Nychiodes waltheri Wagner, 1919

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 : 12-13

Nychiodes waltheri Wagner, 1919

( figs 4–8, 89, 90 , 128 ; map 1)

Nychiodes obscuraria waltheri Wagner, 1919 . Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 33: 110 ( Turkey: Istanbul). Lectotype ♂ ( Turkey: Haidar-Pascha ), Paralectotypes 1 ♂ 2 ♀ (in BMNH).

Nychiodes waltheri transcaspia Wehrli, 1929 . Internationale entomologische Zeitschrift 22 (42): 386 ( Turkmenistan: Ashkhabad). Holotype ♂ (in ZFMK, examined). Valid at subspecific rank in Müller et al. 2019. As no more material from the type locality was available we keep it valid at subspecific rank.

Nychiodes waltheri osthelderi Wehrli, 1929 . Mitteilungen der Münchner entomologischen Gesellschaft 19 (2-4): 42, pl. 3, fig. 6 ( Turkey: Toros Daglari , Marasch). Holotype ♂ (in ZSM, examined). Regarded as a synonym of waltheri in Müller et al. 2019 .

Nychiodes waltheri syriaca Wehrli, 1929 . Mitteilungen der Münchner entomologischen Gesellschaft 19(2-4): 41 (Turkish/Syrian border: Akbès). Holotype ♀ (in ZFMK, examined). Regarded as a synonym of waltheri in Müller et al. 2019 .

Nychiodes waltheri saerdabica Wehrli, 1938 . Entomologische Rundschau 55 (31): 355 ( Iran: Tacht i Suleiman; Särdab-Tal). Syntypes 2 ♂ 1 ♀ (in ZFMK, examined). Hereby regarded as a new synonym of Nychiodes waltheri based on morphological examination and sympatric occurrence of these forms.

Nychiodes cuencaensis Leraut, 2009 . Moths of Europe 146 (‘ Spain: Castile’, mislabelled), Holotype ♀ (in MNHN, examined). Regarded as a synonym of waltheri in Müller et al. 2019 .

MAP 1. Distribution patterns of N. waltheri , N. palaestinensis , N. muelleri , N. aphrodite and N. convergata sp. nov.. Rectangle: Enlarged section of the Levant.

Type material examined. Nychiodes waltheri transcaspia Holotype, ♂, Turkmenistan, Ashkhabad , g.prep. 4064; N. waltheri osthelderi Holotype, ♂, Syria sept., Taurus , Marasch, 29.vii.[19] 28, 800 m, leg. L. Osthelder; N. waltheri syriaca Holotype ♂, Syrie, Akbès , 1896 ; Paratype (labeled as Allotype), 1 ♀, Syria sept., Taurus , Marasch, 15.-30.vii.[19]29; all in ZFMK .

Nychiodes waltheri saerdabica Holotype, ♂, [ Iran], Persia sept., Elburs, mts.c.s., Tacht i Suleiman, Särdab Tal ( Hasankif ), 10-1400 m, 7.-10.vii.[19]37, leg. E. Pfeiffer & W. Forster München ; Paratype (labeled as Allotype), 1 ♀, [ Iran], Persia sept., Elburs, mts.c.s., Tacht i Suleiman, Särdab Tal ( Hasankif ), 10-1400 m, 7.-10.vii.[19]37, leg. E. Pfeiffer & W. Forster München; all in ZFMK .

Nychiodes waltheri cuencaensis Holotype, ♀, Hispania , Serrania de Cuenca, Huelamo, 7.vii.[19]60, 1400m, leg. G. Hesselbarth, g.prep. 10821 P. Leraut; in MNHN.

Additional material studied: 41 ♂, 10 ♀ (see appendix).

Diagnosis. Wingspan ♂ 35–46 mm, ♀ 41–48 mm (forewing length ♂ 21–24 mm, ♀ 23–25 mm) ( figs 4–8). Wings light to dark brown, basal and terminal areas of forewing and terminal area of hindwing irrorated with red brown scales; medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwing brighter than rest of the wings (medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwings not clearly delimited in N. palaestinensis and N. muelleri ; wings clearly smaller, darker and with strongly pronounced lines in N. aphrodite ) ( figs 4–22).

Male genitalia of N. waltheri with costa of valva sclerotized only up to the centre, medially humped (costa of valva sclerotized towards the apex, medially humped in N. palaestinensis , and N. muelleri ; costa of valva sclerotized towards the apex, not humped in N. aphrodite ) ( figs 89–95 ). N. waltheri with ampulla superior twice as thick as ampulla inferior (narrowed at the centre in N. palaestinensis ; narrowing towards the apex in N. muelleri ; strongly curved in N. aphrodite ). In N. waltheri aedeagus apically with short digitiform extension (strongly curved digitiform in N. palaestinensis ; curved in N. muelleri ; digitiform in N. aphrodite ).

Female genitalia of N. waltheri with short and broad ovipositor (same in N. palaestinensis and N. muelleri ; clearly longer in N. aphrodite ). N. waltheri with apophyses anteriores 1/3 the length of apophyses posteriores (same condition in N. aphrodite ; 1/ 4 in N. palaestinensis , and 1/ 6 in N. muelleri ) (see figs 128–131 ). In N. waltheri lamella postvaginalis strongly sclerotized conically extended (same condition, but much wider in N. palaestinensis , and N. muelleri ; lamella postvaginalis apically tongue shape in N. aphrodite ). In N. waltheri ductus bursae very short with extended sclerotized patch (clearly longer, without extended sclerotized patch in N. palaestinensis , N. muelleri and N. aphrodite ).

Phenology. Depending on the locality bi- or trivoltine, flying from late May to mid-November ( Fazekas 1996, Müller et al. 2019).

Biology. Larvae oligophagous on Rosaceae . In captivity, bred on Prunus spinosa , P. domestica , P. mahaleb , P. tenella and Cotoneaster sp. (see Müller et al. 2019).

Habitat. Occurs in Mediterranean evergreen sclerophyllous forests, sub-Mediterranean deciduous mixed forests and Continental mixed forests and forest steppe, in altitudes up to 2000 m ( Fazekas 1996, Müller et al. 2019).

Distribution. Distributed from Bulgaria and eastern Greece to Turkey and northern Iran (map 1).

DNA barcoding. Nearest species (minimum pairwise distances): N. dalmatina (6.5%), N. amygdalaria (6.8%) and N. aphrodite (6.9%) ( 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 88-92. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 88: Lectotype of N. mauretanica (Algeria, Lambèse, g.prep. Fazekas I. No. 2593); 89: N. waltheri (Turkey, Kayseri, g.prep. 0453/2019 D. Wanke); 90: Uncus, lateral view, N. waltheri (Turkey, Aksehir, g.prep. 0409/2019 D. Wanke); 91: Lectotype of N. palaestinensis (Israel, Jerusalem, g.prep. 0225/2019 D. Wanke); 92: Uncus, lateral view, N. palaestinensis (Jordan, Ajlun, g.prep. 0392/2019 D. Wanke). 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.