Scopula imitaria
Creators: name: Wanke, Dominic
name: Hausmann, Axel
name: Lee, Kyung Min
name: Murillo-Ramos, Leidys
name: Sihvonen, Pasi
name: Rajaei, Hossein
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Scopula
Scopula imitaria

description: Scopula imitaria (Hübner, 1799)   
(Plate 6, Figs 15–16; Plate 16, Fig. 3; Plate 24, Fig. 4)  
 Geometra imitaria Hübner, 1799. Sammlung europäischer Schmetterlinge 5, Geometrae (1). Syntype (s) lost (Europe).   
 Acidalia syriacaria Culot, 1918: Noctuelles et Géomètres d’Europe 3: pl. 12, Fig. 246. Syntype (s) (Syria) (ZFMK). Valid at subspecific rank.   
 Synonymies (for more details on nomenclature see Scoble 1999 and Hausmann 2004): Phalaena fimbriata Fourcroy, 1785 (France: Paris).   
For the list of unavailable names, see Hausmann (2004).  
 Material examined: 4 ♁/ ♀ (see appendix).   
 Diagnosis. Wingspan ♁ ♀ 22–26 mm (Hausmann 2004). Scopula imitaria externally cannot be confused with any other Iranian Scopula species (see Remarks). Ground colour (Plate 6, Figs 15–16) variable, from beige, orange to light brown. Transversal lines well pronounced. In the male genitalia (Plate 16, Fig. 3) 8th sternite basally protruding, cerata variable in length. In the female genitalia (Plate 24, Fig. 4) antrum with trapezoid sclerite. Lamella antevaginalis strongly sclerotized. Signum long and narrow.   
 Phenology. Generally, bivoltine species, with a first generation from mid-May to early July and a second generation from early August to mid-September (Hausmann 2004). Depending on where the populations occur, with a different number of generations, e.g., tri- or plurivoltine in the Levant (Hausmann 2004, Hausmann et al. 2020).   
 Biology. Larva polyphagous on a wide range of plant species of different families (e.g., Ranunculaceae, Oleaceae, Fabaceae, Asteraceae) (see Hausmann 2004).   
 Habitat. Found at altitudes from 0 m to 1000 m, to 1400 m in southern Europe and Morocco and to 1500 m in the Levant (Hausmann 2004; Hausmann et al. 2020).   
 Distribution. A sub-mediterranean distribution from northern Africa, Portugal to Crimea, including the British Isles (Hausmann 2004). In Turkey, Cyprus and the Levant (Hausmann 2004; Hausmann et al. 2020). Although reported for the Caucasus, northern Transcaucasus and northern Iran, confirmation is still needed (Viidalepp 1996; Hausmann 2004). If this species occurs in Iran, it would be represented by the subspecies Scopula imitaria syriacaria, but we cannot confirm its occurrence in Iran (see Remarks).   
 DNA-barcoding. Nearest species: S. flaccidaria with 5.3 % (see Supplementary Table S1).   
 Remarks. Although Viidalepp (1996) reported this species as an element of the Iranian fauna, we were unable to trace any specimens during our investigation. It is possible that this species does not occur in Iran, and the report may be a confusion with Timandra comae.
description: Published as part of Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel, Lee, Kyung Min, Murillo-Ramos, Leidys, Sihvonen, Pasi & Rajaei, Hossein, 2023, Systematics and integrative taxonomic revision of the tribe Scopulini Duponchel, 1845 in Iran (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Sterrhinae), pp. 1-96 in Zootaxa 5359 (1) on pages 27-28, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5359.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/10147920