Pyropteron borreyi ( Le Cerf, 1922 )

Bartsch, Daniel, Pühringer, Franz, Milla, Liz, Lingenhöle, Arthur & Kallies, Axel, 2021, A molecular phylogeny and revision of the genus Pyropteron Newman, 1832 (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) reveals unexpected diversity and frequent hostplant switch as a driver of speciation, Zootaxa 4972 (1), pp. 1-75 : 60

Pyropteron borreyi ( Le Cerf, 1922)

( Figs 40, 41 , 194–199 )

Chamaesphecia borreyi Le Cerf, 1922 : Études de Lépidoptérologie Comparée , 19 (1): 133. Lectotype: ♂, Morocco east, Chabat-el-Hamma (MNHN).

Pyropteron atlantis sensu Kallies, 1999 (in part); nec Schwingenschuss, 1935, misidentification.

This species is an endemic of the Atlas Mts in Morocco. It was revised by Kallies (1999) who also figured the male and female genitalia. It was thought to be confined to the Middle Atlas mountain range with larvae feeding in the roots of Limonium . Similar populations feeding in Armeria and common at high altitudes of the High Atlas Mts were considered P. atlantis (compare Kallies 1999). Surprisingly, however, our barcode analysis and field observations have revealed that the populations associated with Armeria also belong to P. borreyi , while P. atlantis is confined to feeding on Helianthemum .

Diagnosis. P. borreyi is similar to several medium sized, dark brownish-grey to black coloured species of the genus, namely P. atlantis , P. maroccana and P. erodiiphaga from North Africa, and P. hispanica , P. koschwitzi and P. kautzi from south-western Europe. P. atlantis differs clearly by the glossy black (not dark grey to black) body, the pure white (not partly yellowish) markings, the deep black (not whitish mottled) abdomen. The remaining species differ by the more brownish base colour, the presence of a white patch between antenna and ocellus in male (present in males of P. maroccana and P. hispanica ). One specimen ( Fig. 99 ) from Mischliffen, Middle Atlas Mts, has the inner margins of the tegulae and the dorsal stripe of the abdomen white, very similar to P. atlantis , but the abdominal sternites are densely mottled with white (black in P. atlantis ).

Variability. This species shows a considerable degree of variability. Populations from higher altitude and feeding in Armeria show somewhat smaller transparent areas of the forewings, wider discal spots and appear grey rather than brownish.

Barcodes. Despite the small range inhabited by this species, sequence analysis shows some heterogeneity among P. borreyi , also reflected in the morphology, including the size of the transparent areas of the forewing. This is perhaps due to the wide range of habitats and hostplants, ranging from open, stony and bushy terrain with Armeria as well as forest openings with Limonium and Armeria in the Middle Atlas Mts to alpine meadows with exclusively Armeria in the High Atlas Mts. The maximal intraspecific sequence differences are at 1.5%, suggesting that all specimens examined are conspecific.

Biology and habitat. P. borreyi is an oligophagous species, whose larvae live in the root of various species of Limonium and Armeria (Plumbaginaceae) . It inhabits humid subalpine and alpine meadows between 1600 and 2900m, and often occurs together with the previous species.

Distribution. Only known from the High and Middle Atlas Mts and from Rabat, Morocco ( Kallies 1999, our own observations).

Specimens examined. 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas , 30km W Azrou, Mrirt, e.l. ex Limonium sp. , 10. V.1997, leg. AL (BOLD DB-Lep-00057 [contaminated]); 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, Tanout-ou-Filiali, 6. VI.1999, leg. DB; 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, S slope of Col du Zad, 2000m, 18. VI.2007, leg. DB; 3♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, Ifrane, Tizi-n Tretten, 1950m, 19. and 21. VI.2007, leg. DB; 1♂, ibid., e.l. ex Limonium sp. , larva 16.IV., adult 25. V.–15.VI.1997, leg. AK (CDB); 1♂ ( Fig. 196 ), Morocco, Middle Atlas, Mischliffen, 23. VI.1998. leg. Špatenka; 4♂, Morocco, High Atlas , Oukaimeden, 2700m, 23. VI., 25. VI. and 8. VII.1998, leg. AL; 1♂, ibid., 11. VI.1999, leg. DB; 31♂ ( Figs 197–198 ), 3♀ ( Fig. 199 ), ibid., 22.–24. VI.2007, leg. DB ( Bartsch gen. prep. 2007-50; 2007-51) ( CDB, SMNS); ibid., 23. VI.1998, leg. AL ( Bartsch gen. prep. 2007-56) ; 4♂, 1♀, Morocco, Middle Atlas , Ifrane, Tizi-n Tretten, 2200m, 30. VI.–5.VII.1994, leg. Riefenstahl; 8♂ ( Fig. 194 ), 3♀, Morocco, Middle Atlas , Ifrane, Tizi-n Tretten, 1700m, 27. VI.–6.VII.1994, leg. Riefenstahl; 1♀, ibid., 1900m, e.l. ex Limonium sp. , larva 16.IV., adult 10. VII.1997, leg. AK (CCDB-04613-C07) 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas , Col du Zad, 2000m, 5. VII.1998, on Limonium sp. , leg. AL (Bartsch gen. prep. 2007-57); 1♀ ( Fig. 195 ), Morocco, Middle Atlas , 5km NNE Mrirt, 1200m, e.l. ex Limonium sp. , larva 14.IV., adult 15.-31. V.1997, leg. AK (CCDB-04613-C09); 5♂, Morocco, High Atlas , Oukaimeden, 2630m, 29. VI.2009, leg. FP (SMNS); 16♂, Morocco, Haut Atlas , Oukaimeden, 2630–2720 m, 1. VII.2005, leg. FP (BOX-2220 F07, photo 2005/1199-1227); 16♂, ibid., 2. VII.2005, leg. FP (BOX-2221 C07); 17♂, ibid., 20. VI.2008, leg. FP (photo 2008/864-869); 34♂, ibid., 29. VI.2009, leg. FP (CCDB-02113-F11 and F12, photo 2009/435-445); 1♀, ibid., 6. VII.2009, leg. FP (photo 2009/557-565); 4♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas , Col du Zad, 2100–2165 m, 22. VI.2009, leg. FP (photo 2009/258-277); 29♂, ibid., 25. VI.2009, leg. FP (CCDB-02112 A11); 5♂, ibid., 3.VII.2009, leg. FP ; 36♂, ibid., 4.VII.2009, leg. FP (CCDB-02113 F09, CCDB-02112 A10, photo 2009/464-474) ; 1♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas, Ait Mhammed SE Azilal, 1690 m, 27. VI .2009, leg. FP (CCDB-02113 F10) (CFP).

Figures

FIGURES 39–46. Pyropteron Biology. 39. Armeria canescens, hostplant of Pyropteron hellenicum, Greece, Epirus, Timfi Mts, Gamila. 40–41. Pyropteron borreyi, (40) female, Morocco, High Atlas, Oukaimeden, (41) male, Morocco, Middle Alas, Col du Zad. 42–43. Pyropteron maroccana, males, Morocco, High Atlas, Oukaimeden (images FP). 44. Pyropteron hispanica, female, reared, Spain, Toledo, Buenasbodas. 45–46. Pyropteron koschwitzi, (45) male, reared, Spain, Aranjuez, (46) female, reared, Spain, Castile, Navacepedilla (images Zdeněk Laštůvka).

FIGURES 191–205. Pyropteron species. 191–193. Pyropteron maroccana, (191–192) ♂, (193) ♀, Morocco, High Atlas. 194–199. Pyropteron borreyi, (194) ♂, (195) ♀, Morocco, Middle Atlas (from Limonium), (196) ♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, (197–198) ♂, (199) ♀, Morocco, High Atlas (from Armeria). 200–202. Pyropteron hellenicum sp. nov., (200–201) ♂ holotype, (202) ♂, paratype, Greece, Evrytania. 203–205. Pyropteron meriaeformis, (203–204) ♂, paratype, (205) ♀, France, Pyrenees. Scale 10mm.

FIGURES 91–105. Pyropteron species. 91–94. Pyropteron doryliformis, (91–92) ♂, (93–94) 2♀, Portugal, Algarve. 95–96. Pyropteron biedermanni, (95) ♂, (96) ♀, Morocco, Middle Atlas. 97–99. Pyropteron ceriaeformis, (97) ♂, (98) ♀, Morocco, High Atlas, (99) ♀ neotype, holotype f. auresiana, Algeria, Lambese. 100–102. Pyropteron icteropus, stat. rev. (100–101) 2♂, (102) ♀, Italy, Sicily. 103–105. Pyropteron euglossaeformis stat. rev., (103) ♂ neotype, (104) ♂, (105) ♀, Tunisia, Ain Draham. Scale 10mm.