Lithostege parva, Shchetkin

Sh, Hossein Rajaei, Stüning, Dieter & Viidalepp, Jaan, 2011, A review of the species of Lithostege Hübner, [1825] 1816 (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae), occurring in Iran and adjacent countries, with description of two new species from Iran and Pakistan, Zootaxa 3105, pp. 1-46 : 16

L. parva Shchetkin

( Figs. 19 , 46 , 69 ; Map 4)

Lithostege parva Shchetkin, 1965b: 39 , fig. 1. Holotype 3, ZISP (examined); paratypes 2 3, 1 Ƥ ZFMK (examined). Type locality: Tajikistan: Pjandzh Distr., Vaksh valley, Ak-Bash-Adyry hills. Paratypes from Vaksh valley; Parhar District, Kyzyl-Su valley; Dushanbe; Uzbekistan: Samarkand; Turkmenistan: Askhabad, Germob, Bairam-Ali. Lithostege parva: Viidalepp, 1996: 47 ; Parsons et al., 1999: 547.

Material examined. Type material: Holotype 3: ‘ Tadjikistan, Vakhsh valley, bei Djilikul, 350 m, 7.IV.1953 ’, ‘ Holotypus Lithostege parva Stshetkin’, ‘ex. Coll. Zool. Inst. Acad. Sci. St. Petersburg, Russia’ in ZISP; paratypes 2 3, 1 Ƥ: Tadj [ikistan], Wachsch-Tal, bei Djilikul, 350 m, (paratype 3) 24.III. [19]49, (Ƥ) 14.IV. [19]49, (3) 26.III. [19]49, [ Lithostege pumilata ] Paratypus, Zucker-Präp. [3] Umgebettet, Stün. 107, preps (3) 1614, (Ƥ) 1615/ 2011 H. R.; in ZFMK. Additional material: 7 3, 3 Ƥ: 1 3: Tadj [ikistan], bei Duschanbe, 750 m, 18.VII. [19]63; 1 3: same data, 18.03.[19]62; 1 Ƥ: Tadj [ikistan], Tabaktschi-Geb. Bei Kalininabad, 450 m, 6.03.[19]78;1 Ƥ: Samarkand, Pumila, Lithostege parva Shchetk. det. J. Viidalepp, 1994; all in ZFMK. 2 3: Turkmenistan, Kopet-Dagh Mt. 17 km SW from Ashkhabad, Nissa, 300 m, 26.III.1993, No. L77, 58 °07'E, 37°59'N, leg. M. Hreblay, Gy. Laszlo, A. Podlussany, gen. prep. 1020/2010 and 1021/2010 H. R.; both in ZSM. 1 3: [ Uzbekistan] Ayakguzhumdy 40 km O Djin [gildy], Kyzylkum, 10.07.[1]965, Pastukhov leg.; in IZBE. 3/Ƥ: Turkmenistan: Askhabat, Repetek, Badkhyz; in IZAT. Preparations of genitalia: 4 3, 1 Ƥ.

Description & Diagnosis. Wingspan 19.5– 24 mm. Forewing brownish grey with indistinct brownish bands and lines from costa to hind margin, parallel to the distal margin of wing. Only the postmedial line is relatively distinct, brownish, accentuated darker at veins ( Fig. 19 ). Male genitalia ( Fig. 46 ) characterized by the extremely broad and stout uncus and the valve costa ending in a short, pointed projection. Harpe reduced to a dentate, sclerotised band in the middle of the valve, the long dorsal projection spinose in distal half, reaching more than one-half the length of valve; juxta deeply V-shaped grooved. Saccus short, rounded. Aedeagus slightly curved, coecum inflated. Female genitalia ( Fig. 69 ) with apophyses posteriores about three times longer than ap. anteriores; sclerotised antrum absent, ductus bursae and corpus bursae membranous, with membranous anterior diverticulum ( Fig. 69 ). A species similar in shape and coloration is L. luminosata , which is a little larger, and lighter, especially in the hindwings, and lacks the darker transverse lines on the forewing upperside. It differs also in the finger-shaped uncus, the larger, triangular saccus, and the much stronger ornamentation of the valve.

Bionomics. Moths possibly bivoltine, occurring in March-April and July. Probably associated with Malcolmia turkestanica (Cruciferae) , growing on sands in the desert ( Shchetkin, 1965b).

Additional data on distribution based on literature sources. Shchetkin (1965b): Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan. Falkovitsh (1986): Uzbekistan.

Distribution. SE Turkmenistan, S Uzbekistan and SW Tajikistan (Map 4).

Figures

FIGURES 16 – 21. Adult moths of Lithostege Hübner (left column, a: upperside, right column, b: underside). 16. L. notata (3, Sarkhoun, SW Iran); 17. L. fissurata fissurata (Ƥ, Roche de Sel, Algier); 18. L. fissurata inanis (Ƥ, Baluchistan, E Iran); 19. L. parva (3, Kopet-Dagh, Turkmenistan); 20. L. turkmenica (3, Karakum desert, Uzbekistan); 21. L. farinata (Ƥ, Sarepta, Russia). Scale bar: 10 mm.

FIGURES 45 – 47. Lithostege Hübner: Male genitalia & details of abdominal integument. 45. L. fissurata fissurata (gen. prep. 1608 H. R.; El Mesrane, Algeria), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, c: 8 th tergite (left margin curved); 46. L. parva (gen. prep. 1021 H. R.; Kopet-Dagh, Turkmenistan), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view; 47. L. farinata (gen. prep. 1054 H. R.; Hamburg, Germany), a: genital capsule, b: aedeagus, lateral view, c: 8 th tergite. Scale bar: 1 mm.

FIGURES 66 – 71. Lithostege Hübner: Female genitalia & details of abdominal integument. 66. L. samandooki sp. nov. (gen. prep. 1076 H. R.; type locality, S Iran); 67. L. senata (gen. prep. 8611 H. R.; Uzboi, Turkmenistan); 68. L. fissurata inanis (gen. prep. 1012 H. R.; Baluchistan, E Iran), a: genital organ, b: 7 th tergite, dorsal view; 69. L. parva (gen. prep. 1615 H. R.; Wachsch- Tal, Tajiikistan), a: genital organ, b: terminal segments of abdomen, lateral view; 70. L. turkmenica (gen. prep. 7649 J. V.; Uzbekistan, Karakum desert); 71. L. coassata (gen. prep. 1043 H. R., Gonbad, N Iran). Scale bar: 1 mm.