Nychiodes farinosa Brandt 1938
Creators: name: Wanke, Dominic
name: Hausmann, Axel
name: Krogmann, Lars
name: Petrányi, Gergely
name: Rajaei, Hossein
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Geometridae
Nychiodes
Nychiodes farinosa

description: Nychiodes farinosa Brandt, 1938   
(figs 26, 27, 98, 99, 133; map 2)  
 Nychiodes farinosa Brandt, 1938. Entomologische Rundschau, 55 (51), 37. Holotype ♂, ([Iran]: Comèe [Komehr]) (in NHRS, examined).   
 Type material examined. Holotype, ♂, Iran, Fars, Strasse Ardekan-Talochosroe [Tall Khosrow], Comèe [Komehr], ca. 2600 m, 30.vi.1937, coll. Brandt, g.prep. 10924; Paratypes, 1 ♀, same locality, 3.vii.1937, coll. Brandt (la- beled as Allotype), g.prep. 10925; 1 ♂, same locality, 26.vi.1937, coll. Brandt; all in NHRS. 1 ♂, same locality, 30.vi.1937, coll. Brandt; in ZFMK.   
 Additional material studied: 11 ♂, 2 ♀ (see appendix).   
 Diagnosis. Wingspan ♂ 30–35 mm, ♀ 37–43 mm (forewing length ♂ 19–21 mm, ♀ 21–24 mm) (figs 26, 27). Externally, the colour combination of N. farinosa can be confused with that of N. subvirida, both with yellow- to light brown wings, intermixed with darker brown. In N. farinosa basal and postmedial areas lighter than medial and subterminal areas; postmedial line yellow, thick, without clear border from subterminal area (in N. subvirida, basal, medial and subterminal areas concolorous; postmedial line yellow, thin, clearly bordered from subterminal area) (see figs 26, 27 and 47–51). Additionally, N. subvirida shows completely different male and female genitalia (see figs 98, 99 and 110–112).   
 In male genitalia (fig. 98), uncus short, in lateral view curved (fig. 99), which is similar to that of N. antiquaria and N. subfusca (both of species show different character combinations in wings (figs 28–34 and 43, 44) and genitalia (figs 100, 101, 106, 107). Diagnostic features of male genitalia of N. farinosa from other similar species: In N. farinosa valva narrow, with both ampullae located apically, in the upper third of the valva, sacculus straight (valva broad, with both ampullae located in medial part of valva, sacculus curved outwards in N. antiquaria and N. princeps) (figs 98, 100, 102). The endemic Pakistanian species N. quettensis shows a completely different wing pattern (fig. 36, 37) but shares a similar male genitalia capsule with N. farinosa, however, the latter having a shorter and thicker aedeagus (very thin and long in N. quettensis) (figs 98, 103).   
 Female genitalia of N. farinosa (fig. 133) are reminiscent of those of N. subvirida (figs 138–140), the latter species with reduced anteriores apophyses.   
 Three other species occur sympatric with N. farinosa: N. admirabila (characterized by a unique wing pattern with light brown wings and prominent markings in the medial area and black transverse lines, figs 23–25), Nychiodes leviata (rather small wingspan, with dark brown to black medial area on forewing, and strongly differing male and female genitalia, figs. 45, 46, 108,) and N. divergaria (highly variable species, but easily diagnosed based on both male and female genitalia, see figs 113–119, 141, 142).   
 Phenology. Univoltine, from May to July.   
 Biology. Unknown.   
 Habitat. In altitudes from 1850 up to 2800 m.   
 Distribution. Endemic species in Iran, in the western part of the Zagros Mountains (map 2).   
 DNA barcoding. Nearest species (minimum pairwise distances): N. leviata (5.9%) (fig. 145).
description: Published as part of Wanke, Dominic, Hausmann, Axel, Krogmann, Lars, Petrányi, Gergely & Rajaei, Hossein, 2020, Taxonomic revision of the genus Nychiodes Lederer, 1853 (Geometridae: Ennominae: Boarmiini) with description of three new species-an integrative approach, pp. 1-61 in Zootaxa 4812 (1) on pages 18-19, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4812.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3944102