Acrobasis khachella
Creators: name: Korb, Stanislav K.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2022
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Pyralidae
Acrobasis
Acrobasis khachella

description: Acrobasis khachella (Amsel, 1950)
described from “Fort Sengan”, Iran (Amsel 1950: 240, Figs. 29, 69) was never recorded in other areas (Koçak, Kemal 2014; 218). Besides, no data about its biology were known. During the 2013–2019 faunistic studies in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan, I collected the Acrobasis khachella species in several localities. These findings significantly expanded the range of the species and provided data on some features of its biology, major habitats and vertical distribution. The article provides an overview of the study findings.
Material examined. Kyrgyzstan. 2♂, 9.07.2014, Suusamyrtoo Mts., 14 km S Kojomkul, 42 ° 2 ' 4.29 " N, 74 ° 9 ' 46.72 " E, 1,800 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 2♂, 10.07.2014, Moldo-Too Mts., near the Koro-Goo Pass, N 41 ° 31.303 ', E 74 ° 45.824 ', 1,997 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 2♂, 13.07.2015, Bishkek env., Ala-Too, 1,000 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 2♂, 13.07.2015, Fergansky Mts., 5.5 km S of Imeni Chkalova (S shore of Toktogul reservoir), N 41 ° 42.223 ', E 72 ° 57.165 ', 1,768 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 9♂, 1♀, 14.07.2015, Alai Mts., small valley between Tashkoro and Kara-Bulak, N 40 ° 14.119 ', E 73 ° 24.484 ', 1,805 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 1♂, 8.07.2016, south shore of the Issyk-Kul Lake, 6.6 km E of Kara-Talaa, N 42 ° 18.281 ', E 76 ° 28.904 ', 1,591 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 2♂, 26.07.2016, Suusamyrtoo Mts., Kekemeren river valley 3.6 km N of Kyzyl-Oi, N 41 ° 59.211 ', E 74 ° 09.396 ', 1,808 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 12♂, 3♀, 25.07.2017, Moldo-Too Mts., 10 km E of Kaindy, 41 ° 29 ' 37.45 " N, 74 ° 35 ' 32.56 " E, 1,800 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 5♂, 26.07.2017, Moldo-Too Mts. near the Koro-Goo Pass, N 41 ° 30.49.53 ', E 74 ° 38.25.44 ', 1,945 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 1♂, 1♀, 28.07.2017, Moldo-Too Pass, near the Koro-Goo Pass, N 41 ° 31.11.61 ', E 74 ° 45.51.56 ', 2,010 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 1♂, 1♀, 2– 8.07.2019, Moldo-Too Mts., near the Koro-Goo Pass, 41.521710 ° N, 74.764240 ° E, 2,015 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 1♂, 21– 22.07.2019, Osh Prov., Alai Mts., 6.25 km NNE Kyzyl-Eshme, 39.620689 ° N, 72.286766 ° E, 2,961 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 2♂, 2♀, 24.07.2019, Dzhalal-Abad Prov., Fergansky Mts., 9.2 km S of Toktogul Reservoir, Kara-Suu river bank, 41.685956 ° N, 72.974411 ° E, 1,231 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 15♂, 3♀, 27- 28.07.2019, Talas Prov, Talassky Mts., Kara-Buura river bank, 31 km S of Kluchevka, 42.7976 ° N, 71.60727 ° E, 1,707 m, leg. S. K. Korb; 1♂, 30.07.2019, Chui Prov., Suusamyrtoo Mts., Kekemeren river bank, 12 km S of Kojomkul, 42.046225 ° N, 74.154575 ° E, 1874 m, leg. S. K. Korb. Kazakhstan. 1♂, 25- 27.07.2010, Syrdaryinsky Karatau Mt. Range, Koshkarata River, 880 m a.s.l., 43 ° 41 ' N, 68 ° 49 ' E, leg. P. Gorbunov; 2♂, 04- 06.07.2015, Boro-Khoro Mts., Usek Valley, N 44 ° 28.082 ', E 79 ° 49.760 ', 1,260 m, leg. S. K. Korb. Tajikistan. 3♂, 1♀, 21.07.2011, Shakhdarinsky Mts., Vezdara river valley near Vezd Kishlak, N 37 ° 12.102 ', E 71 ° 49.768 ', 2,900 m, leg. S. K. Korb.
Variation. The species is very variable. The size of specimens can differ almost twice. The wing pattern and coloration is very different even within the same population: the coloration is from almost white to almost black due to the differences in the development of wing pattern elements (spots and bands) (Figs. 1–27). Such variability does not offer any stable characteristics to identify different subspecies in the species range. Obviously, the species is represented by the nominative subspecies throughout its entire range.
Female. Females are described for the first time. Their wing pattern and coloration are the same as in males.
Male and female genitalia (Figs. 28–34) have almost no variability. Some differences between genitalia specimens can be found in size and shape of genital structures, i. e., bursa copulatrix in females and aedoeagus in males.
Presumably, the differences in the size of these genital elements are related to the size of the specimens: in larger ones, these parts of the genitalia are larger. The female genitalia (Figs. 31–34) are illustrated here for the first time.
Range. The geographic distribution of A. khachella covers Central Iran (Zendjan Prov.), the Shakhdarinsky Mts. in Tajikistan, mountain ridges Kirgizsky, Dzhumgaltoo, Moldo-Too, Fergansky, Alai and Talassky, the southern shore of Issyk-Kul Lake in Kyrgyzstan, and the Dzhungarsky Alatau Mts. and Syrdaryinsky Karatau Mts. in Kazakhstan. It is very likely that the species is widespread throughout Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and Kazakhstan in suitable locations. In addition, it is very likely to be found in southern Turkmenistan (Kopet-Dag Mts.), southern Uzbekistan and Afghanistan.
Natural history. All specimens were collected in light traps. The vertical zone is from 1,000 m to about 3,000 m. The biotopes include different dry open places (Figs. 35–42). In Kazakhstan (Usek river valley), A. khachella was found in dry stony semidesert with bushes (Fig. 41). In contrast, in Tajikistan the species inhabit stony mountainous steppe (Fig. 42). In Kyrgyzstan (Figs. 35–40), it was recorded in dry stony places like mountainous steppes (Kyzyl-Eshme valley, Fig. 40, Dzhumgaltoo Mts. near Kojomkul, Fig. 38, or Kara-Buura river bank, Fig. 35) or mountainous semideserts (Moldo-Too Mts. near the Koro-Goo Pass, Fig. 37). All the biotopes have one thing in common — they are dry and stony.
description: Published as part of Korb, Stanislav K., 2022, Acrobasis khachella (Amsel, 1950): Little-known snout moth species and new data about its range and habitats (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae, Phycitinae), pp. 4-9 in Amurian Zoological Journal XIV (1) on pages 5-7, DOI: 10.33910/2686-9519-2022-14-1-4-9, http://zenodo.org/record/11088966