Athamanthia transcaucasica ( Miller, 1923 ) Krupitsky, 2017

Krupitsky, Anatoly V., 2017, Taxonomic status of Chrysophanus phoenicurus transcaucasicus Miller, 1923 (Lepidoptera, Lycaenidae), with the designation of a neotype, Zootaxa 4350 (3) : -

Athamanthia transcaucasica ( Miller, 1923) , stat. nov.

( Plate 1 , figs. 1–5; plate 2 , fig. 1)

Chrysophanus phoenicurus transcaucasicus — Miller 1923: 98. Type locality: “… Кагызманского округа Карской области … ущ. р. Тдки” [= Turkey, Kars Prov., Kagyzman env., Tadanka river gorge]. Holotype: ♂, lost. = Lycaena melicertes — Nekrutenko 1985: 29, plate 1, figs. 1a–b. Type locality: “Нахичеванская АССР, долина р. Аракс у с. Неграм, 29.05.1982 ” [= Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Aras river valley, Nehram env., 29.V.1982]. Holotype: ♂ (ZISP).

Material examined. Neotype (designated herein): 1 ♂, with labels: “Türkei/Kars / Akçay / 1500–1700 m / 22.7.77 / leg. Eckweiler” [= Turkey, Kars province, 6 km E Kagyzman, Akçay village , 1500–1700 m, 22.VII.1997, leg. Eckweiler] ; “ Neotype / Athamanthia transcaucasica ( Miller, 1923) / Krupitsky A.V. des., 2017” ( ZMMU) ; 1 ♀, same locality as neotype, 22–28.VII.1976, leg. Eckweiler ( ZMMU) ; 1 ♂, Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Nehram env., 29.V.1982 (holotype of Lycaena melicertes ) ( ZISP) .

Additional material. Photos from Hesselbarth et al. (1995b: 321, 323): 3 ♂, 1 ♀, same locality as neotype, 17– 19.VII.1983, leg. et ex coll. Eckweiler ; 1 ♀, same locality as neotype, 22–28.VII.1976, leg. et ex coll. Eckweiler ; 1 ♀, same data ( ITZA) .

Description. Male. Head white, frons black with white hairs. Second joint of palpus white inside, black outside, third segment black. Antenna black, white-ringed with black club. Thorax and abdomen dark-brown dorsally, white ventrally. Legs white.

Upperside of wings brown. Forewing with weak violaceous suffusion extending from base to postdiscal region, and large dark-brown spot at discoidal vein; submarginal region without spots. Middle part of hindwing with weak violaceous suffusion extended from base to postdiscal region. Hindwing with non-contrasted dark submarginal spots, usually with poorly developed orange submarginal pattern, whitish suffusion along edge of tornal region, and short tail with white tip. Outer margin of both wings with black edge.

Underside of wings contrasted, grey, with pattern of large black dots surrounded by white scales. Postdiscal pattern of both wings consisting of usually contrasted whitish strokes; submarginal orange band well-developed on both wings, rather broad, broader on forewing; inner margin of orange band with strong black suffusion. Subcostal region with large black spots surrounded by white scales, on forewing only internally. Outer margin of both wings dark. Fringe consisting of brownish-grey hairs with admixture of white hairs and dark hairs near veins. Forewing length 13.0 mm in neotype, 12.5–14.5 mm in other specimens.

Male genitalia. Uncus well-developed, prominent. Falx long, thin, pointed, with tip slightly curved upwards. Saccus short, stout, triangular. Flattened lobe of juxta large, triangular. Valva thick, long, with extended distal part, broadly rounded apex, and large inner fold. Aedeagus long, crescent, gradually pointed to tip, with small crescent pointed cornutus.

Female. Similar to male, but lacking violet suffusion, and orange pattern also developed on forewing. Forewing length 13.5–14.5 mm.

Individual variation. Orange submarginal pattern on upperside of hindwing in males varying from completely absent to fully developed (as in the holotype of L. melicertes ), usually weak.

Diagnosis. Taking in consideration differences in the male genitalia structure compared with the other Athamanthia species, and applying the biological species concept ( Mayr 1963), transcaucasica is treated as a different species. The most closely related species to A. transcaucasica is allopatric A. phoenicurus . Poorly developed orange pattern and narrowed violaceous area on wings upperside, absence of orange band on male forewing, contrasted underside with greyish ground and developed white elements, extended uncus, large triangle juxta, stout saccus, thick valva with rounded apex, and crescent aedeagus with pointed crescent cornutus clearly distinguish A. transcaucasica from A. phoenicurus discussed and illustrated recently ( Krupitsky et al. 2017). It is worth noting that characters of the male genitalia of A. transcaucasica , namely the shape of the valva and aedeagus, are somewhat closer to those of A. balucha ( Howarth, 1976) —a geographically distant species examined recently ( Krupitsky et al. 2017). Thus, the three mentioned close allopatric species form the morphologically and geographically distinct A. phoenicurus species group. A key to the identification of species of the group is presented below.

Notes. Here I correct an error made in a previous paper on the A. phoenicurus species group ( Krupitsky et al. 2017): authorship of A. balucha and its subspecies povolnyi should be credited to Howarth alone, not to Howarth and Povolny as widely stated previously ( Nekrutenko 1984; Bozano & Weidenhoffer 2001). It follows from the first part of the series by Howarth & Povolny (1973: 132) where it is stated that “T.G. Howarth assumed responsibility for the taxonomic part of this paper and is the sole author of all newly described taxa”. Thus, the correct authorship of the taxa in question is A. b. balucha ( Howarth, 1976) and A. b. povolnyi ( Howarth, 1976).

Study of the holotype of Lycaena melicertes deposited in ZISP has revealed an error in the original description: the specimen depicted as “the holotype ” ( Nekrutenko 1985: 30, figs. 1a–b) is a paratype. For the holotype photo see Plate 1 , figs. 4–5.

Distribution and biology. Being an endemic to the eastern Armenian Highland, A. transcaucasica inhabits mountains of eastern Turkey (provinces Kars and Ağrı), Azerbaijan (Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic), southern Armenia, and northwestern Iran (provinces West Azerbaijan, East Azerbaijan, Ardabil, Gilan) ( Hesselbarth et al. 1995a; Tshikolovets & Nekrutenko 2012; Tshikolovets et al. 2014), in contrast to A. phoenicurus , which inhabits the northern and northeastern Iranian Highland, and A. balucha , inhabiting the central and eastern Iranian Highland ( Krupitsky et al. 2017). Adults of A. transcaucasica prefer dry mountain slopes at altitude of 1000–1700 m. Flight period is from the end of May to the end of July, depending on the locality and elevation. The most probable hostplant of A. transcaucasica is widely distributed Atraphaxis spinosa (Polygonaceae) , which is known as the hostplant of A. phoenicurus ( Zhdanko 2000) .

Figures

PLATE 1. Athamanthia transcaucasica (Miller, 1923), stat. nov., imagines: 1 — neotype, ♂, Turkey, Kars prov., 6 km E Kagyzman, Akçay vill., 1500 – 1700 m, 22. VII. 1977, leg. Eckweiler (ZMMU); 2 — ♀, same locality as in the neotype, 22 – 28. VII. 1976, leg. Eckweiler (AKM); 3 — label of the neotype; 4 — ♂, Azerbaijan, Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, vic. of Nehram, 29. V. 1982 (holotype of Lycaena melicertes Nekrutenko, 1985) (ZISP); 5 — labels of the holotype of Lycaena melicertes.

PLATE 2. Athamanthia spp., male genitalia, lateral view: 1 — A. transcaucasica (Miller, 1923), stat. nov., neotype (ZMMU); 2 — A. phoenicurus (Lederer, 1870), Turkmenistan, W Kopet Dagh Mts., Aydere gorge, 13. VI. 1985, A. L. Devyatkin leg. (AKM). Letters indicate on diagnostic characters (see Diagnosis part): a—shape of uncus; b—shape of distal end of valva; c—shape of aedeagus; dshape and size of conutus.