Rhodostrophia iranica Schwingenschuss 1939
Creators: name: Rajaei, Hossein
name: Hausmann, Axel
name: Trusch, Robert
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Rhodostrophia
Rhodostrophia iranica

description: Rhodostrophia iranica Schwingenschuss, 1939
(Figs 25–28, 68, 85, Map 6)
Rhodostrophia badiaria iranica Schwingenschuss, 1939: Entomologischen Zeitschrift, Frankfurt am Main, 53 (25): 202. (Persien [Iran], Elbursgebirge, Kendevanpass, 2600–3100 m), Syntype 2 ♂, 1 ♀ (examined): ' Pers [Iran], Elbursgeb. Kendevanpass, 2600–3100, 3. – 8.7.1936, [leg] Schwingenschuss', ' Type iranica Schwingen. ', '46/803', g.p. (1 ♂) 691/2012 R. Trusch; In ANLW.
Records in literature. Rhodostrophia badiaria iranica: Scoble (1999: 822). Rhodostrophia iranica: Scoble & Hausmann (2007); Müller et al. (2019: 844).
Additional material examined. 2 ♂, N-Iran, Elburs-Mts., Prov.Tehran, 15 km E Gatschsar, 2800 m, 17.viii.1972, leg. Ebert, g.p. 585/2005 R. Trusch; 1 ♀, Iran, Prov. Tehran, Elburz mts., 3 km NNW Shemshak, 2860 m, N 36°02'; E 51°28', 24.vii.2003, leg Ebert & Trusch, g.p. 646/2005 R. Trusch, barcode: BC ZSM 33882; 1 ♂, Iran, Elburs, vic. Shemshak, ca. 3000 m, 12.–13.viii.1977, leg. W. Thomas; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, N-Iran, Elburz mts. N Teheran Dizin vic.- Shemshak, N 36°01'21.6'', E 51°25'37.7'' 3250 m, 17.vii.2006, leg. R. Trusch, g.p. (♀) 2373/2020 H.Rajaei, barcode: BC ZSM 33881; 7 ♂, 1 ♀, id., N 36°01'27.1'', E 51°25'35.3'', 3380 m, 18.vii.2006, LF., leg. R. Trusch, g.p. (1 ♂) 644/2005 R. Trusch; 1 ♂, 1 ♀, id., N 36°00'50.2'', E 51°25'13.1'' 3730 m, 20.vii.2006, leg. R. Trusch, g.p. (1 ♂) 635/2005 R. Trusch; 1 ♀, Iran, Qazvin, ca. 30 km NE Qazvin, Gardaneh-je Alamout (Nordseite), 2200 m, 25.5.2012, leg. Wolfgang, Martina, Anja ten Hagen; all in SMNK. 1 ♂, N-Iran, Elburz mts. N Teheran Dizin vic.- Shemshak, N 36°01'21.6'', E 51°25'37.7'' 3250 m, 18.vii.2006, leg. R. Trusch; 1 ♀, id. 20.vii.2006; in SMNS. 1 ♀, Iran, prov. Zanjan, 2350 m, W-Alborz range, Tarom vic., 20 km NE of Zanjan, 13.– 14.06.2005, leg. P. Gyulai & A. Garai, g.p. 694/2005 R. Trusch, barcode: BC ZSM 33880; 4 ♂, 1 ♀, Persia sept. Elburs mts. c.s., Tacht i Suleiman, Särdab-Tal (Vandarban), 25–2700 m, 14.–18.vii.[19]37; leg. E. Pfeiffer & W. Forster, g.p. (1 ♀) ZSM G-12536; in coll. ZSM.
Specimen studied total: 20 ♂, 10 ♀.
Differential diagnosis. (Figs 25–28). Wingspan 29–36 mm. Wings and body concolorous with yellow-grey to sand-white colour. Forewing with antemedial, postmedial and subterminal lines dark brown; hindwing with postmedial and subterminal lines dark brown; all lines are thin, uneven and broken (the pattern is very similar to that of R. bahara). Discal spot very small on forewing, hardly visible on hindwing (in contrast to R. bahara with large and dominant dark brown dot or streak on forewings and tiny dot on hindwing). Underside of wings lighter than upperside, glossy; subterminal line on both fore- and hindwing visible. Male antennal flagellum ventrally dentated. Male hindtibia with four spurs.
This species may be confused with some other Iranian species of the badiaria species-group, especially with R. bahara and R. tumulosa. Examination of genitalia enables a confident determination in any case, but also the consideration of the restricted occurrence only in the high elevations in the Alborz mountain range.
Male genitalia (Fig. 68) with baseball-bat-shaped uncus, gradually getting narrower towards base (similar to, but slightly longer than the uncus in R. bahara) (Figs 3, 67–68); valva apically with a large lobe, characteristically undulated, not spinulose (diagnostic character from all other species of badiaria species-group); sacculus largely elongated and apically curved dorsad over the valva (sacculus characteristically bulbed at base in R. bahara, compare Figs 67a and 68a). Aedeagus medially curved, getting narrow towards apex. Male sternite A8 slightly notched at its dorsal part.
Female genitalia (Fig. 85) with a membranous, small, oval corpus bursae with a pair of triangular signa on its posterior part; ductus bursae as long as corpus bursae. Posterior apophyses four times length of anterior apophyses.
Genetic data. BIN: BOLD:ACE9877. Nearest species: R. badiaria (2.3%), R. bahara (2.8%), R. tumulosa (1.7%) (Fig. 119, Table 1).
Distribution (Map 6). This is an endemic species distributed only at high altitudes of the western and central Alborz Mountains.
Life history and habitat (Fig. 114). Biology and larval stages are unknown. The species seems to be univoltine, recorded from late May to mid-August. According to examined material here, it flies at high altitudes from 2500 m up to 3100 m.
description: Published as part of Rajaei, Hossein, Hausmann, Axel & Trusch, Robert, 2022, Taxonomic review of the genus Rhodostrophia Hübner, 1823 (Geometridae: Sterrhinae) in Iran, pp. 1-64 in Zootaxa 5118 (1) on pages 25-26, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5118.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/6378566