Taxonomic and Faunistic Results on the <i>Spilomelinae</i> Guenée, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) from the Southern Arabian Peninsula with Descriptions of Three New Species

Abstract

The Spilomelinae Guinée, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) is known as the largest subfamily of the Pyraloidea with a wide distribution in the tropical and temperate zones. In the present study, new taxonomic and faunistic results on this subfamily are presented on the basis of material sampled in the south-western province Dhofar of Oman. In Dhofar three zoogeographical zones intersect, namely the Palearctic, Oriental and Afrotropical zones, with the Afrotropical fauna elements in the majority. The specimens of the sample are attributed to three species of three different genera, namely Herpetogramma, Lederer, 1883 (n=2), Notarcha, Meyrick, 1884 (n=2) and Glyphodes, Meyrick, 1884 (n=2) on the basis of external and genital-morphological characters. The specimens attributed to the genus Herpetogramma, Lederer, 1883 are assigned to a species group known as LBJ (Little Brown Jobs), the species of which are distinguishable by genital-morphological features exclusively. The specimens attributed to the genus Notarcha, Meyrick, 1884 revealed to be very close in wing pattern features to the Notarcha quaternalis Zeller, 1832 species complex. Comparison of the male genitalia of each of the sub-samples with the species of the respective sub-groups revealed significant differences, which result in the descriptions of the new species Herpetogramma debilis Seizmair, sp. nov. and Notarcha viridalis Seizmair, sp. nov. The presence of the genus Notarcha, Meyrick, 1884 is reported as new to the entomofauna of the Arabian Peninsula. The specimens attributed to the genus Glyphodes, Meyrick, 1884 differ significantly in external characters from a sample of seven species with similar forewing longitudinal line patterns. Among the species of this cluster Glyphodes onychinalis Guenée, 1854 is genital-morphologically very close to the specimens of the sample collected. The latter species and the specimens of the sample share the shape of the uncus and the structure of the corpus bursae wall, yet differ significantly in the structure of the valva. These differences result in the description of the new species Glyphodes leucomesalis Seizmair, sp.nov.

Faunistic and taxonomic notes on eleven recently recorded species of Spilomelinae Guinée, 1854 (Lepidoptera, Crambidae) from the Arabian Peninsula with an updated checklist

“…Asselbergs (2008) [13] , Pelham-Clinton (1977) [12] , Rebel (1930) [6] Agroterini Acloque, 1897 Notarcha viridalis Oman (Dhofar) Seizmair (2021) [18] Patania aegrotalis Zeller, 1852 Yemen Rebel (1907) [5]…”

“…Ghesquière (1942) [11] , Walsingham, Hampson (1896) [4] , Gillett (1997) [14] , this paper Glyphodes leucomesalis Oman (Dhofar) Seizmair (2021) [18] Hodebertia testalis Fabricius, 1794 Saudi-Arabia, Yemen Walsingham, Hampson (1896) [4] , Butler (1884) [3] , Rebel (1907) [5] Maruca vitrata (Fabricius, 1787) Oman (Dhofar), UAE Asselbergs (2008) [13] , Gillett (1997) [14] Omiodes indicata (Fabricius, 1775) Saudi-Arabia Walsingham (1911) [38] Palpita vitrealis (Rossi, 1797) Oman (Dhofar), Yemen Seizmair (2022) [21] , Butler (1884) [3] Palpita subflavalis Seizmair, 2022 Oman (Dhofar) Seizmair (2022) [21] Synclera traducalis (Zeller, 1852) Saudi-Arabia, UAE, Yemen Guillermet (2009) [28] , Asselbergs (2008) [13] , Butler (1884) [3] Synclera bleusei Oberthür, 1887…”

“…Eurrhyparodes bracteolalis (Zeller, 1852) Oman (Northern Region) Pelham-Clinton (1977) [12] Eurrhyparodes tricoloralis (Zeller, 1852) UAE Asselbergs (2008) [13] Herpetogramma licarsisalis (Walker, 1859) Yemen, Saudi-Arabia, UAE, Oman (Dhofar) Guillermet (2009) [28] , Asselbergs (2008) [13] , this paper Herpetogramma debilis Seizmair, 2021 Oman (Dhofar) Seizmair (2021) [18] Hymeniini Swinhoe, 1900 Spoladea recurvalis (Fabricius, 1775) Oman (Northern Region, Dhofar), Yemen, Saudi-Arabia, UAE Pelham-Clinton (1977) [12] , Butler (1884) [3] , Rebel (1907) [5] , Walsingham, Hampson (1896) [4] Asselbergs (2008) [13] Trichaeini Mally, Hayden, Neinhuis, Jordal & Nuss, 2019 Prophantis smaragdina (Butler, 1875) Yemen Guillermet (2009) [28] Steniini Guenée, 1854 Bradina triangularis Oman (Dhofar) Seizmair (2021) [20] Dolicharthria paediusalis (Walker, 1859) Oman (Northern Region), Yemen Walsingham, Hampson (1896) [4] Dolicharthria daralis (Chrétien, 1911) Oman (Northern Region) Pelham-Clinton (1977) [12] Dolicharthria grisealis (Hampson, 1899) Yemen Hampson (1899) [8] Duponchelia fovealis Zeller, 1847 Oman (Northern Region, Dhofar), UAE, Yemen, Saudi-Arabia Pelham-Clinton (1977) [12] , Hampson (1897) [7] , Walsingham, Hampson (1896) [4] , Asselbergs (2008) [13] , this paper Hymenoptychis sordida Zeller, 1852 UAE Asselbergs (2008) [13] Metasia prionogramma (Meyrick, 1886) Yemen Hampson (1903) [9] Metasia profanalis (Walker, 1866) Yemen Walsingham, Hampson (1896) [4] Saudi-Arabia, Yemen Ghesquière (1942) [11] , Butler (1884) [3] Nomophila noctuella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)…”

“…Asselbergs (2008) [13] gives a comprehensive faunistic revision of the Crambidae for the UAE, which includes records of 13 species of the Spilomelinae Guenée, 1854 for the Arabian Peninsula, seven of which were reported as new to the entomofauna of the UAE. Further recent contributions to the study of the Arabian Spilomelinae Guenée, 1854 include Gillett (1997) [14] , Büttiker, Gallagher (1980) [15] , Monks et al (2019) [16] and Seizmair (2019Seizmair ( , 2022 [17,18,19,20,21] . On the Arabian Peninsula three zoogeographical main zones intersect, namely the Palearctic, Oriental and Afrotropical Zones.…”