Search

We record three Tischeriidae species new for Iran: Coptotriche gaunacella (Duponchel, 1843) from Tehran and Mazandaran provinces, Tischeria dodonaea Stainton, 1858 from East Azarbaijan province and T. caucasica Klasiński & Stonis, 2020, previously only known from Georgia. The larvae of T. caucasica were observed mining the leaves of planted trees of Quercus infectoria G. Olivier, Q. robur Linnaeus and Q. libani G. Olivier in Peykan Shahr, Tehran province; and on native trees of Q. castaneifolia C.A.Mey. and Q. macranthera Fisch. & C.A.Mey. ex Hohen. in East Azarbaijan, Gilan and Mazandaran provinces. This species was very abundant on planted oaks in Peykan Shahr, Tehran and the infestation increased progressively in the second generation of the moth in November and December. Tischeria caucasica is very similar to European T. ekebladella (Bjerkander, 1795) in external appearance and biology, both sharing the same DNA barcode. The only diagnostic character, in the male genitalia, are the spiny appendages of the juxta. We provide a brief diagnosis and describe the larvae, leafmines and pupae for the first time. We discuss whether the observed difference in the male genitalia supports separate specific status, or is the result of clinal variation of a single species.

A taxonomic revision of the Iranian species of the family Cossidae is conducted. Sixthy-nine species and 16 subspecies in 26 genera and five subfamilies, namely Catoptinae, Mehariinae, Stygiinae, Cossinae and Zeuzerinae, are identified. Meharia baluchestana Alipanah & Yakovlev, sp. n. and Cossulus kopetdaghensis Yakovlev & Alipanah, sp. n. are described. Dyspessa elbursensis derbenti Daniel, 1964 is raised to the species level, Dyspessa derbenti Daniel, 1964, stat. n.; Dieida ledereri (Staudinger, 1817) is considered as the senior synonym of D. persa Strand in Stichel, 1911, syn. n.; Cossus coccus araraticus Teich, 1896 is considered as a senior synonym of C. c. armeniaca Rothschild, 1912, syn. n.; C c. kossai Wiltshire, 1957 as a senior synonym of C. c. omrana Wiltshire, 1957, syn. n.; and Deserticossus arenicola iranica (Austaut, 1897), syn. n. and D. arenicola transcaucasicus (Zukowsky, 1936), syn. n. are newly synonymized with D. arenicola arenicola (Staudinger, 1879). Additionally, the genus Mormogystia Schoorl, 1990, and 15 species, namely Dyspessa alpherakyi (Christoph in Romanoff, 1885), D. artemis Yakovlev, 2008, D. blonda Yakovlev, 2008, D. stroehlei Yakovlev, 2008, D. tsvetaevi Yakovlev, 2008, Barchaniella inspersa (Christoph, 1887), B. sacara (Grum-Grshimailo, 1902), Cossulus intractatus (Staudinger, 1887), C. mollis (Christoph, 1887), C. stertzi (Püngeler, 1899), Deserticossus campicola (Eversmann, 1854), Kotchevnik durelli Yakovlev, 2004, Mormogystia reibellii (Oberthür, 1876), Eremocossus erebuni Yakovlev, 2008 and Phragmataecia turkmenbashi Yakovlev, 2008 are newly reported for the fauna of Iran. Moreover, the hitherto unknown female of Kotchevnik durelli is described. Additional data of the species previously reported from Iran is provided and the collecting data maps of the entire studied species are presented.

Elegia species deposited in the Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum (HMIM) were examined and three species were identified. Elegia kharazii sp. nov. is described based on a single male and two females collected in Gilan and Golestan Provinces, Iran and compared with the externally similar European species E. similella (Zincken, 1818). Elegia saecula Kemal, Kýzýldað & Koçak, 2020 (syn. nov.) is considered as a junior synonym of Elegia iozona (Meyrick, 1937). Elegia atrifasciella Ragonot, 1887, collected in the north-west Iran (East Azarbaijan Province), is a new species for the fauna of Iran.

Sitochroa urmiensissp. nov. is described based on a single male collected in West Azarbaijan Province, Iran. Sitochroa palealis (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775) is considered as a senior synonym of Loxostege farsalis Amsel, 1950 syn. nov.Loxostege malekalis Amsel, 1950 is transferred to the genus Sitochroa Hübner, as S. malekalis (Amsel, 1950) comb. nov. And the hitherto unknown female of S. malekalis is described and illustrated.

Dyspessa peri sp. n. (Lepidoptera: Cossidae) is described from Sarobi in Central Afghanistan. The new species is closely related to D. tristis A. Bang-Haas, 1912, and is distinguished by peculiarities of the wing pattern and structure of the male genitalia. http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D58AAAC5-90F2-4D06-9DB2-C4D3CDE36265

The 22 species of the tortricid tribe Cnephasiini recorded from Iran are reviewed. Cnephasia razowskii, sp. n., is described and illustrated. Five species, i.e., C. communana (Herrich & Schäffer, 1851), C. genitalana Pierce & Metcalfe, 1922, C. tianshanica Filipjev, 1934, C. kenneli Obraztsov, 1956 and Eana incanana (Stephens, 1852), are newly reported for the fauna of Iran. New distributional data are presented for all other species. The previously unknown females of C. facetana Kennel, 1901 and C. kenneli are described and illustrated. A re-description of the female genitalia of C. grandis Osthelder, 1938 is provided owing to its poor original description.

The Iranian species of the genus Evergestis were reviewed taxonomically and as a result, Evergestis pazukii sp. n. is described as a new species, E. comealis Amsel stat. n. is raised to species level from the subspecies E. caesialis comealis, and four species, namely E. flavifuscalis Rebel, E. limbata (Linnaeus), E. pechi (Bethune-Baker), and E. serratalis Staudinger are newly reported from Iran. Furthermore, the females of Evergestis africalis (Guenée), and E. nomadalis (Lederer), and the male of E. elbursalis Amsel are described and illustrated for the first time. A redescription of the male of E. hyrcanalis Amsel is provided mainly based on the genital structure, and the male and female genitalia of E. boursini Amsel and E. flavifuscalis Rebel are redescribed, respectively due to their poor descriptions. Additional remarks on the previousely reported species and new data on their distribution in Iran are also provided.

A complete description of Acteniopsis gambronensis sp. n. is given based on three males and three females collected in the south of Iran, Hormozgan Province. The female of A. kurdistanella Amsel, 1959 is redescribed and illustrated and new distributional data for this species is also provided. Acteniopsis robustus Asselberges, 2010 is transferred to the genus Stemmatophora Guenée, 1854, S. robustus (Asselbergs, 2010), comb. n. A taxonomic review of the genus Acteniopsis is presented. Introduction The genus Acteniopsis Amsel, 1959 was erected to accommodate the type species A. kurdistanella Amsel, 1959. Acteniopsis belongs to the subfamily Pyralinae along with more than 1100 species in 134 genera. This subfamily is more diverse in Asia and Africa than in the western hemisphere (Munroe and Solis 1999; Nuss et al. 2003–2017). There is no obvious synapomorphic character for this subfamily (Solis and Shaffer 1999). Prior to the current study, Acteniopsis included only two species, A. kurdistanella and A. robustus Asselbergs, 2010 which had been described from Iraq and United Arab Emirates, respectively. The former species is also reported from Iran by Amsel (1961). According to Amsel (1959), this genus is generally close to Actenia Guenée, 1854 (presently known as Stemmatophora Guenée, 1854), although has very small and hardly recognizable maxillary palpi, and different, much shorter, and more broadly scaled labial palpi. The wing venation of these two genera is more or less similar accordingly; however in the hindwing of Acteniopsis the veins M2 and M3 originate from the same point, while in Stemmatophora they are on a short stalk. Also, in the forewing of Stemmatophora vein R5 is more or less on a long stalk at R3+R4, while in Acteniopsis R3+R4+R5 arising from a common point, and sometimes in female, R3+R4 has a short stalk with R5. Their antennae are differently ciliated ventrally: Stemmatophora has two rows of stout brushes of ciliae ending in numerous split hairs, while in Acteniopsis the ciliae are very tender, distally split in few fine hairs (Amsel 1959). During the study of Pyralinae of Iran, an unknown Acteniopsis species was found in the Lepidoptera collection of the Hayk Mirzayans Insect Museum (HMIM), Iranian Research Institute of Plant Protection (IRIPP). The aim of the present study is to describe this new Acteniopsis species which has been collected in Hormozgan Province in 1986. We also redescribe the female of A. kurdistanella based on the Iranian specimens collected in Chaharmahal va Bakhtiari, Fars, Hamedan and Kermanshah Provinces. Furthermore, the genus Acteniopsis is here revised.

The phylogeny of the hydrophilid genus Sternolophus Solier, 1834 was examined in this study using 60 morphological adult characters, eight of them continuous and 52 discrete. The cladistic analysis resulted in a single most parsimonious tree with two major subclades corresponding, respectively, to species previously assigned to the subgenera Sternolophus s. str. Solier and Neosternolophus Zaitzev, although they are not re-instated. The species groups S. angolensis (Erichson, 1843) and S. solieri Castelnau, 1840 are recovered as monophyletic. The biogeography and diversification of the species of Sternolophus are briefly discussed.

The monophyly of the tribe Oxyptilini and phylogenetic relationships of the genera embraced in this tribe were examined using 171 (75 binary and 96 multistate) characters of adult morphology. The study material included 98 species of 30 genera, representing all previously recognized genera of Oxyptilini, together with the genera Sphenarches, Antarches, Diacrotricha, and Cosmoclostis, four species of Oidaematophorini, three species of Platyptiliini, as well as three and two other species belonging to Pterophorini and Exelastini respectively. Two Agdistis species were used as outgroups. The cladistic analysis resulted in six equally parsimonious trees. A majority of the recovered synapomorphic characters have previously been used in the taxonomy of the subfamily. However, 25 novel characters were found. The monophyly of Oxyptilini was supported, although only with homoplastic characters and low amounts of tree confidence; the genera Capperia, Procapperia, Paracapperia, Oxyptilus, Megalorhipida, and Trichoptilus were found to be nonmonophyletic; Sphenarches and Antarches were recovered as members of Oxyptilini; the two genera Cosmoclostis and Diacrotricha were placed out of Oxyptilini, inside the tribe Pterophorini; and close affinity of the genus Dejongia to Stangeia, Stenodacma, Megalorhipida, Trichoptilus, and Buckleria species was revealed. Four new combinations, Cosmoclostis lanceata (Arenberger) comb. nov., Nippoptilia regulus (Meyrick) comb. nov., Capperia tadzhica (Zagulajev) comb. nov., and Buckleria negotiosus (Meyrick) comb. nov. are proposed; Capperia insomnis Townsend was considered as a senior synonym of Procapperia hackeri Arenberger syn. nov., Buckleria negotiosus (Meyrick) as a senior synonym of Buckleria vanderwolfi Gielis syn. nov., and Oxyptilus variegatus Meyrick syn. nov. as a junior synonym of Oxyptilus secutor Meyrick. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 163, 484–547.

This study was carried out between early summer 1998 and late summer 1999 in the Hyrcanian Plain forests, the southern Caspian Sea woodlands. In total, the gizzard contents of 241 specimens of the Great Tit (Parus major Linnaeus, 1758), Blue Tit (Cyanistes caeruleus Linnaeus, 1758), and Coal Tit (Periparus ater (Linnaeus, 1758)) were collected so that the percentages of grit, plants and animal materials could be estimated and the plant and invertebrate species consumed identified. The data were tested by a series of Mann-Whitney U, ANOVA and Kruskal-Wallis tests. To survey niche overlap of food materials between species and season, the symmetrical overlap index developed by Pianka (1973) was used. The most important invertebrates (maximum of percentage per season) in the diet of P. major were Coleoptera (36.5%) and Lepidoptera (33.6%), for C. caeruleus Coleoptera (34.5%) and Araneae (31.2%), and for Pe. ater Coleoptera (38.2%) and Araneae (35.6%). The most important plants consumed by P. major we...

Hedya tritofa, new species, is described and illustrated based on eleven males and five females collected in northern Iran (Gilan, Mazandaran, and Golestan provinces). Morphology and diagnostic characters of Hedya Hubner, 1825, Metendothenia Diakonoff, 1973, the Olethreutes group of genera, and the Neopotamia group of genera are discussed. We propose the resurrection of the combinations Hedya atropunctana (Zetterstedt, 1840), revised status, and H. separatana (Kearfott, 1907), revised status, and the new combination H. inouei (Kawabe, 1987).

Eighty-two species of Cochylini are recorded from Iran. Previous studies dealing with the tribe are summarized, and new data on the distribution of the Iranian species are provided. Aethes kandovana sp. n. is described; three genera, viz. Ceratoxanthis Razowski, Gynnidomorpha Turner, and Cochylidia Obraztsov, and the species Phtheochroa durbonana (Lhomme), P. syrtana Ragonot, P. inopiana (Haworth), P. decipiens (Walsingham), P. kenneli Obraztsov, P. subfumida (Falkovitsch), Cochylimorpha alternana (Stephens), C. armeniana (Joannis), C. kurdistana (Amsel), C. langeana (Kalchberg), C. montana (Razowski), C. nodulana (Moschler), C. nuristana (Razowski), Phalonidia manniana (Fischer von Roslerstamm), Gynnidomorpha permixtana ([Denis & Schiffermuller]), Ceratoxanthis iberica Baixeras, Eugnosta lathoniana (Hubner), Aethes conversana (Walsingham), A. deutschiana (Zetterstedt), A. eichleri Razowski, A. fennicana (Toll), A. scalana (Zerny), A. williana (Brahm), Cochylidia moguntiana Roessler, C. rupicola (Curtis), C. implicitana (Wocke), and Diceratura ostrinana (Guenee) are newly reported. The previously unknown male of Cochylimorpha fluens (Razowski) and the previously unknown females of C. scrophulana Razowski and C. montana (Razowski) are described.

A full description of Gymnancyla (Gymnancyla) iranella sp. n. is given; adult, head and appendages, male and female genitalia and the larva are described and illustrated, based on 15 males, 12 females and three last instar larvae collected in central Iran, Yazd Province, Abarkuh region. Larvae were found on Salsola sp. (family Chenopodiaceae).

Apoxyptilus, gen. nov., and Pseudoxyptilus, gen. nov., are described and illustrated, with Oxyptilus anthites Meyrick, 1936, and Oxyptilus secutor Meyrick, 1911, as their type-species, respectively. Apoxyptilus anthites (Meyrick), comb. nov., and Pseudoxyptilus secutor (Meyrick), comb. nov., are redescribed. An illustrated key to the genera of the tribe Oxyptilini is provided.