Gnophopsodos badakhshanus
Creators: name: Erlacher, Sven
name: Erlacher, Josepha
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Gnophopsodos
Gnophopsodos badakhshanus

description: 1. Gnophopsodos badakhshanus (Wiltshire, 1967)
(adults Pl. 1, Figs 1 a, 1b; male gen. Pl. 3, Fig. 1 c; female gen. Pl. 5, Fig. 1 d)
Gnophos (Chelegnophos) badakhshanus Wiltshire, 1967, Beiträge zur naturkundlichen Forschung in SW-Deutschland, 26: 167, Pl. 3, figs. 37, 41; Pl. 16, Fig. 73.—Locus typicus: Afghanistan, Badakhshan, Sarekanda, 4200 m. Deposition of holotype Ƌ: ZSM? (It should be kept in coll. J. Klapperich, ZSM, but could not be found). Not examined.
Material examined. Type material. Paratypes 3Ƌ: Afghanistan: 1Ƌ, Badakhshan, Anjuman Mountains, Anjuman pass, 4200 m, 12.viii.1952, leg. J. Klapperich, gen. prep. SE–604; 1Ƌ, Badakhshan Mountains, Sarekanda, 4200 m, 31.vii.1953, leg. J. Klapperich; 1Ƌ (Pl. 1, Fig. 1 a; Pl. 3, Fig. 1 c), same locality, 4100 m, 01.viii.1953, leg. J. Klapperich, ZFMK.— Further material. Afghanistan: 1Ƌ, Badakhshan Mountains, Anjuman, 3000 m, 10.viii.1963, leg. K. Omoto, barcode id. SE–MNC– Lep –00867; 1Ƌ, Panjshir Valley, ca 3500 m, 12.–14.viii.1963, leg. K. Omoto, barcode id. SE–MNC– Lep –00866; 1Ƌ, Anjuman pass, 3900–4300 m, 08.–12.viii.1963, leg. K. Omoto, gen. prep. SE–653, barcode id. SE–MNC– Lep –00868, ZSM. 1Ƌ, North –East Afghanistan, Badakhshan, Anjuman Mountains, Anjuman pass, 4000 m, 11.viii.1952, leg. J. Klapperich; 1♀ (Pl. 1, Fig. 1 b; Pl. 5, Fig. 1 d), North –East Afghanistan, Badakhshan Mountains, Sarekanda, 4200 m, 31.vii.1953, leg. J. Klapperich, gen. prep. SE–660, SMNK. Tajikistan: 1Ƌ, East Pamir, Muzkol, Tshetshekty, 22.vii.1982, SPV.
Description. Adults (Pl. 1, Figs 1 a,b).
Measurements. Wingspan: 30–33 mm (Ƌ), 31 mm (♀); forewing length: 12–18 mm (Ƌ), 16 mm (♀); forewing width: 11–12 mm (Ƌ), 11 mm (♀).
Wings. Upper side whitish-gray, powdered with grayish-brown scales, particularly along costa; lines and discal spots very vague; underside similar to upper side but a shade paler and faintly marked; fringes dirty white.
Male genitalia (Pl. 3, Fig. 1 c). Total length: 1.57 mm; valvae span: 1.43 mm; valvulae span: 1.34 mm; valvae width: 0.56 mm. Costa with about 6–8 short and thick costal thorns, apex covered with strong setae; uncus strongly sclerotized, slenderly triangular-shaped with blunt peak; gnathos strongly sclerotized, slender, laterally not compressed, evenly tapered, distinctly pointed; juxta small, inconspicuous, not bifurcate or broadened; aedeagus length: 0.59–0.65 mm; appendix aedeagi: 0.47–0.54 mm.
Female genitalia (Pl. 5, Fig. 1 d). Total length: 3.03 mm; antrum length: 0.25 mm; antrum width: 0.27 mm; antrum miniaturized.
Diagnosis. The wing-form of G. badakhshanus resembles those of G. hilmari and G. ravistriolaria pantherinus, but the basic coloration of G. badakhshanus is remarkably whitish and may only occur in faded specimens of the mentioned species, at least regarding the examined material. Additionally, G. ravistriolaria pantherinus has a yellowish ground color with a rather distinct blackish-gray pattern, while the wings of G. badakhshanus are just vaguely marked with grayish-brown. To distinguish G. badakhshanus from G. hilmari might be more difficult assuming unusual dark specimens of the former or light ones of the latter. Details are given in the diagnosis of G. hilmari. Genitalia structures of G. ravistriolaria pantherinus clearly differ from those of G. hilmari and G. badakhshanus, making it impossible to confuse them: besides the u-shaped incised juxta of G. ravistriolaria pantherinus it is most of all the pincer-like appendix aedeagi that makes this species unique; for in both, G. hilmari and G. badakhshanus, appendix aedeagi is tubular and undivided and the juxta undivided as well.
Distribution (Fig. 4). Examined specimens of G. badakhshanus originate from Afghanistan where they were found in the mountains of the province Badakhshan (West Pamir). The species was mentioned by Viidalepp (1988) also from Khorugh (Tajikistan). The species occurs at an altitude range from 2300 m to 4300 m.
Biology. The flight period lasts from mid-July to mid-August.
PLATE 1. Adults of Gnophopsodos. 1— G. badakhshanus: 1a—paratype Ƌ, 1b—♀; 2— G. fractifasciaria: 2a—holotype Ƌ, 2b—♀; 3— G. gnophosaria: 3a—holotype Ƌ, 3b—Ƌ; 4— G. hilmari spec. nov.: 4a—holotype Ƌ, 4b—paratype Ƌ; 5— G. puengeleri: 5a—lectotype Ƌ, 5b—paralectotype ♀. Undersides of specimens are denoted by ‘*’. Scale bar: 10 mm.
description: Published as part of Erlacher, Sven & Erlacher, Josepha, 2016, A systematic revision of the genus Gnophopsodos Wehrli, 1945, with description of two new species (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), pp. 435-456 in Zootaxa 4169 (3) on pages 440-441, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4169.3.2, http://zenodo.org/record/267918