Leucochlaena ( Furcochlaena ) hoerhammeri ( Wagner, 1931 )

Leucochlaena ( Furcochlaena) hoerhammeri ( Wagner, 1931) View in CoL

Heliophobus hoerhammeri Wagner, 1931 View in CoL , Internationale Entomologische Zeitschrift, 25:367, L.t.: Turkey, Akşehir.

Material examined. 1♂, Iran, Prov. Markazi, Saveh , 1444 m, 35˚02'50"N 50˚23'58"E, 27.IX.2010, leg. E. Dehlaghi, slide No. AS 498m .

Diagnosis. The closest relative of L. hoerhammeri is L. fallax (Staudinger, 1870) recorded from Russia, Sarepta. Leucochlaena hoerhammeri differs, externally, from L. fallax by darker background, darker claviform stigma, slightly sinuous antemedial line, weak postmedial line, less prominent and poorly visible transverse lines of the hindwing, and paler ground color of hindwing. In the male genitalia, L. hoerhammeri differs from L. fallax by shorter, wider, subapically dilated valva, by a very strong costal lobe near cucullus and short wide harpe with strongly unequal arms and by the vesica bearing a strong thorn-like cornutus.

Identification ( Fig. 1A). Male Wingspan 30 mm., vesture of head, thorax and collar, dense, light brown with white tips of hairs, tegulae marked with whitish hairs. Antenna widely bipectinate, with rows of long fasciculate cilia on each segment. Head small, palpi well-developed with hairy segments, eyes globular. Forewing elongate with apex slightly pointed, ground color cloudy greyish brown. Costal margin brighter than ground color with some black spots. Black basal dash short, inner margin with a rather strong ochreous stripe. Ante and postmedial crosslines thin and whitish, antemedial line slightly curved, postmedial almost straight, median area darker than ground color, veins covered thickly with milky whitish scales. Noctuid maculation distinct and encircled with black, orbicular and reniform stigmata as ground color, claviform stigma darker, orbicular stigma elongated. Subterminal line marked by dark chevrons and lighter grey inner zone, terminal line interrupted, blackish. Cilia basally white, marked with brownish medial line, terminated with creamy white to light brown. Underside of forewing ash-grey, lighter basally. Hindwing white, marginal area suffused with golden scales. Terminal line light brown, cilia white.

Male genitalia ( Figs 2A, 2B). Uncus long and thick, medially constricted, spatulate apically, tegumen broad and low, small penicular lobes present, valva strong, wide, stout, costal and ventral margins relatively parallel, costal margin sclerotized, with pointed triangular extension, clavus reduced, sacculus sclerotized, longer than wide, dorsal margin slightly protruded medially, harpe strong, bifurcate with unequally arms, outer one very long, widened, cucullus small, rounded, armed with strong corona, juxta sub-deltoidal with an apical processes, vinculum short, U-shaped. Aedeagus weakly sclerotized, carina elongate and heavily sclerotized, vesica very short with a strong thorn-like cornutus.

Bionomic. Univoltine species, adults of L. hoerhammeri fly from summer to autumn. It was collected from the xeric steppes and semi mountainous regions covered with shrubs and grasses. Adults come to artificial light, early stages and larval food plants are unknown as yet.

Distribution. Turkey, Azerbaijan ( Gyulai & Ronkay, 1995), Iran ( new record).

Subfamily Noctuinae Latreille, 1809