Stygioides persephone ( Reisser, 1962 )

Lingenhöle, Arthur, Friedrich, Egbert & Yakovlev, Roman V., 2017, Description of male of the rarest European Carpenter-moth Stygioides persephone (Reisser, 1962) (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), Zootaxa 4363 (4), pp. 597-600 : 597-600

Stygioides persephone ( Reisser, 1962) ( Figs 1−5 )

Material examined. Holotype, ♀, O. Kreta, Wurwulitis, Ep. Kaenurgion, nördl. d. Messará [35°02´N; 24°50´E], 22.v.1925, A. Schulz (Museum fur Naturkunde, Leibniz Institut für Evolution und Biodiversitatsforschung , Berlin, Germany) . 1 ♂, Greece, Ost-Kreta, Chersonissos [35°19´N; 25°23´E], 16.v.1996, E. Friedrich (coll. E. Friedrich, Jena) ; 15 ♂, 1 ♀, Süd Kreta, Prov. Rethimnon, 20 km n. Agia Galini, Kouroutes [35°11´N; 24°43´E], 600 m, 20−22.v.2000, leg. Lingenhöle (coll. A. Lingenhöle, Biberach) ; 1 ♀, Süd Kreta, Asterousia Gebirge, N 34°58´01 E 25°01´49, 800 m, leg. Lingenhöle (coll. A. Lingenhöle, Biberach) .

Description of male. Wingspan 11.5 mm. Antenna bipectinate, length of comb processes in median ⅓ of flagellum 1.5 of rod diameter. Thorax and abdomen densely covered with brown scales. Fore wing narrow, apex somewhat tapered, wing translucent yet not transparent, with a spray of brown scales, without pattern, costal and outer edge of wing dark brown. Hind wing brown without pattern. Fringe on both wings brown, unicolorous.

Male genitalia. Uncus with rounded apex; tegumen of medium size; gnathos arms thin, of medium length, fused by membrane; valva narrow, with membranous distal end, distinct border between sclerotized (proximal) and membranous (distal) parts, on costal margin flattened process with slightly serrated edge; transtilla process with small uncinately bent apex; juxta tiny, with two leaf-like lateral processes diluted at angle of 120°; saccus tiny, semicircular. Phallus 1/5 shorter than valva, curved in proximal third, apex strongly narrowed, vesica aperture equal to ⅓ of phallus length, vesica without cornuti.

Bionomics. Adults are active in May. Males were collected approximately at noon attracted to pheromone trap (BASF – black belt) placed at 2−3 m. Females were found sitting on plants.

Taxonomic position. The external characters of the males (very small size, the translucent wings without pattern),

the male genital structure (membranous gnathos), and behaviour (daytime activity,) support the status of this species as a

member of the genus Stygioides Bruand, 1853 .

Diagnosis. Stygioides persephone can readily be distinguished from other Stygioides species by the following

features:

- in males of S. colchica colchica (Herrich-Schäffer, 1851) (type locality Amasia), S. colchica dercetis (Grum- Grshimailo, 1900) (type locality Valle fl. Arnon (Wadi-el-Modshib, Moabia) [Wadi al Madjib River, Jordan]), S. nupponenorum Yakovlev & Saldaitis, 2011 (type locality Turkey, Anatolia, 20 km W. Antalya), S. aethiops (Staudinger, 1887) (type locality Namangan; Margelan) and S. psyche (Grum-Grshimailo, 1893) (type locality desertis Kyzyl-kum dictis, ad puteum Sarbi-kuduk) the wings are semi-transparent (in S. persephone the wings are not transparent, densely covered with brown scales);

- in S. colchica the process on costal edge of valva is 2× larger than in S. persephone ;

- in S. nupponenorum the phallus is curved in median ⅓, in S. persephone it is bent in the proximal third;

- in S. ivinskisi Saldaitis & Yakovlev, 2007 (type locality Lebanon W., Tanourine env.) the fore wing is wide and short; border between sclerotized (proximal) and membranous (distal) parts is indistinct; in S. persephone this border is distinct;

- in S. psyche the phallus is straight and thick, in S. persephone it is thin and strongly bent in the proximal third;

- in S. aethiops the thorax and abdomen are covered with pale grey scales, in S. persephone with brown scales;

- in all other species of Stygioides the antennae comb processes of males are 1.5–3.0 × longer than the antennae rod diameter, in S. persephone they are shorter, equal to the antennae rod diameter.

Figures

FIGURES1−9. Adult specimens ofStygioides:1. S.persephone, ♂, Greece, Ost-Kreta,Chersonissos[35°19´N; 25°23´E],16.v.1996, E. Friedrich (coll. E. Friedrich, Jena); 2. S. persephone, ♀, holotype (Museum fur Naturkunde, Leibniz Institut für Evolution und Biodiversitatsforschung, Berlin, Germany); 3. S. persephone, ♀, Süd Kreta, Prov. Rethimnon, 20 km n. Agia Galini, Kouroutes [35°11´N; 24°43´E], 600 m, 20−22.v.2000, leg. Lingenhöle (coll. A. Lingenhöle, Biberach); 4. S. colchica colchica, ♂, Iran, Elbursgebirge, Keredi, 1400 m, 18.iv.1936 (Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm); 5. S. colchica dercetis, ♂, Lebanon, Aarab ei Laqlouq vill. env., 1640 m, 24−31.v.2006, leg. Kriuger & Saldaitis (Museum Witt, Munich); 6. S. nupponenorum, ♂, holotype (Museum Witt,Munich);7.S.psyche,cotype(NaturalHistory Museum,London);8.S.ivinskisi, ♂, holotype(Museum Witt,Munich); 9. S. colchica colchica, ♀, Iran,Elbursgebirge, Keredi, 1400m, 18.iv.1936(Naturhistoriska Riksmuseet, Stockholm).