Pyropteron mannii ( Lederer, 1853 )

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 : 43

Pyropteron mannii ( Lederer, 1853)

( Figs 21 , 135–137 )

Sesia mannii Lederer, 1853 : Verhandlungen des zoologisch-botanischen Vereins in Wien, Abhandlungen 2 [“1852”], 2: 88. Lectotype: ♂, Brussa [ Turkey, Bursa] (MFNB).

This and the following two species are well defined by morphological characters and DNA barcode sequence and will not be discussed here in detail.

Barcodes. P. mannii is a very homogenous species with small intraspecific differences of about 0.3%. It is sister to P. hera with an average distance of 4.8%, and both form a well-supported clade together with P. atypica .

Biology and habitat. Life history and habitat were described by Laštůvka & Laštůvka (1980). The hostplant is Geranium rotundifolium Linnaeus (Geraniaceae) ; development takes one year. The larvae live in the root and bore a tunnel of about 50 mm length. Mating takes place in the late morning, oviposition on various plants close to the root of the hostplant, at a time when the parts above ground are completely dry or lost. It has been found in xerothermic bush, forest edges and road sides, even near the seashore.

Distribution. South-eastern Bulgaria and northern Turkey ( Laštůvka & Laštůvka 1995, 2001, Špatenka et al. 1999, Garrevoet et al. 2007, our own findings).

Specimens examined: 1♂, Bulgaria, Burgas, Silistar Beach 5 km S Sinemorets, 30 m, 11.VII.2014, leg. FP (photo IMG_25213-5267); 6♂, Bulgaria, Burgas, Silistar S Sinemorets , 15–25 m, 29. VI .2016, leg. FP; 6♂, Turkey, Bolu, Mengen , 700 m, 4.VII.1995, leg. H. Riefenstahl (BOX-2219 G11, DNAtax 10-06, DNAtax 02593); 1♂, Turkey, Kirklareli, Dereköy , 600 m, 7.VII.1993, leg. M. Bakowski ( CFP); 58♂ ( Figs 135–136 ), 6♀ ( Fig. 137 ), Turkey, Bolu, Yenicaga , 1000m, 30. VI .1995, leg. Riefenstahl (CCDB-14564-G06; G07) (CDB, SMNS).

Figures

FIGURES 19–26. Pyropteron Biology. 19. Pyropteron aistleitneri, female, reared, Spain, Castile, Torrestio (image Zdeněk Laštůvka). 20. Pyropteron kautzi, female, reared, Spain, Andalusia, Sierra Nevada (image FP). 21. Pyropteron mannii, female, reared, Bulgaria, Michurin (image Zdeněk Laštůvka). 22. Pyropteron triannuliformis male, reared, Italia, Sicily, Mt. Etna (image DB). 23. Pyropteron jordanicum sp. nov., Jordan, Ajloun (image Thomas Stalling). 24. Pyropteron umbrifera, Greece, Epirus, Salaora. 25. Pyropteron triannuliformis habitat with host plant Rumex scutatus, Italia, Sicily, Mt. Etna. 26. Pyropteron umbrifera, habitat with host plant Limonium brevipetiolatum, Greece, Epirus, Salaora (images DB).

FIGURES 135–149. Pyropteron species. 135–137. Pyropteron manni, (135–136) ♂, (137) ♀, Turkey, Bolu. 138–140. Pyropteron hera, (138–139) ♂, Turkey, Saimbeyli, (140) ♀, Turkey, Adiyaman. 141–143. Pyropteron atypica, (141–142) ♂, Turkey, Hakkari, (143) ♂, Iran, Esfahan. 144–149. Pyropteron triannuliformis, (144–146) ♂, ♀, Austria, Styria, (147–148) ♂, Turkey, Bolu, (149) ♂, Armenia, Ararat prov. Scale 10mm.