Pyropteron doryliformis
Creators: name: Bartsch, Daniel
name: Pühringer, Franz
name: Milla, Liz
name: Lingenhöle, Arthur
name: Kallies, Axel
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2021
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Sesiidae
Pyropteron
Pyropteron doryliformis

description: Pyropteron doryliformis (Ochsenheimer, 1808)
(Figs 11–13, 91–94, 106, 107, 113, 114)
Sesia doryliformis Ochsenheimer, 1808: 141.
Pyropteron doryliformis var. bellieri Le Cerf, 1916: Études de Lépidoptérologie Comparée, 12: 13; pl. 318, Figs 4639, 4640. Lectotype: ♂, Spain [the data on the label state Spain, not Sicily as stated in the original description!] (MNHN).
Pyropteron doryliformis f. chimena Le Cerf, 1916: Études de Lépidoptérologie Comparée, 12: 13; pl. 318, Fig. 4638. Lectotype: ♂: Spain (MNHN).
Pyropteron doryliformis subsp. tingitana Le Cerf, 1916: Études de Lépidoptérologie Comparée, 12: 13; pl. 319, Figs 4644, 4645. Lectotype: ♂, Morocco, Tanger (MNHN).
Pyropteron doryliformis var. andalusica Le Cerf, 1920: Études de Lépidoptérologie Comparée, 17: 414, pl. 318 Figs 4636–4637. Lectotype: ♂, Spain, Andalusia (MNHN).
This and the following four species form a distinct group within the genus, which consists of relatively large, mostly brightly yellow, orange or red marked species with distinct sexual dimorphism. Up to recently, P. doryliformis was considered a widespread and polymorphic species with multiple forms and several taxa were synonymized with P. doryliformis by previous authors (Staudinger 1871, Herrich-Schäffer 1875, Špatenka et al. 1999). Bartsch et al. (2006), however, raised P. ceriaeformis from synonymy to species rank. In the course of our study, P. ceriaeformis and several additional taxa were found to constitute well-supported monophyletic groups distinct from P. doryliformis. Therefore, they are here considered distinct species. The larvae of all five species in this group feed in the roots of various Rumex species, with a preference of bitter tasting species. As typical for the genus, the genitalia structures are rather homogenous with the exception of P. biedermanni.
Diagnosis. P. doryliformis is very homogenous and varies only minimally in size and coloration. Males are typically brown, while females are reddish. Exceptionally, females show a brown coloration similar to that of males (Fig. 93). For differentiation from related species based on external characters see below and refer to the diagnoses under the following species.
Genitalia. Male with gnathos flaps broad (smaller in related species), the middle one>1.5 times longer and clearly wider than the lateral ones (shorter and less raised in related species); crista sacculi of the valva with proximal, setaceous part straight, its apical third ventrad angled, ending in two simple folds that run parallel to the ventral margin. Female with papillae anales and segment 8 smaller and longer than other members of the group (even smaller and longer in P. biedermanni); the antrum about one-third shorter than the remaining part of ductus bursae (similar in P. ceriaeformis; longer than in P. icteropus and P. euglossaeformis); the corpus bursae round, with round, signum-like, sclerotized plate near ductus bursae (with indistinct signum in P. ceriaeformis and P. icteropus, without signum in P. euglossaeformis).
Barcodes. P. doryliformis is part of a well-supported (monophyletic) clade including also the North African P. biedermanni, P. ceriaeformis, P. euglossaeformis and the Italian P. icteropus. Together with P. biedermanni it is sister to the three remaining clades. P. euglossaeformis and P. icteropus differ by an average 4.6%, while P. euglossaeformis and P. ceriaeformis differ by average 6.6%.
Biology and habitat. The species occurs in open land, such as meadows, pastures and fields, often in wet places like trenches, along brooks and rivers and marshes. Several larvae can feed together in the main root of large, bitter-tasting species of Rumex (dock), including R. conglomeratus Murray, R. stenophyllus Ledebour, R. maritimus Linnaeus, R. pulcher and others (Špatenka et al. 1999, Laštůvka & Laštůvka 1995, 2001, our own observations). In an extreme case, twelve larvae were found in a single root (Bartsch). The large-scale breeding of this species for the introduction into Australia as pest control was described by Fisher (1992). Males are active in the late afternoon and early evening and come to various artificial pheromons.
Distribution. This West-Mediterranean species is known from northern Morocco and north-western Algeria as well as from southern Portugal and Spain. Records from Tunisia and Sicily (e.g. de Freina 1999, Špatenka et al. 1999, Laštůvka & Laštůvka 1995, 2001) belong to other species in this group. Records from Cantabria and Sardinia of the same authors are incorrect (see Bertaccini & Fiumi 2002 and Bartsch et al. 2006). This species was introduced to Australia to control infestations with exotic Rumex species (Fisher 1992, Palmer et al. 2010).
Note. The genitalia of the male figured in Špatenka et al. (1999) (p. 499, Fig. 195) from Algeria, Yakouren, are likely to belong to P. euglossaeformis; the female (p. 537, Fig. 432) belongs to P. icteropus.
Specimens examined. 128♂ (Figs 91–92), 86♀ (Fig. 94), Portugal, eastern Algarve, 2 km W Olhao, 5m, e.l. ex Rumex cf. crispus, larvae 29.X.2012 adults IV.– VI.2013, leg. DB (♂, Bartsch gen. prep. 2019-35) (Fig. 106); 2♀, Portugal, eastern Algarve, vic. Castro Marim, 15m, e.l. ex R. cf. crispus, larvae 2.XI.2012 adults 1.–5. V.2013, leg. DB (Bartsch gen. prep. 2019-36) (Fig. 114); 4♀, Portugal, western Algarve, vic. Pera, 0–3m, ex R. maximus, larvae 20.III.2006 adults 15. VI.2006, leg. DB; 1♀, Portugal, western Algarve, vic. Chabouco, 95m, e.l. ex R. maximus, larva 31.X.2012 adult 13. V.2013, leg. DB; 3♂, 1♀, Spain, Andalusia, Serrania de Ronda, Ronda, 500m, 24.–28. VI.1993, leg. DB (♀ Bartsch gen. prep. 2001-11); 6♂, Spain, Sierra Cazorla, Cotorrios, 800m, 14.– 18. VI.1993, leg. DB (CDB). 1♂, Spain, Malaga, Manilva, 23. V.1999, e.l., leg. RB (Bartsch gen. prep. 2001-06) (CRB); 1♀, Spain, Andalusia, Bella zw. Zahara de los Atunes u. Tarifa, 20. VI.2005, leg. RB (CCDB-04684 H02); 1♂, Spain, Cadiz, Zahara de los Atunes, e.l. 1999, leg. RB (DNAtax 02606); 1♀, Spain, Albacete, Riopar (Sierra de Alcaraz), 27.–28. VI.2001, leg. Z. Laštůvka (CFP); 1♀, Morocco, Middle Atlas, Ifrane, 1600–1800m, 8. VI.1999, leg. DB (Bartsch gen. prep. 2001-02); 3♂, ibid., 7., 8. and 9. VI.1999, leg. DB (Bartsch gen. prep. 2001-16) (Fig. 107); 1♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, Col du Zad, 1900–2200m, 7. VI.1999, leg. DB; 7♂, Morocco, Middle Atlas, Tizi N Ifar, 1400–1600m, 5. VI.1999, leg. DB (Bartsch gen. prep. 2001-02) (CDB, SMNS); 1♂, ibid., 26. V.2005, leg. DB (CDB); 1♀, Morocco, Middle Atlas, J bou Iblane / Tafferte, 2000m, e.l. 7. VI.1998, leg. RB (Bartsch gen. prep. 2001-18) (Fig. 113); 1♀, Morocco, High Atlas, Oukaimeden, e.l. 28.III.1998 (Bartsch gen. prep. 2001-07), leg. RB (CRB); 6♂, ibid., 5. VI. and 11. VI.1999, leg. DB; 1♂, Morocco, High Atlas, S slope of Tizi-n Tichka, 1800–1900m, 10. VI.1999, leg. DB (CDB); 2♂, Morocco, Haut Atlas, Oukaimeden, 2630 m, 2.VII.2005, leg. FP; 1♂, ibid., 2650 m, 6. VI.2008, leg. FP; 8♂, ibid., 20. VI.2008, leg. FP (BOX-2219 F07); 2♂, ibid., 2520–2620 m, 28. VI.2009, leg. FP; 1♂, ibid., 2680 m, 29. VI.2009, leg. FP; 1♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas, Azrou, road. Azrou-Ifrane, 1590 m, 25. VI.2005, leg. FP; 2♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas, SE Ifrane, 1670 m, 10. VI.2008, leg. FP; 6♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas, Ifrane, 1625 m, 8. VI.2008, leg. FP (BOX-2219 F06); 3♂, ibid., Source Vittel, 1600 m, 18. VI.2008, leg. FP; 1♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas, Tattiouine S Midelt, 1700 m, 11. VI.2008, leg. FP; 3♂, Morocco, Moyen Atlas, S Timahdit, 1930 m, 22. VI.2009, leg. FP (CFP).
description: Published as part of Bartsch, Daniel, Pühringer, Franz, Milla, Liz, Lingenhöle, Arthur & Kallies, Axel, 2021, A molecular phylogeny and revision of the genus Pyropteron Newman, 1832 (Lepidoptera, Sesiidae) reveals unexpected diversity and frequent hostplant switch as a driver of speciation, pp. 1-75 in Zootaxa 4972 (1) on pages 31-32, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4972.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4771798