Agriopis ronkayorum László, 2023

László, Gyula M. & Volynkin, Anton V., 2023, A new species of Agriopis Hübner from the Kopet Dagh Mountains with notes on the distribution of Agriopis budashkini Kostjuk (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae), Ecologica Montenegrina 69, pp. 45-53 : 47-48

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.37828/em.2023.69.5

publication LSID

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:36B3D9A7-22C4-42AC-8CBE-C5A206501B7A

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/6EBAC242-3E8B-4465-A3ED-6B5D5EA0AFF9

taxon LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:act:6EBAC242-3E8B-4465-A3ED-6B5D5EA0AFF9

treatment provided by

Felipe

scientific name

Agriopis ronkayorum László
status

sp. nov.

Agriopis ronkayorum László sp. n.

https://zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6EBAC242-3E8B-4465-A3ED-6B5D5EA0AFF9

( Figs 1–2 View Figures 1–6 , 7–9 View Figures 7–12 , 13–15 View Figures 13–21 )

Holotype. Male , “USSR, Türkmenia, Kopet-Dagh Mts., 15 km SE of Nochur, 1300-1400 m, 57°09’E, 38°21”N, 13- 14.11.1991, No. L49 leg. M. Hreblay & G. Ronkay ”, gen. slide No.: LG 133 ( RCGL, to be deposited later in public collection).

Paratypes. Turkmenistan. 3 males, with the same data as the holotype, gen. slide Nos: LG 132, LG 134, LG 135 ( RCGL) ; 1 male, Kopet Dagh Mts, Sumber river valley, Uzinkokaj village 18–20.XI.1995 ; 1 male, Garrygala env., 15–30.X.1995 ; 1 male, same locality, 15–30.XI.1994, leg. Miatleuski ( ZSM) . Iran. 1 male, Khorasan Province, Kopet Dagh Mts , 80 km NE Quchan, 1900 m, 37°28”N, 58°34’E, 30.X.2000, leg. B. Benedek & Gy. Fábián, gen. slide No.: LG 1745 ( RCGL) .

Diagnosis.

Agriopis ronkayorum sp. n. is reminiscent of A. aurantiaria , but distinguished by the noticeably shorter, less elongate and apically less pointed forewing, the uniformly pale brownish ground colour densely speckled with small groups of brownish scales, the less contrasting ante- and postmedial lines and the much more diffuse or absent subterminal blotches. In the male genitalia, the new species has a considerably smaller genital capsule with a markedly shorter and basally broader valva, a basally wider juxta with noticeably longer distal arms and a deeper, and much wider medial notch between the juxta arms, in addition, a slightly shorter vinculum compared to those characters of A. autantiaria . The aedeagus of the new species is considerably shorter, ca. two-thirds the length of that of A. aurantiaria and the cornutus of the vesica in A. ronkayorum is more curved in its distal half than in its congener. Compared to A. budashkini , both species share a brownish speckled ground colour with the forewing of the new species being markedly shorter and apically more rounded. In the male genitalia, the new species has a shorter and basally broader valva, and a considerably wider juxta possessing well-developed distal arms divided by a wide medial notch, whereas the distal projections of the juxta of A. budashkini are very short with a shallow, gently concave medial depression between the arms. The aedeagus of the new species is somewhat shorter, ca. four-fifths the length of that of A. budashkini and the cornutus vesicae of A. ronkayorum is shorter and stouter than in its congener.

Description.

Adult. Male ( Figs 1–2 View Figures 1–6 ). Length of forewing 17–20 mm. Antenna bipectinate-fasciculate with two rows of 10–12 relatively long, fine ciliae on each ramus; ramus length markedly shorter in the basal and apical quarters of antenna, length of rami five times the diameter of flagellum in medial section, apical four segments filiform. Flagellum covered dorsally with pale yellowish brown scales. Head relatively large with spherical compound eyes; proboscis present but rather short; labial palps short and narrow, pale yellow, slightly curved dorsad. Frons relatively broad, inverse-trapezoidal, flat, covered in short, dense, greyish brown piliform scales; vertex pale yellow to greyish brown, noticeably paler than frons. Collar (patagia) covered in long, pale yellow to greyish brown piliform scales; tegula somewhat lighter than collar. Metathorax colour as of tegulae, ventral side covered in long and dense piliform scales. Legs rather long, pale yellow, inner surface brownish; index of spurs 0-2-4. Forewing short and broad, triangular, costal margin almost straight, apex rounded, termen and ventral margin slightly convex. Fovea weakly developed. Ground colour pale yellowish to greyish brown with fine rusty irroration. Basal line absent, subbasal line barely discernible, almost straight, antemedial line diffuse or absent, fuscous, moderately thick, very slightly arched. Medial line absent; discal spot diffuse, dash-like, perpendicular to costal margin; postmedial line relatively thick, diffuse, shadow-like, straight in ventral half, then gently S-shaped; subterminal line absent; terminal line represented by a few small dark brown dots. Fringe short, colour as of forewing. Underside ground colour as of upperside, with somewhat darker traces of wing pattern, especially discal spot more sharply defined. Hindwing broad, dorsal margin gently arched, apex broadly rounded, termen evenly arcuate, anal margin almost straight. Ground colour pale ochreous, lighter than forewing with very sparse, fine brownish irroration towards termen. Antemedial line straight, pale greyish brown, diffuse shadow-like or absent; discal spot present, short dash-like, pale greyish brown; postmedial line shadow-like, pale greyish brown, dorsal third straight, then sharply curved inwards, anal third gently arched outwards. Subterminal line absent, terminal line represented by few small blackish dots. Cilia moderately long, colour as of hindwing. Underside of hindwing similar to upperside, but paler, with more sharply defined discal spot and transverse lines.

Male genitalia ( Figs 7–9 View Figures 7–12 , 13–15 View Figures 13–21 ). Uncus short, ca. one-third the length of valva, triangular with almost straight margins, apically truncate with two short apical teeth. Gnathos with very narrow lateral arms, fused into distally convex, proximally concave medial plate. Tegumen short, ca. 20% longer than uncus, rather broad with gently convex lateral and very widely opened inverse V-shaped proximal margin. Juxta broad at base with two stout and long arms directed distad, apically armed with acute, heavily sclerotised spines; notch between arms deep and wide. Vinculum short and broad, saccus very short, broadly rounded. Valva relatively short, as long as distance between uncus tip and proximal margin of saccus, basally broad, apically gradually tapered; costal marging broadly sclerotised with a longitudinal heavily sclerotised ridge bearing sparse long setae; valva apex produced into robust, acute apical spine; ventral valva margin membranous, gently convex in basal half, slighly concave postmedially and convex distally, bearing sparse long setae. Sacculus narrow, without processi. Aedeagus relatively short, ca. 20% longer than valva, straight, slightly dilated distally; vesica short, tubular, proximally with stout, distally tapered, postmedially curved, acute cornutus, distally with very weak scobination.

Female unknown.

Etymology. This new species is dedicated to László and Gábor Ronkay, prominent Hungarian noctuidologists, organisers of the Hungarian lepidopterological expeditions to Turkmenistan in the early nineties of the last century. Gábor is one of the collectors of the holotype and part of the paratypes which specimens have been kindly donated by him to the first author.

Distribution. Agriopis ronkayorum is an allopatric vicariant of the widespread western Palaearctic A. aurantiaria and only known to date from the Kopet Dagh Mountains where it has been recorded from the northern, as well as the southern side of the mountain chain. Based on the configuration of the juxta, the new species shows closer affinities to A. aurantiaria rather than to A. budashkini . The geographically closest A. aurantiaria records are known from the Transcaucasia ( Armenia and Georgia ( Müller et al. 2019)), nevertheless these records may well refer to A. budashkini and are in need of confirmation through genitalia dissections. All confirmed records from south of Armenia are known from Turkey and all proved to belong to A. budashkini . Thus, A. ronkayorum in the Kopet Dagh seems to be widely isolated from A. aurantiaria with their areas divided by A. budashkini .

Comparative material examined during the study

ZSM

Bavarian State Collection of Zoology

Kingdom

Animalia

Phylum

Arthropoda

Class

Insecta

Order

Lepidoptera

Family

Geometridae

Genus

Agriopis

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