing with bright orange scales instead of orange ones; posterior transparent area less developed. Hindwing with bright orange scales instead of orange ones and with bright orange scales anally. Abdomen with tergites 2, 4 and 6 each with a rather broad yellow stripe distally; ventrally sternite 4 with a broad yellow stripe distally; anal tuft dorsally with a few dark orange scales medially. Otherwise colour pattern as in male.

Female genitalia (Genital preparation № OG–007-1998) ( Fig. 16 ). Papillae anales relatively broad, covered with short and long setae; tergite 8 broad with short and long setae ventrally and distally, triangular, with ventral margin folded inside; posterior apophysis slightly longer than anterior apophysis; both lamellae antevaginalis and postvaginalis undeveloped; ostium bursae slightly fungoid, situated medio-ventral to tergite 8; antrum relatively narrow, long, slightly shorter than anterior apophysis, well-sclerotized; ductus bursae membranous, slightly broader than antrum, with numerous wrinkles medially; short, about 1/3 as long as antrum; corpus bursae ovoid, without signum.

Individual variability. Both males ( Figs 1–6 ) and females ( Figs 7–10 ) vary in the number of yellow-orange and orange scales on the abdomen and hindwing. Besides this, the transparent areas of the forewing are slightly variable as well. Individual size is variable as follows. Males: alar expanse 16.0– 23.9 mm; body length 11.6–15.0 mm; forewing 7.1–11.0 mm; antenna 4.5–7.1 mm. Females: alar expanse 17.2–25.0 mm; body length 8.8–14.0 mm; forewing 8.0– 10.9 mm; antenna 4.3–6.2 mm.

Differential diagnosis. This species seems to be the closest to B. aktashica O. Gorbunov, 2018 , from which it can be distinguished by the paler orange scales on the forewing and the more developed transparent areas of the forewing (posterior transparent area well-developed, external transparent area divided into five cells between veins R 3 –CuA 1 in the male and between veins R 4 –CuA 1 in the female in B. sareptana , vs. posterior transparent area undeveloped, external transparent area small, divided into three cells between veins R 4+5 and M 3 in B. aktashica , see Figs 1–10 and figs 21–30 in Gorbunov 2018: 270). Besides this, these two species differ from each other by the structure of the crista gnathi and crista sacculi of the male genitalia (compare Figs 11 and 12 with figs 42 and 43 in Gorbunov 2018: 275).

From the male of B. strandi (W. Kozhantschikov, 1936) , the male of B. sareptana differs by the colouration of the frons (dark brown to black with violet sheen and a few yellow to pale yellow scales medially in B. sareptana , vs. with a narrow white stripe laterally in B. strandi ), tegula (dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen in B. sareptana , vs. black with greenish sheen and a narrow pale yellow inner margin in B. strandi ), the discal spot of the forewing (distal third of discal spot orange in B. sareptana , vs. distal two-thirds orange in B. strandi ), abdomen dorsally (tergites 2, 4, 6 and 7 each with a narrow yellow stripe distally in B. sareptana , vs. tergites 4–7 each with a narrow yellow stripe distally in B. strandi ), as well as the conformation of the forewing (transparent areas welldeveloped; posterior transparent area slightly not reaching proximal margin of discal spot; external transparent area large, divided into five cells between veins R 3 and CuA 1, level to vein M 2 about 2.8 times as broad as discal spot and apical area B. sareptana , vs. transparent areas poorly-developed, posterior transparent area nearly undeveloped, anterior transparent area rather small, external transparent area relatively small and divided into four cells between veins R 4+5 and CuA 1, level to vein M 2 about as broad as discal spot and about twice broader than apical area in B. aktashica ). The female of B. sareptana is distinguished from that of B. strandi by the colouration of the vertex and labial palpus (frons dark brown to black with violet sheen and a large yellow-orange spot with golden hue medially, vertex black with dark violet sheen and an admixture of orange scales in B. sareptana , vs. both frons and vertex entirely orange in B. strandi ), as well as by the colouration of the tegula (dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen in B. sareptana , vs. dark brown to black with dark blue-violet sheen and a narrow orange-red inner margin in B. strandi ).

B. sareptana is clearly separable from B. turanica ( Erschoff, 1874) by the colouration of the frons (dark brown to black with violet sheen and a few yellow to pale yellow scales medially in B. sareptana , vs. dark grey-brown with a narrow snow-white stripe laterally in B. turanica ), tegula (entirely dark brown to black with greenish-violet sheen in B. sareptana , vs. with a narrow yellowish in male and orange-red in female inner margin in B. turanica ), abdomen ventrally (sternite 1+2 with a small yellow spot lateral-distally; sternites 4 and 7 each with a broad yellow stripe distally B. sareptana , vs. entirely dark brown to black with greenish sheen in B. turanica ), by the conformation of the external transparent area of the forewing (external transparent area large, divided into five cells between veins R 3 and CuA 1 in B. sareptana , vs. external transparent area noticeably less, divided into four cells between veins R 4+5 and CuA 1 in male and between veins R 4+5 and M 3 in female in B. turanica ), as well as by the shape of the crista gnathi and crista sacculi in the male genitalia (compare Figs 11 and 12 and text-fig. 136 in Špatenka et al. 1999: 491).

From some other eastern European congeners, such as B. volgensis O. Gorbunov 1994 , B. rossica O. Gorbunov, 2019 , and B. pallasi sp. nov., B. sareptana is easily distinguished by the colouration of various parts of the body and wings (compare Figs 1–10 and figs 5i–5k in Gorbunov & Efetov 2018: 820, figs 3a–3h and 4a–4h in Gorbunov 2019: 397, 398, and Figs 17–26 below). From B. megillaeformis (Hübner, 1813 [“1796”] and B. puella Z. Laštůvka, 1989 , which belong to the subgenus Opacosphecia Cǎpuşe, 1973 , B. sareptana clearly differs, in addition to obvious differences in the genitalia of both males and females, by the colouration of the forewing and abdomen (compare Figs 1–10 with text-figs 268 and 269 in Špatenka et al. 1999: 446, figs 15 and 16 in Gorbunov & Efetov 2018: 833, 834).

Bionomics. The larval host plant is Oxytropis floribunda (Pall.) DC. ( Fabaceae ) ( Fig. 34 ). The larva lives in the root where it bores a tunnel about 5–7 cm long. Its life cycle is annual. Throughout its life, the larva damages the root of the host plant very badly. In the spring of the next year, such a plant does not have the ability to develop normally and very soon completely dries out. Such dry plants are a very good sign of the presence of a larva or pupa inside the root ( Fig. 35 ). Before pupation, the larva makes an exit tube to the surface of the ground. Pupation takes place in a sick cocoon situated in the lower part of the exit tube. It is closed with a round tight cover that is opened only from inside. Adults are on the wing from the end of May to the beginning of July ( Fig. 32 ). I have never been able to attract this species with artificial pheromone lures.

Habitat. This species inhabits different types of herbaceous steppes with the obligatory presence of the host plant, Oxytropis floribunda ( Fig. 36 ).

Distribution. Currently it is known to occur locally in the southeastern European part of Russia (Volgograd and Orenburg Regions) and the southern part of the West Siberian Plain (Chelyabinsk Region).

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Variability of Bembecia sareptana (Bartel, 1912). Russia, Orenburg Region, 5 km NW of Ol’khovka, 26.V.1998, ex p., O. Gorbunov leg. 1) ♂, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0149–2013. Alar expanse 21.0 mm; 2) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0150–2013; 3) ♂, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0319–20136. Alar expanse 21.4 mm; 4) ditto underside. Sesi- idae picture № 0320–2013; 5) ♂, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0321–20136. Alar expanse 22.0 mm; 6) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0322–2013; 7) ♀, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0153–2013. Alar expanse 18.5 mm; 8) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0154–2013. 9) ♀, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0317–2013. Alar expanse 25.0 mm; 10) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0318–2013.

FIGURES 11–16. Genitalia of Bembecia sareptana (Bartel, 1912). 11–15. ♂ genitalia. Genital preparation № OG–006-1998. 11) tegumen-uncus complex; 12) valva; 13) saccus; 14) aedeagus; 15) vesica. 16) ♀ genitalia. Genitalia preparation № OG–007- 1998. Scale bar: 0.5 mm for 11–14 and 16, 0.2 mm for 15.

FIGURES 32–33. Freshly emerged males of Bembecia spp. 32) B. sareptana (Bartel, 1912). Russia, Orenburg Region, 5 km NW of Olkhovka, 26.V.1998, ex pupae from a root of Oxytropis floribunda (Pall.) DC (Fabaceae), moths emerged 29.V.1998; 33) B. pallasi sp. nov. holotype. Kazakhstan, Atyrau Reg., 60 km NE Kulsary, Imankara, 08–10.V.1997, ex larva from a root of Astragalus longipetalus Chater (Fabaceae), moth emerged 2.VI.1997.

FIGURES 34–36. Life history of Bembecia sareptana (Bartel, 1912). 34) Oxytropis floribunda (Pall.) DC (Fabaceae), the host plant; 35) a dried host plant damaged by a larva; 36) habitat, Russia, Orenburg Region, 5 km NW of Olkhovka, 26.V.1998.

FIGURES 17–26. Variability of Bembecia pallasi sp. nov. 17) ♂ holotype, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0211–2015.Alar expanse 20.5 mm; 18) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0212–2015; 19) ♂ paratype, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0183–2014. Alar expanse 20.0 mm; 20) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0184–2014; 21) ♂ paratype, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0189–2014. Alar expanse 18.0 mm; 22) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0190–2014; 23) ♂ paratype, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0197– 2014. Alar expanse 20.5 mm; 24) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0198–2014; 25) ♀ paratype, upside. Sesiidae picture № 0213–2015. Alar expanse 21.3 mm; 26) ditto underside. Sesiidae picture № 0214–2015.