Lithostege turkmenica, Tsvetajev

Sh, Hossein Rajaei, Stüning, Dieter & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2011, A review of the species of Lithostege Hübner, [1825] 1816 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae), occurring in Iran and adjacent countries, with description of two new species from Iran and Pakistan, Zootaxa 3105, pp. 1-46 : 17

L. turkmenica Tsvetajev

( Figs. 20, 70; Map 4)

Lithostege turkmenica Tsvetajev, 1971: 662 , text-fig. 3; pl. 1, fig. 1. Holotype 3 and paratypes 4 3, ZISP (examined). Type locality: Repetek ( Turkmenistan).

Lithostege turkmenica: Viidalepp, 1996: 47 ; Parsons et al., 1999: 547.

Material examined. Type material: Holotype 3: ‘Repetek, Turkmenia, A. Tsvetajev, 3.IV. 1965 ’, ‘Gen. Prep. No. 2624 ’, ‘ Holotypus Lithostege turkmenica Tsvet. ’; Paratypes 4 3, same data, 14.IV. [ 1] 966; in ZISP. Additional material: 1 Ƥ: [ Uzbekistan] 60 km NW Djingildy, Karakum desert, Haloxylon forest, 21.04. 1966, Pastukhov leg., gen. prep. 7649, J.V.; in IZBE.

Description & Diagnosis. Wingspan 20–24 mm. A yellowish-white moth with narrow, elongate wings, rounded termen and acute apex of forewings. The brown, oblique postmedian line consists of separate vein-dots, most clearly so in the posterior half of the wing ( Fig. 20). Male genitalia (figured in Tsvetajev 1971) die Arbeit brauche ich heavily sclerotised, harpe a low crest with short curved projection from base reaching behind base of costa. Female genitalia ( Fig 70, figured for the first time) with large papillae anales of ovipositor and a membranous bursa without internal spining, with a small anterior diverticulum.

Bionomics. Specimens studied are collected in April only. A desert species. Preimaginal stages unknown, but moths were collected in Haloxylon forests in both localities.

Additional data on distribution based on literature sources. Tsvetajev ( 1971, 1972): Turkmenistan; Falkovitsh ( 1986): Uzbekistan.

Distribution. SE Turkmenistan and S Uzbekistan (Map 4).

Note. This species is not mentioned in Parsons et al. ( 1999) and Scoble & Hausmann ( 2007).

MAP 4. farinata species group-a: L. notata ; L. fissurata fissurata ; L. fissurata inanis ; L. parva ; L. turkmenica .