Diadochia saca PÜNGELER, 1914

Kazemi, E., Shirvani, A., Ronkay, L. & Asadi, M., 2012, A New Diadochia Püngeler, 1914 Species From Iran (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae, Xyleninae), Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae 58 (2), pp. 163-168 : 167

Diadochia saca PÜNGELER, 1914

( Figs 2, 6–7)

Diadochia saca PÜNGELER, 1914 , Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 28: 43, pl. 2, fig. 12. L. t.: Syr-Darya, Baigacum.

Type material examined. Holotype male, “Syr-Daria, Baigacum, Koshantschikoff”, “near Centropodia (Hmpsn. i.l. 7. 1914)”, slide No. MB 415 Ch. BOURSIN (coll. PÜNGELER, ZMHU) . Paratype female, with the same data as the holotype, with an additional label referring a more proper date of collecting: “11/1913, Kosh., Püng.”.

Additional material examined. A large series of specimens (ca 250 examples) of both sexes from Turkmenistan, Kara-Kum desert, 100 m, 42 km N of Ashkhabad [= Ashgabat], 58°33’E, 38°21’N, 15.X.1991, No. L 45, leg. A. PODLUSSÁNY, L. RONKAY & Z. Varga (coll. HNHM, GY. FÁBIÁN, P. GYULAI, B. HERCZIG, G. RONKAY and Z. VARGA) .

Distribution. The species occurs in the arid regions of the wide sense Transcaspia which belong recently to three countries, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Kazakhstan.

Bionomics. The species prefers the sandy, rather dune-like desert habitats with very scarce vegetation and scattered Haloxylon and Tamarix shrubs. Univoltine late autumnal species, the adults are on the wing in October–November. Early stages and foodplant are unknown.