Research Article |
Corresponding author: Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze ( lgjaparidze@gmail.com ) Academic editor: Levan Mumladze
© 2024 Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze.
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
Citation:
Japaridze L-G (2024) First records of two genera and three carpenter moths (Lepidoptera, Cossidae) from Georgia. Caucasiana 3: 273-280. https://doi.org/10.3897/caucasiana.3.e140978
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The aim of the present study is to provide an update on the Lepidoptera diversity of Georgia, with the first records of the Cecryphalus Schoorl, 1990, and Dieida Strand, 1911, genera, along with Dyspessa infuscata (Staudinger, 1892). The records are based on three male specimens of Cecryphalus strix (Grum-Grshimailo, 1896), a single male specimen of Dieida ledereri (Staudinger, 1871), and a single female specimen of D. infuscata collected in different parts of Georgia. Digital images of imagoes, first descriptions, and pictures of male D. ledereri genitalia, along with collecting data, are provided.
Caucasus, Cossoidea, Heterocera, Heteroneura, new records
Cecryphalus
Schoorl, 1990, consists of only two known nocturnal species, which inhabit deserts of Central Asia, North Africa, and South Caucasus (
Dieida
Strand, 1911, comprises only six species of diurnal Palaearctic Cossidae (Japaridze and Hulsbosch 2023). A single species, D. ledereri, is found in the South Caucasus, more precisely in Azerbaijan (
Dyspessa
Hübner, [1820] is the most speciose genus of nocturnal carpenter moths, which includes over 80 species widely distributed in the western Palaearctic (
The specimens were collected via the light traps, except the male specimen of Dieda ledereri was hand collected. Sampling details are given below. The elevations and GPS coordinates (given in WGS84) were obtained via Garmin GPS MAP 64s. All specimens are deposited in the personal collection of the author (hereafter as JLGT). Specimens were examined on the basis of both external and internal morphological characters. The genital dissection was performed with the technique published by
MR – Managed Reserve;
Mun – Municipally;
NP – National Park;
Un – uncus;
Gn – gnathos;
Tg – tegumen;
Vl – valvae;
Sl -– sacculus;
Jx – juxta;
Vi – vinculum;
Sa – saccus;
Ad – aedeagus;
Ve – vesica.
Genus Cecryphalus Schoorl, 1990
Cecryphalus nubila:
Cecryphalus nubila:
Cecryphalus strix:
Cecryphalus nubila:
GEORGIA • 2♀♀; Dedoplistkaro Mun., Vashlovani NP; N41.118327°, E46.640500°; 114 m a.s.l.; leg: L-G Japaridze; 6 June 2023; JLGT • 1♀; Chachuna MR; N41.220392°, E45.972397°; 248 m a.s.l.; leg: A. Seropian; 17 July 2023; JLGT.
The species is known to occur in Southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Southern Mongolia, Northwestern China, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Northern Iran, and South Armenia (
Dieida ledereri:
GEORGIA • 1♂; Dedoplistksaro Mun., Vashlovani NP; N41.1194226°, E46.6097341°; 460 m a.s.l.; leg: N. Bulbulashvili; 16 April 2022; JLGT.
Male genitalia. Tegumen long and triangular; uncus small, sclerotized, triangular peak-shaped. Socii oval with setae. Arms of gnathos long, thin, and fused by membrane; gnathos knob, triangular, and membranous. Valvae lanceolate, 6 times longer than wide; apex roundish, basal half of costal margin convex, apical half concave, dorsal margin 2/3 from base slightly concave, apical part 1/6 membranous, basal part 5/6 sclerotized; margin between membranous and sclerotized parts clear and roundish, dorsally membranous reach end of sacculus. Sacculus clearly separated from valvae, slender, 2/3 length of valvae; base roundish, gradually narrowing towards the outer end. Arms of transtilla relatively short, thin, and strongly sclerotized; transtilla knob not well visible, membranous. Lateral juxta triangular. Saccus well developed, nearly half as long as width, apex rounded, anterior margin strongly sclerotized, slightly concave, posterior margin of vinculum rounded. Aedeagus cylindrical, slightly longer than valvae, without cornutus. Vesica membranous, basal part large and roundish, distal part gladiate, without cornutus.
The species is known from Turkey, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Syria, Iraq, Israel, and Iran (
It should be noted that the only specimen of D. ledereri, mentioned above, was preyed upon by a robber fly (Asillidae), which was caught and dropped the specimen on the ground. Unfortunately, the specimen later was damaged during the transportation, thus we don’t have the photograph of the undamaged specimen to fully express the natural colors. However, the undamaged specimen had bipectinate black antennae with 2/3 white on the anterior side, half the length of the forewing, and rami long and black. Head, tegula, thorax, and abdomen densely hirsute and black with a golden terminal part, golden-brown both dorsally and ventrally. Forewings semitranslucent; basal area white-ivory. Hindwings semitranslucent; white-ivory spots on submedian area and hind margin.
Dyspessa infuscata:
GEORGIA • 1♀; Tbilisi, Nutsubidze plateau; N41.7278241°, E44.7143434°; 621 m a.s.l.; leg: G. Makharadze; 24 April 2024; JLGT.
The species is distributed in Turkey, Russia (North Caucasus), Ukraine (Crimea), South Caucasus, and Syria (
Recent studies and collecting efforts in Georgia and adjacent territories have resulted in descriptions of several new species of Cossidae: Holcocerus didmanidzae
My gratitude to Armen Seropian (Ilia State University, Institute of Ecology) for photographing the preserved specimens and providing an additional specimen of Cecryphalus strix. Cordial thanks to Giorgi Makharadze (Tbilisi, Georgia) and Natalia Bulbulashvili (Gori, Georgia) for providing the specimens of Dyspessa infuscata and Dieida ledereri, respectively. Much obliged to Oleg Pekarsky (Budapest, Hungary) for dissecting and providing the photographs of Dieida ledereri. Special thanks to two anonymous reviewers for valuable comments and suggestions.
The author has declared that no competing interests exist.
No ethical statement was reported.
The study was partly founded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research under grant number 01DK20014A.
Lasha-Giorgi Japaridze https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7171-5589
All of the data that support the findings of this study are available in the main text.