Pachypasa otus ( Drury, 1773 )

Prozorov, Alexey M., Prozorova, Tatiana A., Volkova, Julia S., Yakovlev, Roman V., Sitar, Cristian, Saldaitis, Aidas, Petrányi, Gergely, Revay, Edita & Müller, Günter C., 2022, Notes on Pachypasa otus and the description of a new Iranian Pachypasa species (Lepidoptera, Lasiocampidae, Lasiocampinae, Lasiocampini), Ecologica Montenegrina 56, pp. 14-27 : 15-19

Pachypasa otus ( Drury, 1773)

( Figs 1–22 , 28–32 , 35–36 , 38–40 )

Sphinx otus Drury, 1773 , Illustrations of natural history 2, index to 1; 1770, ibidem 1: 30. Type locality: [ Turkey, İzmir] Smyrna. Type specimens unknown.

= Phalaena Bombyx fulminea Goeze, 1781 , Entomologische Beyträge zu des Ritter Linné zwölften Ausgabe des Natursystems 3, 65. Type locality not stated. Type specimens unknown.

= Bombix agrius Olivier, 1790 , Encyclopédie méthodique. Insectes 5, 39. Type locality: the Levant, in Smyrna, on the side of Syria. Type specimens unknown.

= Bombyx dryophaga Geyer, 1828 , In: Hübner, J. (ed.) Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge, Lepidoptera 3, Figs 306, 307. Type locality not stated. Type specimens unknown.

= Pachypasa otus fulvescens Kotzsch, 1932 , Internationale Entomologische Zeitschrift, 25(43), 440. Type locality: [probably Syria, Meidan Ekbiz] Syria, Akbés. Type specimens unknown.

Diagnosis. Light to dark brown-colored moth with dark crenated medial lines, average wingspan 85 mm in males and 100 mm in females. The second lasiocampid species in size after P. hausmanni sp. nov. within the Palaearctic realm, externally more contrasty and does not fly in Iran. Male genitalia accordingly smaller, phallobase medially less swollen and bent. Antevaginal plate in female genitalia about 3 times smaller.

External variability ( Figs 1–22 ). Dark brown speckles on male forewing vary from sparse to very dense, hindwing color from creamy to brown. Female forewing from creamy with dense brown speckles to brown, hindwing more or less dark with more or pronounced dark external field.

Distribution ( Fig. 37 ). Europe: Sicily and the Italian Peninsula, the Balkans along the Adriatic, Ionian, Aegean, and Mediterranean seas; Asia: from Western Turkey eastwards to Georgia and southwards through the Levant; Africa: South Egypt. In Egypt and Western Saudi Arabia all records are from urban environments, the species was most likely introduced with ornamental pine trees. It is not clear if they will survive over the long run.

Taxonomic note. 1. Drury figured and described P. otus in the first volume of Illustrations of natural history (1770: 30–31, plate XVI, fig. III), but he did not provide the name of the species. The name appeared in the index of the first volume which “was not published until 1773” ( Hemming, 1958). Therefore, 1773 is considered the year of the original description instead of 1770.

2. Zolotuhin and Gurkovich (2009: 7) mentioned the “brighter sandy- yellow” coloration of P. otus fulvescens which is a mistake. Kotzsch (1932) wrote that adults of P. otus fulvescens are “[...] not only much larger than the Dalmatian form in both sexes, but also have much darker forewings and with a reddish sheen of the hindwings [...]” (“In einer grossen Ausbeute aus Syrien (Akbés) erhielt ich unter anderem eine Anzahl Pachypasa otus Dru. , welche nicht nur in beiden Geschlechtern viel grösser als die Dalmatiner Form sind, sondern auch viel dunklere Vorderflügel haben und mit rötlichem Schein der Hinterflügel; dem Thorax fehlt die übliche Aufhellung. Ich schlage für diese Form den Namen fulvescens vor.”) Indeed, most European and Balkan male adults in collections are light creamy-colored ( Figs 2, 4, 6 and 9 from the type locality of P. otus ) – this is the “Dalmatian form” sensu Kotzsch – and some males from Syria and surrounding countries are bigger and darker – that is the form fulvescens ( Fig. 20 ). Although, pale, dark and intermediately colored adults occur sympatrically in various locations ( Figs 9–14 ). Mediocaudal outgrowth of cubile (sensu Lajonquière, 1968; Fig. 28 , shown with arrow) also vary in size from very short to slightly elongated cshaped and does not correlate with wing coloration or collecting locality ( Figs 28–32 ). Average pairwise distance in COI between three European (one Croatian, LBEOW1513-11 and two Greek, PHLAJ071-13 and RONOC087-16) and one Lebanese specimen (LBEOW1857-11) is only 0.3%. Thus, due to lack of any stable morphological characters or significant genetic distance whithin P. otus , we do not divide it into subspecies.

Material examined: Italy: ♀, Foggia , 27.VII.1987 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, ♀, Sicily ( ZSM) ; ♂, Sicily, Biancavilla , 1500 m, 10.VII.1983, leg. Tardelli ( CGM) . Croatia: ♀, Lovran , 31.VII.1962, leg. Friedel ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Zara , 1.IX.1936 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, Zara ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, Zara , 8.VII.1965, leg. Eidkum ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, “ Dalmatien ” ( MWM / ZSM) . Greece: ♂, Peloponnes, Zachlorou , 600 m, VIII.1961, leg. H. Noack ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Crete, ex larva 20–24.VI.1987, leg. Wenzel, genitalia slide 13.504 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Crete, Anogia , 15.VII.1988, leg. M. Hreblay ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Rhodes , ex ovo 22.I.1988, leg. R. Gleichauf ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Rhodes , ex larva 9.II.1988, leg. R. Gleichauf ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, Rhodes , ex larva 22.I.1988, leg. R. Gleichauf ( MWM / ZSM). North Macedonia : ♂, Nikoli ḱ, 29.[?].1918, leg. H. Burgeff ( ZSM) . Turkey: ♂, ♀, İzmir ( ZSM) ; 4♂, 2♀, İzmir env., ex larva 17.IX.1974, 21.IX.1974, 7.X.1974, 20.X.1974, 23.X.1974, leg. H. Horwath ( SMNS) ; ♂, Alanya , 10–25.VI.1983, leg. J. Mooser, genitalia slide otus-1 ( CGM) ; ♂, Turgutlu , 5.IX.1986, leg. A. Schneider ( CGM) ; 3♀, Adana, 11.IX.1987, leg. Kuchler ( CGM) ; 3♂, Province Tunceli, Munzur Dağlari, 28 km E Tunceli, Munzur Vadisi Milli Park , 1080 m, 30.VII.2005, 31.VII.2005, 7.VIII.2005, leg. T. Csőváry ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Province Tunceli, 15 km NW Tunceli, 1050 m, 7–9.VIII.1992, leg. P. Kautt & V. Weiss ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, ♀, Province Van, 10 km N of Catak, 43°05’E, 38°05’N, 20–21.VII.1989, leg. P. Gyulai & M. Hreblay, genitalia slide 8017 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, E Anatolia, Hakkari, 2500 m, 20–30.VII.1983, leg. J. Mooser, genitalia slide otus-2 ( MWM / ZSM) . Georgia: ♂, ♀, Vashlovani Reserve , 15.VIII.1976, leg. E. Didmanidze ( GNMT) . Syria: 2♂, 2♀, Amanus-Geb. , 1200 m, leg. Gurndach ( MWM / ZSM) . Lebanon: ♂, Berhalioun, Shira env., ca. 700 m, 2.X.2008, leg. I. & A. Floriani, A. Saldaitis, LBEOW1857-11 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Bscharre , 1300 m, VIII– IX.1931 ( MWM / ZSM) . Armenia: ♂, 2♀, Tatev Valley , 900 m, 29.VII.2022, leg. A. Saldaitis ( CAS) . Jordan: 4♂, ♀, Ar Rajif , ca. 1200 m, XI–XII.2002, leg. G. Müller ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, Amman, IX.1964 ( MWM / ZSM) . Israel: ♂, Northern Golan Heights, Majdal Shams , 1200 m, mid VIII.2000, leg. G. Müller, genitalia slide 10.632 ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Mt Hermon, Upper Cable , 2100 m, VIII.2000, leg. G. Müller ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, 21 km SW Jerusalem, Hadassa , 800 m, 4.IX.1994, leg. G. Müller ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, 9 km W Jerusalem, Moza Izlit , 900 m, 15.IX.1994, leg. G. Müller ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Dead Sea, En- Gedi , 27.XI.2005, leg. G. Müller, genitalia slide otus-3 ( CGM) ; ♀, Mt Hermon , early VII.2009, leg. V. Kravchenko & G. Müller ( CGM) . Saudi Arabia: ♀, Jabal Ra’s Madhar , 800 m, 15.XI.2001, leg. A. Saldaitis ( CGM) . Egypt: ♂, Eastern Desert, Marsa Alam City , 50 m, IX.2003, leg. G. Müller ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♀, Eastern Desert, Upper Nile , Aswan, IX.2003, leg. G. Müller ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Eastern Desert, Ra’s Gharib City , 50 m, X.2002, leg. G. Müller ( MWM / ZSM) ; ♂, Eastern Desert, Hurghada City , 50 m, leg. G. Müller ( MWM / ZSM) .

Figures

Figures 1–8. Adults of P. otus (all MWM/ZSM). 1. Female, S Italy, Foggia. 2. Male, Sicily. 3. Female, Croatia, Lovran. 4. Male, Croatia, Zadar. 5–6. Female and male, Greece, Rhodes. 7. Male, Greece, Crete. 8. Male, North Macedonia, Nikoliḱ. Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 9–14. Adults of P. otus bred from the type locality – W Turkey, İzmir (SMNS). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 15–22. Adults of P. otus. 15–16. Female and male, Georgia, Vashlovani Reserve (GNMT). 17–18. Males, E Turkey, Province Tunceli (MWM/ZSM). 19. Male, E Turkey, Nur Mts (MWM/ZSM). 20. Male, SW Jordan, Ar Rajif (MWM/ZSM). 21. Male, SE Egypt, Ras Gharib (MWM/ZSM). 22. Male, Israel, 21 km SW Jerusalem (MWM/ZSM). Scale bar – 1 cm.

Figures 28–33. Male genitalia. 28–31. P. otus. 28. Greece, Crete, genitalia slide 13.504 (MWM/ZSM). 29. SW Turkey, Alanya, genitalia slide otus-1 (CGM). 30. SE Turkey, Province Van, genitalia slide 8017 (MWM/ZSM). 31. Israel, N Golan Heights, genitalia slide 10.632 (MWM/ZSM). 32. Israel, Dead Sea, genitalia slide otus-3 (CGM). 33–34. P. hausmanni. 33. Holotype, Iran, Province Fars, genitalia slide hausm-1 (CGM). 34. Paratype, Iran, Province Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad, genitalia slide hausm-2 (CGM). Scale bar – 1 mm.

Figures 35–37. Female genitalia of Pachypasa spp. 35–36. P. otus. 35. SE Turkey, Hakkari, genitalia slide otus-2 (CGM). 36. Croatia, genitalia slide 13.235 (MWM/ZSM). 37. P. hausmanni, Iran, Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province (CJM). Scale bar – 1 mm.

Figures 38–40. Principal differences between P. otus (light blue) and P. hausmanni (orange): 38. Distribution map (for details visit bit.ly/3O5PbcG). 39. Phylogenetic tree (NJ, Kimura-2, 1000 replicates). 40. Genetic distances (%).