Nychiodes muelleri Hausmann 1991
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 muelleri

description: Nychiodes muelleri Hausmann, 1991   
(figs 18, 19, 94, 130; map 1)  
 Nychiodes muelleri Hausmann, 1991. Mitteilungen der Münchner Entomologischen Gesellschaft 81: 140. Holotype ♂ (Jordan (central): Shaubak) (in ZSM, examined).   
 Type material examined. Holotype, ♂, S-Jordanien, Schauback [Shobak], 24.v.1968, leg. J. Klapperich; Paratypes, 1 ♂, same locality, 4.v.1968, leg. J. Klapperich; 1 ♂, 3 ♀, same locality, 17.v.1968, leg. J. Klapperich, g.prep. (♀) 5396 Hausmann; 8 ♂, 3 ♀, S-Jordanien, Schauback [Shobak], 24.v.1968, leg. J. Klapperich, (♂) g.preps 5394 Haus- mann, 5395 Hausmann, 14416 Hausmann, (♀) g.prep. 5396 Hausmann; all in ZSM.   
 Diagnosis. Wingspan ♂ 42 mm, ♀ 45 mm (forewing length ♂ 23 mm, ♀ 25 mm) (figs 18, 19).   
 Wings light brown, transverse lines faint, medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwings are not clearly delimited (light brown, orange brown to chocolate brown, medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwings are not clearly delimited in N. palaestinensis; light to dark brown, basal and terminal areas of forewing and terminal area of hindwing irrorated with red brown scales; medial area of forewing and basal and medial areas of hindwing brighter than rest of the wings in N. waltheri; light to chocolate brown, transverse lines strongly pronounced in N. aphrodite) (figs 4–22).   
 Male genitalia of N. muelleri with costa of valva sclerotized towards the apex, medially humped (same condition in N. palaestinensis; costa of valva sclerotized only up to the centre, medially humped N. waltheri; sclerotized towards the apex, not humped in N. aphrodite) (figs 89–95). N. muelleri with ampulla superior narrowing towards the apex (ampulla superior narrowed at the centre in N. palaestinensis; ampulla superior twice as thick as ampulla inferior in N. waltheri; strongly curved in N. aphrodite). N. muelleri aedeagus apically with curved digitiform extension (aedeagus apically with a strongly curved digitiform extension in N. palaestinensis; digitiform, not curved in N. waltheri and N. aphrodite).   
 Female genitalia of N. muelleri with short and broad ovipositor (same in N. palaestinensis and N. waltheri; clearly longer in N. aphrodite). N. muelleri with apophyses anteriores 1/6 length of apophyses posteriores (1/ 4 in N. palaestinensis; 1/ 3 in N. waltheri and N. aphrodite) (see figs 128–131). In N. muelleri lamella postvaginalis strongly sclerotized conically extended (same condition, but slightly narrower in N. palaestinensis and much narrower in N. waltheri; lamella postvaginalis apically tongue-shaped in N. aphrodite). In N. muelleri ductus bursae fairly long, without extended sclerotized patch (same condition in N. palaestinensis and N. aphrodite; very short with extended sclerotized patch in N. waltheri).   
 Phenology. Scarce data from early to late May. Biology. Unknown. Habitat. In altitudes from 1000 up to 1660 m. Distribution. Endemic species in southern Jordan (see map 1). DNA barcoding. No data available. Taxonomic Remark. There are only few morphological differences between N. muelleri and N. palaestinensis (its hypothetical sister species). For this species, only the type specimens were available. The status of this species needs further clarification, by means of DNA barcoding of the holotype of N. muelleri.
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 14-15, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4812.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/3944102