Amicta acutella Krüger, 1939

Arnscheid, Wilfried R., Rajaei, Hossein & Sobczyk, Thomas, 2021, A taxonomic review of the genus Amicta Heylaerts, 1881 in North Africa, Near and Middle East (Lepidoptera, Psychidae, Oiketicinae, Acanthopsychini), Zootaxa 5071 (3), pp. 349-368 : 365-366

Amicta acutella Krüger, 1939 stat. rev.

Fig. 17-B

Amicta acutella Krüger 1939: 329 , pl. 14, fig. 38. Type loc.: Libya, Bir Dufan, Wadi Sofeggin, (syntypes not available, Arnscheid & Sobczyk, 2020).

Description (after Krüger 1939: 329): “12 M(ales), in coll Mus. Libico. Origin: Bir Dufan, Wadi Sofeggin, end of September. Wingspan 20–23 mm. Head, Thorax and abdomen clear brown. Forewings monochrome, the hindwings darker. The antennae are darker, bipectinate and tapered near the tip. Rearside of the wings darker, monochrome. Acutella is similar to mauretanica , which I had collected after Graf Turati already in 1925 in Porto Bradia and which I have had assorted under Amicta murina in the catalogue of the Lepidoptera in Libya and from which she have now to be eliminated.“

Discussion. On the basis of the description and the figure this taxon is distinctly different by the characteristic unique wing-shape and, therefore, to all specimen examined by us. As Krüger told, he have collected 12 males (probably of unique shape) and, hence, it is very improbable that it is only an individual form of A. maliarda as de Freina (1989) mentioned. Moreover, Krüger knew A. maliarda at its best because he described it himself. Due to the wingspan it is somewhat slightly similar to A. mauretanica but conspecifity is not provable without dissection of the genitalia. The type locality is situated ca. 150 km south-east of Tripolis and ca. 20 km away from the Mediterranean coast. From our point of view A. acutella is most likely a separate species and in no way a synonym of A. maliarda . Unfortunately actual material was not available for this study and it is, therefore, not unlikely that further studies will show that A. acutella is a synonym of A. mauretanica .

Updated checklist of the genus Amicta with roughly distribution pattern (Countries of origin, where the type localities are located there are bolded):

Figures

FIGURES 2–18. Wing patterns. 2–3: Amicta murina (2: add country, add locality; 3: Holotype, Egypt (MfN)); 4: A. bouhedmaensis (Holotype Tunisia, Degache, (MWM); 5–7: A. maliarda (5: Algerie, südl. Biskra (MWM) (prep. 2294/2020, Rajaei); 6: Tunesien, Kasserine, Ri Chambi NP, (CTS) (prep. 123-2021 Sobczyk).; 7: Libya, Sinauen, (MWM) (prep. 2292/2020, Rajaei) 8–9: A. lutensis sp. nov. (8: Holotype Iran, Lut desert, 20 km N Bam, Shahrokh-Abad, N29°17’22.2” E59°05’27.8” (SMNS); 9: Paratype, same data as holotype; 10: A. chambiana sp. nov. (Holotype Tunisia, ca. 10 km W Kasserine, near Chambi NP); 11: A. mauretanica (Holotype, Algeria, Bou Saada (NHM); 12: A. arabica (Oman, N of Sur, near Fins, coast line, 15.xi.2017, N 22°53.630’, E 059°13.371); 13: A. quadrangularis (Turkmenistan, Krasnowodsk, Transcaspia, Krasnowodsk mys Sarta (MWM) (prep. 4126Arnscheid); 14–15: A. nigrescens (14: Syntype [labeled as Origin by Staudinger], Caucasus, Ordubat; 15: Afghanistan, Kabul (MWM); 16: A. sericata (Iran, Ghatrouyeh, Neyriz, 1580 m, Fars Provinz, 54°42’E, 29°08’N); 17-A: A. davarica (Holotype Iran, Hormozgan prov., Beshagerd Mts. Davari vil., 26°27’ N 57°38’E, 06.-11.04.2000); 17-B: A. acutella (Krüger, 1939: pl. 14). a, upperside; b, underside. Scale-bar 1 cm.