Dyspessa sudoli Saldaitis, Yakovlev, Dobrzański & Prozorov, 2025

Saldaitis, Aidas, Yakovlev, Roman V., Dobrzański, Xavier, Kalashian, Mark, Müller, Günter C. & Prozorov, Alexey M., 2025, Dyspessa sudoli sp. nov. - another new Armenian species (Lepidoptera, Cossidae, Cossinae, Endagriini), Zootaxa 5659 (3), pp. 426-438 : 427-435

Dyspessa sudoli Saldaitis, Yakovlev, Dobrzański & Prozorov sp. nov.

http://www.zoobank.org/ urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:53629455-D431-4B39-BF45-20D2EA2724EC

( Figs 3–12, 16–22)

Holotype: ♂, “ Armenia / Halidzor-Tatev / Canyon / 19.06.2023 / Leg. D.Sudoł ”, GS 2025 1306 (deposited in Upper Silesian Museum , Bytom, Poland; Figs 3, 17).

Paratypes (deposited in ASV, GMF, DSL, L-GJT, RHE, WIGJ and XDW): 4♂♂, 1♀, same data as HT, GS 2025 1307 ( Figs 10–11, 21) ; 1♂, 2♀♀, “ Armenia / Halidzor-Tatev / Canyon / 19.06.2023 / leg. X.Dobrzański ”, GS 2025 1308 ( Fig. 4) ; 9♂♂, “ Armenia / Vank / 39°01’50.0”N / 46°12’36.2”E / 14– 18.06.2023 / leg. D.Sudoł ”, GSs 2025 1304, 2025 1305 ( Figs 5, 7–8, 16, 18) ; 8♂♂, 3♀♀, “ Armenia, Meghri / Vank / 39°01’49”N / 46°12’35”E / 7– 8.06.2022 / leg. X.Dobrzański ”, GS 2025 1309 ( Figs 6, 19) ; 1♂, “ Armenia, Meghri / 38°53’55.8”N / 46°12’55.7”E / 14– 18.06.2023 / leg. X.Dobrzański ” ( Fig. 9) ; 2♂♂, “ Armenia / Agarakadzor / 39°42’32.7”N / 45°20’59.2”E / 9– 13.06.2023 / leg. X.Dobrzański ”, GS 2025 1313 ( Figs 12, 22) ; 1♂, “ Armenia, Yeghegnadzor / 39°46’02.9”N / 45°19’29.8”E / 9– 13.06.2023 / leg. D.Sudoł ” ; 1♂, “ Armenia, Yeghegnadzor / 39°46’02.9”N / 45°19’29.8”E / 9– 13.06.2023 / leg. X.Dobrzański ” ; 1♂, “ Armenia, Sulema Pass / Southern slopes / 12.06.2023 / leg. D.Sudoł ” .

Diagnosis. Dyspessa sudoli sp. nov. differs from:

1) D. gayane with more blurred pattern without numerous dark scales in forewing, darker colored hindwing (compare Figs 1–2 and 3–12), slightly larger male genitalia, basally slightly wider uncus, larger gnathos, valva with less protruding costal extension; transtilla slightly more elegant, dorsally indented and with more protruding mediodistal dent (compare Figs 13–15 and 16–18, 21–22);

2) D. stroehlei with more contrasting darker forewing pattern (compare Figs 24 and 3–12), valva with less protruding costal extension; transtilla slightly more elegant, dorsally indented and with more protruding mediodistal dent (compare Figs 25 and 16–18, 21–22);

3) D. daralagezi with lighter colored and more blurred forewing pattern (compare Figs 26 and 3–12), basally slightly wider uncus, smaller saccus (compare Figs 27 and 16–18, 21–22).

Description. Male ( Figs 3, 5, 7–12).Antenna dark brown, about half length of forewing; rami gradually elongate in basal third of antenna, then shorten in distal third, reach length of three flagellar diameters; flagellum mottled, with white and cream-colored scales. Head and thorax dorsally covered with white, light cream-colored and dark brown scales. Abdomen dorsally cream-colored. Forewing length: 9.5–13 mm. Forewing elongated, somewhat triangular, with smooth convex outer margin, rounded apex, wide rounded tornal angle, and protruded obtuse anal angle ( Fig. 10). Background color white or light cream-colored with more or less pronounced mottled-brown costal area, dark brown elongate dorsal patch in discal cell; dark brown patches outside of discal cell between Rs4 and M1, M2 and M3, CuA1 and CuA2, and straw patches between M1 and M2, CuA2 and CuP; brown and straw brown patches between CuA2 and 1A+2A, postmedial area mottled, with white and brown scales getting lighter towards outer margin, brown spots at veins along outer margin. Cilia mottled, with white and cream-colored scales, getting brownish at veins. Hindwing somewhat ovoid, with smooth outer margin. Medially mottled, with brown and sparse light cream-colored scales, getting lighter colored in basal, anal, costal and outer areas. Cilia mottled, with white, cream-colored, and brown scales. Genitalia ( Figs 16–18, 21–22). Uncus fused with tegumen; somewhat triangular with barely pronounced mediolateral concavities and getting more sclerotized laterally and apically; apex rather blunt. Arms of gnathos relatively thick and together of uncus size; gnathos weakly sclerotized with barely pronounced denticles. Vinculum fused with tegumen, widening dorsally, laterally almost as thick as arms of gnathos, ventrally expanding into wide digitiform saccus connected to juxta via membrane. Valva as long as uncus and tegumen together, narrowing and getting less sclerotized towards apex, mediodistally and along sacculus densely covered with setae; apex rounded and membranous, costal margin of valva having medial sclerotized indented costal extension with medial concavity. Transtilla somewhat triangle, more sclerotized outwards, with more or less indented dorsal margin, and bent upwards claw-like apex. Juxta somewhat of sella turcica shape with short upward dorsolateral digitiform processes connected to transtilla. Phallus slender, S-shaped, a little shorter than valva, narrowing towards pointed apex; wide opening of vesica lays dorsoapically, about one third the length of phallus, valva bears no cornuti. Female ( Figs 4, 6) resembles male but has about three times shorter rami, rather darker colored hindwing with darker cilia, and well-pronounced ovipositor. Forewing legth: 9.5–11 mm. Genitalia ( Figs 19–20) Papilla analis small, sparsely covered with setsae. Ovipositor about 6 mm long and 0.5 mm wide. Posterior apophysis about 9 mm long, anterior apophysis about 5.5 mm long. Postvaginal plate with narrow medial and tiny lateral to ostium sclerotized areas. Ostium somewhat round. Ductus bursae not well distinguishing, corpus bursae ovoid, about 3 mm long, with mediolaterally attached ductus seminalis.

Distribution and biology ( Fig. 23). So far only know from six locations in southern Armenia within the Caucasus mixed forests ecoregion ( Olson et al. 2001; Dinerstein et al. 2017). The type specimens were collected from the altitudes of 918–1488 m throughout June.

Biotope in the type locality ( Figs 28–29). Collecting site for the HT and some PTs is situated in South-East Armenia in the gorge of the middle course of the Vorotan River, which flows between the spurs of the Zangezur ridge and the Karabakh highlands. The canyon is characterized by the rich flora and mosaic vegetation. The ecosystems of the canyon are classified below following the EUNIS habitats’ classification ( Davies et al. 2004) adapted to Armenia by Fayvush & Aleksanyan (2016) using the codes applied in the latter book.

In the slopes of the gorge prevail Oak forests with dominance of Quercus iberica (G1.A1D1), in particular, G1.A1D12 (Oak forests with Crataegus spp. and Cornus mas L.), with presence of Crategus species ( C. pentagyna Waldst. & Kit. , C. szovitzii Pojark. , etc.) and Cornus mas L., and G1.A1D13 (Oak forest with Corylus avellana ), with common here in tree stand Carpinus betulus L., Fraxinus excelsior L., Acer spp. and Corylus avellana (L.) H.Karst in the second tiers.

On the rocky slopes distributed two types of Traganth communities, namely F7.4I211 (Traganth communities with Astragalus microcephalus Willd. dominance) with common here Onosma sericea Willd. , Poa bulbosa L., Stachys byzantina K.Koch & Scheele , Eremostachys laciniata (L.) Bunge, and F7.4I212 (Traganth communities with Astragalus lagurus Willd. and Astragalus aureus Willd. dominance) with Festuca valesiaca Gaudin , Betonica macrantha K.Koch , Hypericum scabrum L., Stipa capillata L., etc.

Small plots of Nettle tree open arid forests (F5.343) with dominance of Celtis caucasica Willd. and C. glabrata Steven ex Planch. with common here Ephedra procera C.A.Mey. , Astrodacus orientalis (L.) Drude, etc., “Shibliak” ( Paliurus spina-christi Mill. thorn scrub – F3.276) with Jasminum fruticans L., Rosa spinosissima L., Cynodon dactylon (L.) Pers., etc. and F5.1331 ( Juniperus excelsa M. Bieb. arborescent matorral) are presented as well.

Due to the steepness of the shores of the river shore vegetation is scarcely developed, presented with single Salix spp. trees and sparse grassy vegetation.

Etymology. The species in named in honor of Damian Sudoł (Lublin, Poland), the collector of the new species.