Synopsia centralis Wanke & Hausmann & Sihvonen & Krogmann & Rajaei 2020
Creators: name: Wanke, Dominic
name: Hausmann, Axel
name: Sihvonen, Pasi
name: Krogmann, Lars
name: Rajaei, Hossein
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Synopsia
Synopsia centralis

description: Synopsia centralis (Wiltshire, 1966) comb nov., bona sp.
(figs 25, 26, 35, 42)
Synopsidia phasidaria centralis Wiltshire, 1966. Zeitschrift der Wiener Entomologischen Gesellschaft, 51, 146. Holotype ♂ (NHMUK). Hereby combined with genus Synopsia and regarded as bona species based on morphological examination.
Type material examined. Holotype, ♂, Persia [Iran], N. Fars, Bavant, Kuh Taj Kirmani, 8500 feet [2591 m], 7.viii.[19]50, leg. E.P. Wiltshire, g.prep. E.P. Wiltshire 1467; in NHMUK (fig. 25). Paratype, 1 ♂, same data as Holotype; in NHMUK.
Diagnosis. Wings and body. Wingspan ♂ 32 mm (forewing length ♂ 15.5 mm). Ground colour of wings bright beige with some brown spots (similar forms in S. phasidaria; beige to brown, spotted dark in S. sociaria). Transverse lines present, brown (faint or slightly visible in S. phasidaria; strongly black in S. sociaria) (figs. 5–24).
Male genitalia (fig. 35). Uncus sclerotized, tip concave (sclerotized, slightly bifurcate or tip only concave in the centre in S. phasidaria; sclerotized and strongly bifurcate in S. sociaria). Gnathos well developed, arms fused, forming a tongue-shaped upturned plate, variable in shape (similar in S. phasidaria; almost similar in S. sociaria). Costa of valva without any central projection (central projection present, usually bearing one to three spines in S. phasidaria; central projection bearing one to two spines in S. sociaria). Harpe thumb-shaped (harpe sickle-shaped S. phasidaria; harpe absent in S. sociaria). Aedeagus thick, bearing 8 cornuti (number of cornuti variable, from 4 to 8 in S. phasidaria; vesica with two groups of cornuti, with a total amount of up to 25 spines in S. sociaria) (figs. 27–34, 36).
Female genitalia. Unknown.
Phenology. Specimens (n=2) collected in August.
Biology. Most likely similar to that of Synopsia phasidaria.
Habitat. In altitudes up to 2600 m.
Distribution. So far only known from its type locality in southern Iran (see fig. 42).
Genetic data. No data available.
Taxonomic remarks. S. centralis shares similar external and internal character combinations with its sister species, S. phasidaria, like wing pattern, shape of the uncus, gnathos and the harpe. Nevertheless, on the costa of valva this species lacks the central projection, which is unique and does not occur in S. phasidaria phasidaria. We therefore suggest to treat this taxon as separate species and upgrade it therefore from subspecies to species level. This taxonomic decision needs further examination based on a larger series of specimens to be confirmed.
description: Published as part of Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel, Sihvonen, Pasi, Krogmann, Lars & Rajaei, Hossein, 2020, Integrative taxonomic review of the genus Synopsia Hübner, 1825 in the Middle East (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae), pp. 27-50 in Zootaxa 4885 (1) on page 42, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4885.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/4296339