Nychiodes convergata, Wanke & Hausmann & Krogmann & Petrányi & Rajaei, 2020

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 : 36-37

Nychiodes convergata sp. nov. Hausmann, Wanke & Rajaei

( figs 84, 85, 123, 124 ; map 1)

Material examined. Holotype, ♂, N. Israel, Mt. Hermon , Upper Cable Station, 2200 m, 8.-10.vi.2000, leg. Müller, g.prep. 0463/2019 D. Wanke; in ZSM.

Paratypes, 1 ♂, N. Israel, Mt. Hermon , Upper Cable Station, 2200 m, 8.-10.vi.2000, leg. Müller ; 1 ♂, N. Israel, South Golan , 500 m, v.2003, leg. Müller & Kravchenko, g.prep. ZSM G 13237 ; both in ZSM. 1 ♂, N. Israel, Mt. Hermon , Upper Cable Station, 2200 m, 8.-10.vi.2000, leg. Müller, g.prep. 0243/2019 D. Wanke; in SMNS .

Description. Wingspan ♂ 37 mm, (forewing length ♂ 17–20 mm) ( figs 84, 85). Antennae bipectinate in males (female unknown). Frons rather flat, projecting about one quarter diameter of eye, smoothly scaled. Chaetosemata present as two small patches. Labial palpi about the size of eye diameter. Proboscis absent. Ground colour of wings brown, intermixed with dark brown scales, basal and medial areas slightly darker. On both wings antemedial line faint; postmedial line dark brown; postmedial line on forewing slightly angled outwards between M1-M2. Underside of wings unicolorous, light to dark brown, postmedial line partially visible. Terminal line dark brown. Discal spot black, more prominent on hindwing.

In male genitalia ( figs 123, 124 ) uncus long, basally broad, medially curved, apically pointed. Gnathos strongly sclerotized, tongue-shaped. Saccus wide,anteriorly flat. Costa of valva strongly sclerotized, straight, apically broad and spinose, exceeding apex of valva. Ampulla superior broad, slightly curved, apically spinose; ampulla inferior narrow, half length of ampulla superior. Juxta anchor-shaped, stalk very thin, apical part extended. Aedeagus long and narrow (width-length ratio 1:11), cornutus one third length of aedeagus.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Diagnosis. The type locality of the new species is in Israel, where only N. amygdalaria is (co-)distributed, but due to their wing pattern and colour these species cannot be confused. The wing pattern and coloration of N. convergata sp. nov. overlaps with that of N. divergaria and N. eberti sp. nov. ( figs 52–85). Although the last two species are not yet reported from Israel, here we present a differential diagnosis for their male genitalia: In N. convergata sp. nov. costa of valva basally narrow, apically clubbed, exceeding apex of valva (costa of valva basally and apically narrow, digitiform, reaching slightly over apex of valva in N. eberti sp. nov.; costa of valva basally and apically wide, reaching apex of valva in N. divergaria ) (see figs 113–123 ). N. convergata sp. nov. with ampulla superior digitiform, twice as broad as ampulla inferior, both ampullae located at the centre of valva (ampulla superior twice as broad as ampulla inferior, both ampullae located in the distal half of valva in N. eberti sp. nov.; ampulla superior very long and broad, ampulla inferior highly variable, both ampullae located at the centre of valva in N. divergaria ) (see figs 113–123 ). N. convergata sp. nov. with long and narrow aedeagus; cornutus-aedeagus ratio 1/3 (aedeagus thick and strongly curved, cornutus-aedeagus ratio 2/ 3 in N. divergaria ; aedeagus thick and slightly curved, cornutus-aedeagus ratio 1/ 2 in N. eberti sp. nov.) (see figs 113–123 ).

Phenology. Univoltine late spring species. From May to early June.

Biology. Unknown.

Habitat. Montane. Dry rocky or stony slopes with scattered steppe vegetation. From 500 up to 2200 m (Mt. Hermon, upper cable station).

Distribution. So far only collected on Mt. Hermon and on Golan heights (map 1). The unclear record of ‘ Nychiodes (?) divergaria ’ in Wehrli (1934) for ‘Haifa’, may belong here, too, but the occurrence in the Carmel requires further confirmation.

DNA barcoding. Genetically homogeneous in the Levant (n=2 from Israel). Nearest species (minimum pairwise distances): N. eberti sp. nov. (3.3%) ( fig. 145 ).

Etymology. The name alludes to the species name of its sister species N. divergaria , and to the latin verb convergere = to agree with.

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 120-126. 120: Paratype of N. eberti sp. nov. (Turkey, g.prep 0464/2019 D. Wanke); 121: Uncus, lateral view, N. eberti sp. nov. (Turkey, Sulucaova, g.prep 0396/2019 D. Wanke); 122: Paratype of N. eberti sp. nov. (Turkey, Kötek, g.prep 0264/2019 D. Wanke); 123: Holotype of N. convergata sp. nov. (Israel, Mt. Hermon, g.prep. 463/2019 D. Wanke); 124: Uncus, lateral view, N. convergata sp. nov. (Israel, Mt. Hermon, g.prep. 463/2019 D. Wanke); 125: Paratype of N. mirzayansi sp. nov. (a: Iran, Kerman, g.prep. 0222/2019 D. Wanke; b: Iran, Kerman, 0315/2019 D. Wanke); 126: Uncus, lateral view, N. mirzayansi sp. nov. (Iran, Kerman, g.prep. 0419/2019 D. Wanke). a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURES 108-114. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 108: Paratype of N. leviata (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10926); 109: Uncus, lateral view, N. leviata (Iran, Isfahan, 0417/2019 D. Wanke); 110: N. agatcha syn. nov. of N. subvirida (Iran, Laristan, g.prep. 10922); 111: Paratype of N. subvirida (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10934); 112: Uncus, lateral view, N. subvirida (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 0415/2019 D. Wanke); 113: Holotype of N. variabila opulenta syn. nov. of N. divergaria (Iran, Baloutchistan, g.prep. 10928); 114: Holotype of N. variabila syn. nov. of N. divergaria (Iran, Fars, g.prep. 10930); a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scalebar 1 mm.

FIGURES 115-118. Male genitalia of Nychiodes species. 115: Syntype of N. divergaria achtyca syn. nov. of N. divergaria (Dagestan, Ackty, g.prep. 7272); 116: Uncus, lateral view, N. divergaria (Turkey, Hakkari, g.prep. 0395/2019 D. Wanke); 117: Lectotype (herewith designated) of N. divergaria (Turkey, Mardin, g.prep. 2106/2017 H. Rajaei); 118: Paralectotype (herewith designated) of N. divergaria (Turkey, Egin, g.prep. 2107/2017 H. Rajaei); a = genitalia capsule; b = aedeagus. Scale-bar 1 mm.

FIGURE 119. Variations in the genitalia capsule of N. divergaria. Differences occur in the shape of the costa of the valva, the shape of the ampulla superior and the presence versus absence of the ampulla inferior. Genitalia capsules sorted from no ampulla inferior (A) to a fully developed one (P). A: Iran, Kermanschah, g.prep. 0189/2018 D. Wanke; B: Iran, Rezaiyeh, g.prep. 0201/2018 D. Wanke; C: Iran, Azerbaijan, g.prep. 0204/2018 D. Wanke; D: g.prep. 0064/2018 D. Wanke; E: Iran, Azerbaijan-e Gharbi, g.prep. 0131/2018 D. Wanke; F: Iran, Miyan Kotal, g.prep. 0177/2018 D. Wanke; G: Turkey, Van, g.prep. 0258/2019 D. Wanke; H: Iran, prov. Kerman, g.prep. 0170/2018 D. Wanke; I: Turkey, Van, g.prep. 0257/2019 D. Wanke; J: Iran, Kendevan, g.prep. 0256/2019 D. Wanke; K: Iran, Mazandaran, g.prep. 2187/2018 H. Rajaei; L: Armenia, Yeghegnadzor suburbs, g.prep. 0375/2019 D. Wanke; M:Armenia,Yeghegnadzor suburbs, g.prep. 0376/2019 D. Wanke; N:Turkey, Malatya, g.prep. 0452/2019 D. Wanke; O: Turkey, Van, g.prep. 0062/2018 D. Wanke; P: Armenia, Yeghegnadzor suburbs, g.prep. 0374/2019 D. Wanke.