Nychiodes amygdalaria ( Herrich-Schäffer, 1848 )

Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel, Krogmann, Lars, Petrányi, Gergely & Rajaei, Hossein, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the genus Nychiodes Lederer, 1853 (Geometridae: Ennominae: Boarmiini) with description of three new species-an integrative approach, Zootaxa 4812 (1), pp. 1-61 : 16-18

Nychiodes amygdalaria ( Herrich-Schäffer, 1848)

( figs 23–25, 96, 97 , 132 ; map 2)

Boarmia amygdalaria Herrich-Schäffer, 1848 . Systematische Bearbeitung der Schmetterlinge von Europa (31): 82. Syntype (s) ([ Greece]: Crete).

Nychiodes amygdalaria almensis Wehrli, 1941 In : Seitz, A. (Ed.), Die Grossschmetterlinge der Erde. Supplement zu Band 4: 441. Syntype (s) 1 ♂, 1 ♀ ( Syria; Lebanon; Palestine) (in ZFMK, examined). Regarded as a synonym of amygdalaria in Müller et al. 2019 .

Nychiodes amygdalaria malatyaca Wehrli, 1941 In : Seitz, A. (Ed.), Die Grossschmetterlinge der Erde. Supplement zu Band 4: 441. Holotype ♂, Paratype 1 ♂ ( Turkey: Malatya-Tecde ), (in ZFMK, examined). Regarded as a synonym of amygdalaria in Müller et al. 2019 .

MAP 2. Distribution patterns of N. amygdalaria , N. farinosa , N. antiquaria , N. admirabila , N. rayatica and N. mirzayansi sp. nov..

Type material examined. Nychiodes amygdalaria almensis Syntype, 1 ♂, Syria sept, Amanus mts. , Düldül Dagh, viii.[19]30, leg. Eing. Slr. ; 1 ♀, Syria s., Amanus s., Düldül Dagh, Jeschil dere, viii.[19]34, coll. E. Pfeiffer; all in ZFMK .

Nychiodes amygdalaria malatyaca Holotype, 1 ♂, Asia minor, Malatya-Tecde , 17.ix.[year missing]; in ZFMK.

Material studied: 20 ♂, 2 ♀ (see appendix).

Diagnosis. Wingspan ♂ 31–46 mm, ♀ 38–47 mm (forewing length ♂ 16–26 mm, ♀ 22–26 mm). Regarding its geographic distribution, (see map 2), wing pattern and colour, Nychiodes amygdalaria cannot be confused with any other Nychiodes species. Ground colour of wings light to dark ivory, with some grey brown highlights; transverse lines well pronounced (see figs 23–25). Male genitalia ( figs 96, 97 ) with uncus very large in lateral view, broad at base, curved and slightly thickened dorsally. The most important diagnostic character of this species is the shape of the costa of valva, which is strongly sclerotized and swollen over the apical part of valva ( fig. 96a ). Cornutus very short, one third length of aedeagus (this condition is similar only in N. convergata sp. nov., but the latter species shows completely different external and internal character combination, see the description and diagnosis of this new species).

Female genitalia of N. amygdalaria ( fig. 132 ) extremely large, with ovipositor characteristically elongated (more than in the other Nychiodes species). The only species with similar female genitalia is N. admirabila . In N. amygdalaria length of apophyses anteriores half length of apophyses posteriores, lamella postvaginalis anteriorly and posteriorly extended (apophyses anteriores one fourth length of apophyses posteriores, lamella postvaginalis quadratic, posteriorly concave in N. admirabila ). Furthermore, N. amygdalaria and N. admirabila show non-overlapping distribution patterns.

Phenology. Uni- or bivoltine, flying from mid-May to late September ( Müller et al. 2019).

Biology. Larva oligophagous on Rosaceae , reared on Prunus spinosa , P. domestica and Crataegus sp. ( Müller et al. 2019).

Habitat. Open woodlands ( Müller et al. 2019). Occurs from sea-level up to 2150 m.

Distribution. From eastern Europe (Balkan Peninsula) to Turkey, Georgia, Armenia and westernmost part of Iran (new record for Iran) (map 2).

DNA barcoding. Nearest species (minimum pairwise distances): N. eberti sp. nov. (6.5%), N. subfusca (6.6%), N. mauretanica (6.6%), N. admirabila (6.8%) and N. waltheri (6.8%) ( fig. 145 ).

Figures

FIGURE 145. Un-rooted neighbour joining tree (Saitou & Nei 1987) based on 20 species of the genus Nychiodes (calculated using K2P model: Kimura 1980 with MEGA X (Kumar et al. 2018).

FIGURES 96-102. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 96: N. amygdalaria (Turkey, Aksehir, g.prep. 2089/2017 H. Rajaei); 97: Uncus, lateral view, N. amygdalaria (Turkey, Maras, g.prep. 0411/2019 D. Wanke); 98: Holotype of N. farinosa (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10924); 99: Uncus, lateral view, N. farinosa (Iran, Hamadan, g.prep. 0414/2019 D. Wanke); 100: N. antiquaria (Tadjikistan, Kalaishum, g.prep. 0365/2019 D. Wanke); 101: Uncus, lateral view, N. antiquaria (Uzbekistan, Guzar, g.prep. 0408/2019 D. Wanke); 102: Holotype of N. princeps (Afghanistan, Band-i-Amir, g.prep. WW36). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 127-134. Female genitalia of Nychiodes species. 127: N. mauretanica (Algeria, Lambèse, g.prep. G2365); 128: N. waltheri (Bulgaria, Sozopol, g.prep. BMB386); 129: Paralectotype (herewith designated) of N. palaestinensis (Israel, Jerusalem, g.prep. 0226/2019 D. Wanke); 130: Paratype of N. muelleri (Jordan, Shoubak, G6437); 131: N. aphrodite (Cyprus, Moniatis, 2108/2017 H. Rajaei); 132: N. amygdalaria (Turkey, Artvin, g.prep. 2088/2017 H. Rajaei); 133: N. farinosa (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10925); 134: Lectotype (herewith designated) of N. antiquaria (Uzbekistan, Margelan, g.prep. 0227/2019 D. Wanke). Scale-bar 1 mm.