Evergestis pazukii Alipanah, 2018

Alipanah, Helen, Khodadad, Masoumeh, Rajaei, Hossein & Haseli, Mohammad, 2018, Taxonomic study of the genus Evergestis Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Glaphyriinae) in Iran with description of a new species, Zootaxa 4420 (1), pp. 1-33 : 27-30

Evergestis pazukii Alipanah sp. n.

Material examined. HMIM: Holotype, ♂, Iran, Māzandarān Prov.: Baladeh, Yush, 2100 m, 26.vi.1998, Mofidi- Neyestānak leg. ; Paratypes, Māzandarān Prov.: 2 ♂♂, Baladeh, Yush, 2100 m, 26.vi.1998, Mofidi-Neyestānak leg. (GS: HA-1864) , 1 ♂, Kelārdasht, Vandārbon, 2100 m, 27.vi.1998, Mofidi-Neyestānak leg. (GS: HA-1863), 1 ♂, Chālus, 5.vi.1973, Termeh leg.; Tehrān Prov.: 1 ♀, Evin, 10.vii.1974, Anonymous leg. (GS: HA-1865) , 1 ♂, Fasham, 2250 m, 10.viii.1981, Hāshemi leg. (GS: HA-1866)

Diagnosis. This species seems to be only close to E. russulatalis Hampson. Although the collection of Hampson was deposited at the Natural History Museum of London (BMNH), but no type series of E. russulatalis and/or any identified specimen(s) were available in BMNH (personal communications with David Lees). Moreover, the original description of E. russulatalis , and additional information and illustrations provided by Amsel (1952) were not so informative to undoubtly identify this species. Although it is possible that E. pazukii sp. n. and E. russulatalis to be conspecific, however, due to unavailabilty of type materials of the latter species, the collected specimens are hence here described as a new species.

Description. Head ( Figs 17 A, B ). Frons light brown medially and dirty-cream laterally just next to the compound eyes; vertex erected with yellow to yellowish-ochre scales; labial palpus porrect, 1.75–1.89 times the horizontal diameter of compound eye, covered with cream scales and few light brown scales laterally, the scales covering the basal half longer than those of distal half, the first segment slightly curved and somewhat longer than the second (1.2 times the length of second one) and the second segment nearly two times the length of the third one; maxillary palpus slender, porrect and covered with elongated cream to dirty-cream scales, sometimes tinged with light brown scales; proboscis covered with cream to dirty-cream scales basally; antennae roofed with dirtycream scales latero-dorsally and few light brown scales medially, and densely setose ventrally, a single considerably long seta present on dorsal and ventral surfaces of each segment which sometimes missing in some segments; collar cream to yellowish-cream; thorax and tegula cream tinged with light brown to light ochre scales; abdomen grayish-cream; last tergite of the male covered with elongated yellowish-cream scales distally.

Forewing ( Figs 16A–D ). Forewing length, males x ̅ = 14.83 mm ± 0.40 (n= 6), female 15.50 mm, holotype 14.50 mm; costa straight and slightly convexed towards the apex and termen obliquely convexed. Both male and female with the same wing pattern, ground color gray to dirty-cream tinged with light brown scales and slightly shiny, with a distinct fine dark brown terminal line, a distinct pale brown oblique sub-terminal line extended from below the apex to distal end of the dorsum, a gray and sometimes hardly visible broad band interior to the subterminal line extended from the apex to dorsum, both ante-median and post-median lines fine and brown, postmedian line almost sinuate especially at the upper half and ante-median line more or less wavy, faded double discal spots cream with brown borders and present at the upper part of the forewing between the ante- and post-median lines at the distal end of discoidal cell. Underside of the forewing light grayish-brown and shiny, with faded postmedian line and double discal spots. Hindwing dirty-cream and almost shiny with a relatively broad brown terminal band gradually narrowed towards the dorsum, and a very fine and mostly faded light brown post-median line. Underside pale cream and shiny. Fringes of both fore- and hindwing dirty-cream with very fine light brown line basally interrupted opposite end of veins.

Male genitalia ( Figs 17C–G ) (n= 3). Uncus relatively narrow, parallel sided with bluntly pointed apex, without apical hairs; gnathos stout, dagger-shaped with straight apex, and shorter than the uncus (length of uncus nearly 1.2 times the length of ganthos), with 6–9 small pointed teeth ventrally extended from the apex to slightly beyond halfway along the shaft ( Fig. 16E ); valvae broad based, parallel-sided, with obliquely rounded apex and oblique shallow folds positioned ventro-medially, without clasper ( Figs 16D, F ); juxta elongated and slightly narrowed posteriorly ( Fig. 16C ); length of the proximal end of phallus two times as long as the length of distal end, distal portion with two small clusters of cornuti (in permanent slide very close to each other as it is shown in the figure 16G), one cluster included of almost eight sclerotized spines arranged in a nearly straight row and another one composed of 18–20 sclerotized spines in different sizes, positioned irregularly ( Fig. 16G ).

Female genitalia ( Figs 17H–K ) (n= 1). Papillae anales connected dorsally and setose; apophyses anteriores almost 1.5 times as long as the length of apophyses posteriores, with a pointed triangular process at posterior onethird ( Fig. 17J ); antrum membranous, funnel-shaped, narrowed anteriorly and extended to slightly more than half length of the segment VIII; colliculum partly sclerotized, its length slightly less than the length of antrum ( Figs 17H, I ); ductus bursae long, slightly more than two times the length of corpus bursae, with fine longitudinal furrows on its surface, deeply folded posteriorly near the junction with colliculum and gradually widened towards the corpus bursae; ductus seminalis arising from distal end of ductus bursae at the junction with colliculum ( Figs 17H, I ); corpus bursae sub-spherical with finely granulated surface, and a distinct swelling and foldings near the junction with ductus bursae ventrally ( Fig. 17H ), paired signa positioned longitudinally and each signum nearly two-fifths the length of corpus bursae, with numerous triangular sclerites surrounded by needle-like sclerotized structures ( Fig. 17K ); length of sternite VIII 0.33 times as long as the length of sternite VII.

Etymology. Named in honor of the late Ali Pazuki, the famous lepidopterist of Iran, for his efforts in improving our knowledge on Iranian Lepidoptera .

Distribution. Iran (Mazandaran and Tehran Provinces).

Figures

FIGURE 16. Evergestis pazukii sp. n. A–B) Adult male, Holotype. C–D) Adult female, Paratype. A, C: upperside. B, D: underside.

FIGURE 17. Evergestis pazukii sp. n. A–B) Head in frontal (A) and lateral (B) views, Holotype. C–G) Male genitalia, Paratype. C: anterior end including juxta and vinculum. D: main body and phallus. E: posterior end including uncus and gnathos in ventral view. F: middle part of the valva in ventral view. G: distal end of phallus (the upper and lower arrows indicate regular and irregular clusters of cornuti, respectively). H–K) Female genitalia, Paratype. H: main body in lateral view. I: colliculum and posterior end of ductus bursae (the arrow indicates arising point of ductus seminalis). J: apophyses posteriores. K: signum.