Lerautia bifasciata ( Rambur, 1832 )

Macià, Ramon, Mally, Richard, Ylla, Josep, Gastón, Javier & Huertas, Manuel, 2019, Integrative revision of the Iberian species of Coscinia Hübner, [1819] sensu lato and Spiris Hübner, [1819], (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Arctiinae), Zootaxa 4615 (3), pp. 401-449 : 428-430

Lerautia bifasciata ( Rambur, 1832) comb. rev.

Original combination: Lithosia bifasciata Rambur, 1832 . Annales de la Société Entomologique de France (1) 1, 270.

LT. Corsica ( France).

= Euprepia cribraria bifasciata Rothschild, 1910 .

Material studied. 1♂ Sardegna ( Italy), R. Macià col. ; 2♂♂ Marina di Arbus , Sardegna ( Italy), 50 m, 29.VII.1981, R. Macià col. ; 1♂, 1♀ Lecci , ( France), 12.VI.2004, Longin leg. ; 1♂, 1♀ Foret Altone , Evisa, Corsica ( France), 1200 m, 12.VII.2002, R. Macià & J. Ylla leg. ; 3♂♂ Piana , Arone, Corsica ( France), 220 m, 10.VIII.2002, Choimet leg. ; 2♂♂ La Piana, Corsica ( France), 21.VIII.2002, Choimet leg.

Diagnosis. Lerautia bifasciata has a certain resemblance to Coscinia mariarosae and C. cribraria , from which it differs in the forewing pattern by the absence of the median strip and presence of a very marked line on the inner margin.

Description. Imago ( Figs 27–28 ). Average wingspan 30.53 mm (n = 15; 25–35 mm). Head and thorax large, eyes large, palps relatively long and proboscis functional, moderately long. Antenna of male medium-long bipectinate that of female filiform, thorax and abdomen covered with uniform scales. Foreleg tibia with a long and thin spur, forewings long, narrow, tip acute; hindwings broad, with a slightly concave outer margin. Females slightly larger and of a paler colour.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 39 ). Uncus tubular with the form of a mace or spatula; valvae rectangular, elongated, with a pointed and rounded cucullus and a large upper process topped with a rounded tip that gives the valva the resemblance of a hump; saccus rounded, transtilla densely spiny. Aedeagus with pointed and rounded coecum, and at the other end a peculiar bulbous shape, filled with a considerable number of medium sized cornuti, highly sclerotized. Female genitalia. Lamella antevaginalis highly sclerotized, broadly rectangular; ductus bursae membranous, short and wide; bursa medially constricted, but without spiral crown (as in Coscinia ); bursa with two visible signa.

Immature stages. Not studied.

Molecular data. The two genetically investigated specimens differ by 3.24% from each other. The two specimens were collected on different islands, one on Corsica (ZMBN Lep489) and the other on Sardinia (ZMBN Lep503). The closest uncorrected p-distance is 7.34% to a specimen of C. chrysocephala . Sequencing of the nuclear wingless gene was not successful, most likely because of the age of the specimens (13–15 years).

Lerautia bifasciata is strongly supported (1.00 PP, 100% BS) and sister to an unsupported clade containing all other genetically investigated species.

Biology. Bivoltine, flying from May to August. The two sexes are nocturnal and are attracted to artificial light. The species prefers karstic areas at intermediate to high altitudes. The larvae are polyphagous on a wide variety of plant species ( Witt & Ronkay 2011).

Distribution ( Fig. 61 ). Endemic to the islands of Corsica and Sardinia.

Figures

FIGURE 39. L. bifasciata, male and female genitalia, gen. prep. 5795JG m. Lecci, Corce, (France), 5794JG f. Lecci, Corce, (France).

FIGURE 61. Distribution map of L. bifasciata.

FIGURES 19–28. 19. S. striata, male, Paterna del Madera, Albacete, (Spain) (coll. RMV); 20. S. striata, female, El Cerro, Gredilla la Polera, Burgos, (Spain) (coll. RMV); 21. S striata f. melanoptera, male, Loma del Rey, Quintanilla Sobresierra, Burgos, (Spain) (coll. RMV); 22. El Cerro, Gredilla la Polera, Burgos, (Spain) (coll. RMV); 23. S. slovenica, male, Crni Kal, Petrinje, (Slovenia) (coll. RMV); 24. S. slovenica, female, Crni Kal, Petrinje, (Slovenia) (coll. RMV); 25. S. Slovenica f. melanoptera, male, Goriski Kras, Kostanjevica, (Slovenia) (coll. RMV); 26. S. Slovenica f. melanoptera, female, Goriski Kras, Kostanjevica, (Slovenia) (coll. RMV); 27. L. bifasciata, male, Val d´Ese, Corse, (France) (coll. RMV); 28. L. bifasciata, female, Costa Smeralda, Sardinia, (Italy) (coll. RMV).