Research Article |
Corresponding author: Helen Alipanah ( halipanah@gmail.com ) Academic editor: David C. Lees
© 2018 Helen Alipanah, Jan Asselbergs.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Alipanah H, Asselbergs J (2018) Acteniopsis gambronensis sp. n. (Pyralidae: Pyralinae), a new species from Iran, with a revision of the genus Acteniopsis Amsel, 1959. Nota Lepidopterologica 41(1): 87-97. https://doi.org/10.3897/nl.41.22893
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A complete description of Acteniopsis gambronensis sp. n. is given based on three males and three females collected in the south of Iran, Hormozgan Province. The female of A. kurdistanella Amsel, 1959 is redescribed and illustrated and new distributional data for this species is also provided. Acteniopsis robustus Asselberges, 2010 is transferred to the genus Stemmatophora Guenée, 1854, S. robustus (Asselbergs, 2010), comb. n. A taxonomic review of the genus Acteniopsis is presented.
Introduction
The genus Acteniopsis Amsel, 1959 was erected to accommodate the type species A. kurdistanella Amsel, 1959. Acteniopsis belongs to the subfamily Pyralinae along with more than 1100 species in 134 genera. This subfamily is more diverse in Asia and Africa than in the western hemisphere (
Prior to the current study, Acteniopsis included only two species, A. kurdistanella and A. robustus Asselbergs, 2010 which had been described from Iraq and United Arab Emirates, respectively. The former species is also reported from Iran by
During the study of Pyralinae of Iran, an unknown Acteniopsis species was found in the Lepidoptera collection of the Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum (HMIM), Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (
Morphological characters were examined using a stereomicroscope (maximum magnification 128×). Genitalia dissections were based on those described by
Acteniopsis robustus Asselbergs, 2010: 554–555, pl. 1, figs 1–3.
Holotype 1 ♂, United Arab Emirates, Wadi Maidaq, 460 m, 12.IV.2006, leg. C. Gielis, GP. 5787 Asb, in Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden; Paratypes, 1 ♂, United Arab Emirates, 10 km. NE. Huwaylat, 18.IV.2006, leg. J. Buszko, GP 6234 Asb, 1 ♂ same data in Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Leiden. Holotype and Paratypes were examined by the second author.
Diagnosis. Acteniopsis robustus was described by
There are some other differences between the male genitalia of A. robustus, A. kurdistanella and A. gambronensis:
1) Slender, rod-shaped cornutus of A. robustus (Fig.
2) In both A. kurdistanella and A. gambronensis the vinculum is basally pointed (Figs
3) In A. kurdistanellus and A. gambronensis the gnathos does not exceed the uncus (Fig.
4) The valva in A. robustus is slightly curved posteriorly, whereas in A. kurdistanella and A. gambronensis it is straight (Figs
It should be noted that Acteniopsis robustus has the largest wingspan (22–24 mm) compared with A. kurdistanella (17–18 mm) and A. gambronensis (13.7–17.0 mm).
In view of the above, we hereby transfer the species A. robustus from Acteniopsis Amsel, 1959 to Stemmatophora Guenée,1854.
Holotype ♂, Iran, Hormozgān Prov.: Isin, Geno, 750 m a.s.l., 25.IV.1986, Mirzāyāns, Borumand leg.; Paratypes 2 ♂♂ 3 ♀♀, same data as the Holotype. Deposited at HMIM,
Both Acteniopsis gambronensis and A. kurdistanella are similar to each other in wing venation and shape of the maxillary palpi and labial palpi; however their wing pattern is slightly different. In A. gambronensis, the antemedian and postmedian lines are clearly visible, while in A. kurdistanella the antemedian line is very weak and sometimes hardly distinguishable. In A. kurdistanella the two transverse lines are reddish-brown, but these lines are white in A. gambronensis. The forewing of A. kurdistanella is pale clay-coloured, while in A. gambronensis the ground colour is pale-ochreous to yellowish-ochre (Figs
Although these two species are similar in the shape of the male genitalia, there are some differences:
1) In A. gambronensis the phallus is straight and cleaver-shaped (its width in the proximal half is half length of its width in the distal part) (Fig.
2) In A. gambronensis the gnathos does not extend to the distal margin of the uncus and is almost straight apically (Fig.
3) Although as stated by
4) The longer arm of anchor-shaped cornutus in A. gambronensis is almost finger-shaped (Figs
Examination of the female genitalia of A. gambronensis and the newly described genitalia of A. kurdistanella reveals that the latter species is very close to A. gambronensis in this regard. The only differences of these two species are as below:
1) In A. gambronensis the ductus bursae is relatively wide and bulbous near the junction with the antrum, with an almost knee-shaped bend (Figs
2) In A. gambronensis the folded area of the antrum is clearly extended to the posterior end of ductus bursae (Figs
Female genitalia in A. gambronensis sp. n. (A, C) and A. kurdistanella Amsel (B, D). A, B) genitalia in ventral view, C, D) middle part of genitalia. Upper and lower arrows in figure C indicate the folded area at the anterior end of ductus bursae and locus of origin of the ductus seminalis, respectively and in figure D indicates the locus of origin of the ductus seminalis.
Description. Female slightly larger than the male. Forewing length, males x¯ = 6.5 mm ±0.5 (n = 3), females x¯ = 7.1 mm ±0.56 (n = 3), Holotype, 6.5 mm.
Head (Figs
Forewing (Fig.
Male genitalia (Figs
Female genitalia (Figs
Iran: Hormozgan Province (Isin).
Isin (the type locality of the new species) is a rural district in the central district of Bandar Abbas County, Hormozgan Province, and this species is named according to the old name of Bandar Abbas, i.e. “Gambron”.
Unknown.
Iran, Ardebil Prov.: 1 ♂, Khalkhāl, Hashtchin- Khalkhāl Rd., N37°26’54.5”, E048°54’50.6”, 837 m, 16.VII.2013, Afsariān, Sarafrāzi leg.; Chāhārmahāl va Bakhtiāri Prov.: 1 ♂ 1 ♀, Chelgerd, 2500 m, 17, 18.viii.1995, Mirzāyāns, Badii leg., 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Lordegān (Oak forest), N31°32’30”, E050°57’16.92”, 2352 m, 15.VIII.2010, Ālipanāh, Nematiān leg.; Fārs Prov.: 1 ♂, Sepidān, Mārgoon waterfall, 1910 m, 28.ix.1996, Barāri, Parchami-Arāghi, Moghaddam leg., 1 ♀, Kāmfiruz, Tang-e Bostānak, 1730–1900 m, 17.VIII.2000, Badii, Moghaddam, Mofidi-Neyestānak leg.; Hamedān Prov.: 2 ♂♂ 1 ♀, Khān Gormaz protected area, N34°35’17.8”, E048°10’39.5”, 2047 m, 9.VII.2014, Afsariān leg.; Hormozgān Prov.: 1 ♂, Bandar Abbās, Kahurestān, 17.iii.1971, 15 m, Āyatollāhi, Pāzuki leg.; Kermānshāh Prov.: 1 ♀, Chalabeh, Bisotun, N34°22’57.2”, E47°16’38.7”, 1652 m, 12.VII.2014, Afsariān leg.; Kohgiluyeh va Boyerahmad Prov.: 2 ♂♂, Tang-e Meymand, 1650 m, 9.ix.1971, Ebrāhimi, Badii leg.; Kordestān Prov.: Marivān, 26.vi.2004, Mansurghāzi leg.; Markazi Prov.: 1 ♂, Salafchegān, Dizijān, 1550 m, 29.vii.1997, Barāri, Mofidi-Neyestānak leg.; Zanjān Prov.: 1 ♂, Zanjān, Ābbar, N36°56’19.2”, E48°59’32 89”, 1156 m, 21.vii.2010, Ālipanāh leg. (GS: HA-2308, HA-2310).
Acteniopsis kurdistanella was described by
The female genitalia of this species is very close to that of A. gambronensis, and their main differences are in the width of ductus bursae and shape of the posterior end of ductus bursae (see diagnosis of A. gambronensis).
Forewing length x¯ = 8.62 mm ±0.67 (n = 5); fore- and hindwing (Fig.
Female genitalia (Figs
Iraq (Haji Omran; the type locality); Iran (Saadatabad, Sine Sefid, Mian Kotal, Komehr, Karaj, Sultanabad) (
A new form of A. kurdistanella, i.e. A. kurdistanella f. unicolorella Amsel, 1961 was presented by Amsel based on one male specimen collected in Sultanabad. As stated by this author, it was similar to the nominative form in the genitalia and all other characteristics except for the wings which were without any markings. In all the examined specimens, both fore- and hindwing patterns were the same and few specimens were slightly darker. It seems that the maintenance of two subspecies for this species would not be logical, but since we don’t have the type specimens a decision about the validity of a subspecies remains to be postponed.
In the original description of
As mentioned above, the two genera Acteniopsis and Stemmatophora have some differences in wing venations and ciliae on the ventral surface of the antennae; however our findings are somewhat different from those given by
Furthermore, based on the present study, the structure of the ventral ciliae of the male antennae in these two genera is completely different. In Stemmatophora each flagellum has two pairs of plumose ciliae, one pair at the proximal end of the flagellum which is larger and longer, and another pair beyond it, at the medial part of the segment and slightly positioned interiorly compared with the first pair which is smaller and shorter (Figs
Based on the present study, the genus Acteniopsis is represented by two species worldwide that can easily be distinguished from each other based on their forewing pattern and shape of the phallus (see diagnosis of A. gambronensis). One of these two species has been described from Iraq and later form Iran, and another one is described from Iran. It seems that the genus is restricted to Saharo-Arabian and Irano-Turanian zoogeographical regions and it is most probable that these areas could be considered as its origin centre. Owing to the insufficient sampling in different parts of Iran, the presence of A. kurdistanella in some other parts of the country could be possible; this is also applicable for A. gambronensis along the southern borders of Iran.
We wish to express our gratitude to Dr. Hugo van der Wolf (Nuenen, Netherlands) and Dr. Shahab Manzari (