Athamanthia balucha balucha ( Howarth & Povolny, 1976 )

Krupitsky, Anatoly V., Pljushtch, Igor G. & Skrylnik, Yuriy Ye., 2017, Systematic position of two Athamanthia Zhdanko, 1983 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae) taxa from the Iranian Plateau, Zootaxa 4232 (4), pp. 575-581 : 576-578

Athamanthia balucha balucha ( Howarth & Povolny, 1976)

(Plate 1, figs. 1–4; plate 2, fig. 2)

Lycaena athamantis balucha — Howarth & Povolny 1976: 150.

Lycaena phoenicurus balucha Howarth & Povolny, 1976 — Nekrutenko 1984: 47. Athamanthia balucha ( Howarth & Povolny, 1976) — Bozano & Weidenhoffer 2001: 41.

Type locality. Baluchistan, Old Urak , 27.VI. [19]28 [ Pakistan, Balochistan Prov., 10 km NEE Quetta, Urak valley].

Material examined. Holotype ♂, Baluchistan, Old Urak , 27.VI.1928 (photo examined) ; paratypes: 1 ♀, same locality as in the holotype, 10.VI.1928 (photo examined) ; 1 ♂, Baluchistan: Urak , 26.V.1929 (photo and genitalia drawing from Nekrutenko (1984) examined), all W.H. Evans leg. ( BMNH) .

Diagnosis. Orange submarginal band of wings upperside strongly reduced in both sexes, only 2–3 spots developed near tornal lobe (band usually well developed in A. phoenicura ); thin silvery line extends from tornus midway along to outer margin (line poorly developed near tornal lobe in A. phoenicura ); inner black strokes of submarginal orange band of wings underside reduced on both wings (well developed in A. phoenicura ); valva widened, with rounded apex and developed inner fold (valva narrowed with indented apex and smaller inner fold in A. phoenicura ); aedeagus strongly curved, crescent (aedeagus slightly curved in A. phoenicura ).

PLATE 1. Athamanthia spp., imagoes: 1— A. balucha balucha ( Howarth & Povolny, 1976) , holotype, ♂, Baluchistan, Old Urak , 27.VI.1928 ( BMNH), photo from ( Bozano & Weidenhoffer 2001), upperside; 2— Id., underside; 3— A. b. balucha , paratype , ♀, same locality as in the holotype, 10.VI.1928 ( BMNH), photo from ( Bozano & Weidenhoffer 2001), upperside; 4— Id., underside; 5— A. b. povolnyi ( Howarth & Povolony, 1976) , comb. nov. , ♂, Central Afghanistan, Province Bamyan , Bamyan district, 4 km SE Sabzak vill., 34°51'48" N, 67°41'13" E, 2700 m, 09.VII.2013, I.G. Pljushtch leg. ( SIZK), upperside; 6— Id., underside; 7— A. b. povolnyi ( Howarth & Povolony, 1976) , comb. nov. , ♀, Central Afghanistan, Province Bamyan , Bamyan district, 4 km SE Sabzak vill., 34°51'48" N, 67°41'13" E, 2700 m, 09.VII.2013, I.G. Pljushtch leg., ( SIZK), upperside; 8— Id., underside; 9— A. b. athamantides (Eckweiler & ten Hagen, 2001) , comb. nov. , ♂, South Eastern Iran , Kerman Province, 20 km SE Makhan , 2450 m, 19.VI.2014, I.G. Pljushtch leg., gen. prep. AK0068 (AKM), upperside; 10— Id., underside; 11— A. b. povolnyi ( Howarth & Povolony, 1976) , comb. nov., holotype , ♂, East Afghanistan, Province Kabul, Sarobi , 12.IV. [19]65, leg. Povolny ( MMB), upperside; 12— Id., underside; 13— A. b. povolnyi ( Howarth & Povolony, 1976) , comb. nov., labels of the holotype ; 14— A. phoenicura ( Lederer, 1871) , ♂, Turkmenistan, W Kopet Dagh Mts., Aydere gorge, 13.VI.1985, A.L. Devyatkin leg. (AKM), upperside; 15— Id., underside; 16— A. phoenicura ( Lederer, 1871) , ♂, Turkmenistan, W Kopet Dagh Mts., Aydere gorge, 13.VI.1985, A.L. Devyatkin leg. (AKM), upperside; 17— Id., underside.

PLATE 2 . Athamanthia spp., male genitalia (genital capsule in ventral view, valvae in lateral view from inside, aedeagus in lateral view): 1— A. phoenicura ( Lederer, 1871) , Turkmenistan, W Kopet Dagh Mts. , Aydere gorge, 13.VI.1985, A.L. Devyatkin leg., gen. prep. AK0064 (AKM); 2— A. balucha balucha ( Howarth & Povolony, 1976) , paratype , Baluchistan: Urak , 26.V.1929, original illustration from Nekrutenko (1984); 3— A. balucha povolnyi ( Howarth and Povolony, 1976) , comb. nov. , Central Afghanistan, Province Bamyan , Bamyan district, 0.5 km SE Sabzak vill., 34°52'41" N, 67°39'14" E, 2790 m, 08– 09.VII.2013, Yu . Ye. Skrylnik leg., gen. prep. AK0067 (AKM); 4— A. balucha athamantides (Eckweiler & ten Hagen, 2001) , comb. nov., South Eastern Iran , Kerman Province, 20 km SE Makhan , 2450 m, 19.VI.2014, I .G. Pljushtch leg., gen. prep. AK0068 (AKM). Letters indicate on diagnostic characters (see Diagnosis part): a—shape of apex of valva; b—size of inner fold of valva; c—shape of aedeagus.