Nychiodes ragusaria Milliere (1884)

Latella, Ilaria, Scalercio, Stefano & Hausmann, Axel, 2024, Distribution and taxonomy of two closely related Nychiodes species in southern Italy (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae), Nota Lepidopterologica 47, pp. 93-104 : 93

Nychiodes ragusaria Milliere (1884)

Nychiodes lividaria var. ragusaria Millière (1884): Naturalista sicil. 3 (7), (Italy: Sicily, Castelbuono). Neotype ♂ (ZFMK, designated by Fazekas (1997).

Nychiodes bellieraria Ragusa (1884): Naturalista sicil. 3 (12), (Italy: Sicily, Castelbuono). Junior synonym of N. ragusaria proposed by Fazekas (1997), confirmed by Flamigni et al. (2007).

Material examined.

Italy: Calabria: ♂, Purgatorio, S.B. Ullano (CS) 845 m 28 vi 2016, 39.3983°N, 16.1046°E, leg. Scalercio & Infusino, Lep-SS-00773 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Sciortaglie-Alessandria d.C. (CS) 1.246 m 19 vii 2017, 39.9313°N, 16.3508°E, leg. Scalercio & Infusino, LEP-SS-00771 (CREA-FL) ; ♀, Dif. Privitera-Alessandria d.C. (CS) 1314 m, 19 vii 2017, 39.9269°N, 16.3563°E, leg. Scalercio & Infusino, LEP-SS-00770 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, II Palmento, S.S. Bruno (VV) 840 m, 13 vii 2015, 38.5625°N, 16.3140°E, leg. Scalercio & Infusino, LEP-SS-01058 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Sila, Vivaio Sbanditi (CS) 1350 m, 24 vii 2014, 39.2320°N, 16.3608°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01057 (CREA-FL) ; ♀, Tappaiolo-Alessandria d.C. (CS) 1253 m, 19 vii 2017, 39.9358°N, 16.3471°E, leg. Scalercio e Infusino, LEP-SS-00774 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Colle Macchie, Pedace (CS) 1440 m, 17 vii 2015, 39.2589°N, 16.5272°E, leg. Scalercio & Infusino, LEP-SS-00775 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Fago del Soldato, Spezzano Sila (CS) 1402 m, 6 vii 2018, 39.356922°N, 16.407934°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01053 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Fiego di San Fili (CS) 740 m, 22 vii 2015, 39.3288°N, 16.1286°E, leg. Scalercio & Infusino, LEP-SS-01054 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, C. da S. Cenere, Soveria-Simeri (CZ) 86 m, 25 vi 2020, 38.9259°N, 16.6729°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01066 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, C. da S. Cenere, Soveria-Simeri (CZ) 86 m, 01 x 2019, 38.9259°N, 16.6729° E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01056 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Cda Licari, Marcellinara (CZ) 195 m, 10 vi 2019, 38.9180°N, 16.4961°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01065 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, C. da Licari, Marcellinara (CZ) 210 m, 05 x 2018, 38.9189°N, 16.4971°E, leg S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01063 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Ariabrutta, Sellia (CZ) 470 m, 14 v 2020, 38.98865°N, 16.62183°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01060 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, C. da Licari, Marcellinara (CZ) 195 m, 08 viii 2018, 38.9180°N, 16.4961°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01064 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Vitrò, Sellia (CZ) 161 m, 24 vii 2019, 38.95856°N, 16.61923°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01059 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Maierato (VV) Scuotrapiti-Lago Angitola , 44 m, 21 vi 2002, leg. Scalercio, Infusino & Tuscano, LEP-SS-01055 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Scuotrapiti, L. Angitola , 50 m, 27 vi 2001, leg. Scalercio & Infusino (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Simeri-Crichi (CZ) 425 m, 05 ix 2019, 38.9567°N, 16.6489°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01061 (CREA-FL) ; ♀, Vaccaro, Sellia (CZ) 391 m, 05 ix 2019, 38.96641°N, 16.62486°E, leg. S. Scalercio, LEP-SS-01062 (CREA-FL) ; ♂, Monte Cocuzzo (CS) 1110 m, 20 vii 1997, leg. S. Scalercio (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Ianni-Pirillo, Monte Cocuzzo 1110 m, 19 vii 2001, leg. Scalercio & Sposato (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Moschereto, Civita , 850 m 29 vi 1996, leg. S. Scalercio (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Fiumara Trionto (CS), 90 m, 28 viii 2000, leg Scalercio & Infusino (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Fiumara Trionto (CS), 90 m, 8 vii 1999, leg Scalercio, Infusino & Vuono (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Loc. Donnici, Fosso Cucolo , 550 m, 13 vii 1996, leg. S. Scalercio (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Loc. Donnici, Fosso Cucolo , 550 m, 6 vii 1996, leg. S. Scalercio (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Loc. Donnici, Fosso Cucolo , 550 m, 17 vii 1996, leg. S. Scalercio (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Sila, Lago Cecita, Longobucco , 1170 m, 13 vii 2013, 39.3865°N, 16.5520°E, leg. A. Hausmann, Lep 75110 (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Sersale (CZ), 500 m, 22-29 vi 1985 (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Sersale (CZ), 500 m, 14 ix 1985 (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Terranova , 900 m, 3 vi 1981, Lep 14346 (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Coccorina, Tropea (VV), 200 m, 12 VI 2008, 38.6458°N, 15.8869°E; Lep 224336, leg. Schneider, Leipnitz (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Coccorina, Tropea (VV), 200 m, 12 vi 2008, 38.6458°N, 15.8869°E; Lep 224335, leg. Schneider, Leipnitz (SNSB-ZSM) ; ♂, Coccorina, Tropea (VV), 200 m, 12 vi 2008, 38.6458°N, 15.8869°E; Lep 224334, leg. Schneider, Leipnitz (SNSB-ZSM) ; Sicily: ♀, Bosco di Malabotta (ME) 1320 m, 8 viii 2007, 37.967°N, 15.067°E, leg. M. Infusino, Lep 12514 (SNSB-ZSM) ; 3♀, 6♂, Madonie (SNSB-ZSM); 11♀, 24♂, Mistretta (SNSB-ZSM).

Description of external characters and diagnosis.

(Fig. 1A ) Wingspan 32-48 mm. Wings light to dark brown, with reddish-brown scales on costal area, faint blackish spots of transversal lines at costa. Forewing antemedial line curved outwards near costa, partly visible: medial line often well developed towards inner margin (completely absent in N. obscuraria ); postmedial line angled outwards on M1 vein, slightly curved inwards, ending in the middle of inner margin. Medial line opaque, barely visible, postmedial line slightly curved on M2 vein (straight or slightly curved in N. obscuraria ). Tiny blackish discal spots barely visible on hindwings. Terminal line of all wings blackish, narrow, discontinuous, stronger between vein endings with a yellow shadow. Fringe brown to slightly darker grey on vein endings. Underside of wings dull, beige to dark brown, outer parts slightly darker ( Müller et al. 2019).

Male genitalia. (Fig. 3A ) Valva extended, its dorsal part triangular, fused apically with digitiform extension (important diagnostic character against all other species of Nychiodes obscuraria group), covered with fine bristles. Only basal part of the costa of the valva sclerotized, basally gibbous. Upper ampulla clubbed, apically covered with tiny spines. Process of the lower ampulla, apically blunt, strongly sclerotized, not septate, margin of valva between ampulla inferior and sacculus strongly concave. Aedeagus large, curved in the centre. Cornutus needle-like slightly shorter than the aedeagus, slightly curved in the centre ( Müller et al. 2019).

Female genitalia. (Fig. 2A ) Lamella postvaginalis apically divided and bilobed, dorsolaterally larger than that of N. obscuraria . Ductus bursae posteriorly sclerotized, longitudinally striate, towards corpus bursae membranous. The latter large, membranous. Signum stellate.

Variation.

Wing colour quite variable, as well as markings. Sometimes wing markings completely faded ( Müller et al. 2019).

Genetic data.

Two BINs in Calabria: BOLD: AAE5581 (n = 16, sharing the BIN with typical populations from Sicily) and BOLD: ACE5020 ( N. ragusaria : n = 9 from Calabria), the latter BIN-sharing with N. obscuraria from the rest of Italy and from France ( N. obscuraria : n = 7) and exact haplotype-sharing with one specimen of N. obscuraria from southernmost Basilicata region. P-distance between the two South Italian haplotypes of N. ragusaria 1.55% in BOLD DNA barcode gap analysis. The identity of all barcoded specimens was verified by dissection of genitalia.

Figures

Figure 1. A. N. ragusaria, adult male. Italy, Sicily (ZSM); B. N. obscuraria, adult male. France, Hautes Alpes (ZSM). Scale bars: 1 cm.

Figure 2. Female genitalia. A. Nychiodes ragusaria. Calabria, Dif. Privitera, Alessandria del Carretto (CREA-FL); B. N. obscuraria. Central Italy, Monti Sabini (ZSM).

Figure 3. Male genitalia. A. Nychiodes ragusaria, Calabria, Sersale (ZSM); B. N. obscuraria. Basilicata, Pietrapertosa (ZSM).