Pyralis transcaspica Rebel 1903

Pyralis transcaspica Rebel, 1903 Redescription. Male (Fig. 1). Forewing length 10–12 mm. Small-sized moth with slender body and moderately broad wings. Overall coloration sandy-brown, well matching arid desert background; appearance matte, without metallic sheen. Head covered with ochreous scales, appressed on frons, protruding at vertex. Labial palpi porrect, relatively short, densely scaled; second segment thickened, third segment short, acute. Antennae covered with appressed pale ochreous scales, filiform-ciliate except for apical sixth; cilia in basal half about two times length of shaft width, very thin. Thorax concolorous with head, covered with ochreous scales. Tegulae indistinct, same coloration. Abdomen elongate, cylindrical, pale ochreous. Terminal segments somewhat darker; anal tuft modest, concolorous. Forewings moderately broad, elongate-triangular; termen slightly convex, apex rounded. Ground color sandy-brown with diffuse darker shading, especially in median and subterminal areas. Pattern weakly expressed: faint, darker medial suffusion present; discal spot absent or extremely indistinct; costa slightly paler than central wing field; with two yellowish curved cross lines in discal and submarginal areas. Fringes ochreous, long, uniform. Hindwings lighter than forewings, creamy-ochreous, semi-translucent in basal part. Median line weakly expressed, lighter than ground color. Fringes same as in forewings. Female. Unknown. Male genitalia (Fig. 2A, B). Uncus sub-rectangular, slightly broader than long, apical edge weakly convex; uncus articulated from the tegumen; tegumen narrow, broadest laterally, distally tapered, with strong lateral arms below the base of uncus. Gnathos articulated from the tegumen, lateral arms broadly rounded near the base, narrowing medially, mesially formed as large elongated sub-triangular lobe, terminating with abruptly bent, hookshaped apex, sub-triangular part of gnathos about twice length of the uncus. Valva about 2.5 times longer than the maximum width; ventral margin basally slightly concave, distal part broadly convex, costa concave, resulting in a distally narrowing apical part; valvae basally connected to each other anteriorly. Transtilla membranous. Juxta weakly sclerotized, anterior edge braodly rounded. Anellus membranous. Vinculum short, broadly U-shaped. Phallus slender, c. 10 times as long as wide, with small bulge in apical quarter. Vesica weakly spinose, with large, thorn-like, weakly curved cornutus. Female genitalia. Unknown. Molecular data. A Neighbor Joining tree is based on six DNA barcode sequences of P. perversalis and a single DNA barcode sequence of P. transcaspica. A DNA barcode sequence of Hypsopgyia costalis (Fabricius, 1775) (Pyralidae) is considered as outgroup (Fig. 3). Pyralis transcaspica clusters in it´s own and unique BIN: BOLD: AEV2488. However, the intraspecific average p-distance of the barcode region within this BIN is unknown (n=1). The minimum distance to the Nearest Neighbor Pyralis farinalis is 7.13% (p-dist), whereas the barcode gap to the phenotypically similar P. perversalis is 10.18%. Diagnosis. Pyralis transcaspica is easily distinguishable from P. perversalis by the sub-rectangular versus triangular shape of the uncus, the sub-triangular versus sub-oval distal part of the valva and the presence of a thorn-like cornutus in the phallus (Fig. 2). Externally both species are very similar and determination should be based on dissection of the male genitalia (see Leraut 2005; Slamka 2006). The initial diagnosis by Rebel (1903: 3–4): “Diese neue Art hat ihre nächste Verwandte in der viel dunkleren perversalis HS., unterscheidet sich aber von letzterer auch dadurch, dass der erste Querstreifen nicht gezackt ist und die hier fast weisslichen Hinterflügel keine Spur einer Querlinie zeigen” [This new species has its closest relative in the much darker perversalis HS., but it differs from the latter in that the first transverse band is not jagged, and the almost whitish hindwings here show no trace of a transverse line] [translated from German] is diagnostically unreliable based on the additional material now examined. However, the cilia on the basal half of the antenna of P. transcaspica are slightly longer than those in P. perversalis, in which they reach at most 1.5 times the width of the antennal shaft.Beside of the holotype from Turkmenistan (Fig. 1 A, B) P. transcaspica was found in one locality in Tajikistan, seven localities in Kazakhstan and in seven localities in Kyrgyzstan (Fig. 4): Material (Pyralis transcaspica). Kazakhstan. 1 ♂, 13- 14.05.2009, Ustyurt Plateau, Onere, 42°36’ N, 54°08’ E, leg. P. Gorbunov; 3 ♂, 1- 15.06.2009, Ustyurt Plateau, 20 km N of Beineu, 45°30’ N, 55°10’ E, leg. P. Gorbunov; 3 ♂, 1.06.2017, 2,75 km NE Aktogay, Charyn Valley, 43°14’35” N, 78°52’47” E, 1202 m, leg. S. Korb, R. Haverinen, K. Nupponen; 3 ♂, 4.06.2017, Katutau foothills, 792 m, 44°07’51” N, 79°23’45” E, leg. S. Korb, R. Haverinen, K. Nupponen; 3 ♂, 4- 6.06.2017, Mangystau Prov., Mangystau Reg., 9 km E of Shetpe, 44°09’02.8” N, 52°16’07.09” E, leg. D. V. Potanin, A.A. Potanina; 2 ♂, 8.07.2024, Syrdariya Karatau Mts., 3,5 km NW of Baizhansai, 890 m a.s.l., N43°08’22” E69°56’23”, leg. P. Gorbunov; 2 ♂, 10.06.2025, Syrdariya Karatau Mts., 15 km S of Karatau settl., Arbata Riv., 720 m, N43°01’17” E70°26’39”, leg. P. Gorbunov. Kyrgyzstan. 1 ♂, 19- 20.06.2022, Terskey Ala-Too, Issyk-Kul Lake, Kaji Say, 1774 m, 42°12’25.28” N, 76°37’11.41” E, leg. P. Huemer (DNA Barcode ID TLMF _ Lep _ 33144, gen. slide PYR 387 P. Huemer); 1 ♂, 15.04.2024, Issyk-Kul’ Lake south bank, 8 km N of Aksai vill., Ephedra & Salsosa semidesert, N42°12’10” E76°50’55”, 1630 m, leg. P. Gorbunov, S. Korb; 1 ♂, 22.06.2024, Chatkal Mts., Kasha-Suu River valley, 1850 m, N41°26’43” E71°05’07”, leg. P. Gorbunov, S. Korb; 3 ♂, 23.05.2025, Ferganskii Mts., 12 km NE of Tash-Komyr, Sary-Bel River, 41°25’16”N, 72°18’59”E, 892 m, leg. P. Gorbunov, S. Korb, S. Melyakh; 1 ♂, 27- 28.05.2025, Turkestanskii Mts., 4 km W of Korgon auly, Sary-Kungei River bank, 1080 m, N40°02’27” E70°24’27”, leg. P. Gorbunov, S. Korb, S. Melyakh; 1 ♂, 21.05.2025, Talaskii Mts., Kara-Buura River basin, Taity Rivulet, 1700 m, N42°23’12” E71°37’20”, leg. P. Gorbunov, S. Korb, S. Melyakh; 1 ♂, 2- 3.06.2025, Moldo-Too Mts., 10 km NW of Kazarman settl., Naryn River bank, 1230 m, N41°30’07” E73°55’54”, leg. P. Gorbunov, S. Korb, S. Melyakh. Tajikistan. 2 ♂, 13- 15.07.2025, W. Pamir, Bartang River valley near Darzhomch, 2220 m, N38°07’07” E71°56’18”, leg. P. Gorbunov, S. Korb. Additional material (Pyralis perversalis). 1 ♂, 15.07.2024, Kyrgyzstan, Talassky Mts., Chichkan valley, leg. S. Korb; 2 ♂, 1.05.2015, Kyrgyzstan, Kirghizsky Mts., Ala-Too near Bishkek, leg. S. Korb; 1 ♂, 8.07.2016, Kyrgyzstan, Naryn Province, Ottuk village environs, leg. S. Korb; 1 ♀, 13.06.2016, Kyrgyzstan, Fergansky Mts., Tortkol on south shore of Toktogul Reservoir, leg. S. Korb; 2 ♂, 21.07.2016, Kyrgyzstan, Naryn River valley, Kulanak village environs, leg. S. Korb; 1 ♂, 22.07.2016, Kyrgyzstan, Kekemeren River valley near Kyzyl-Oi, leg. S. Korb; 1 ♂, 2- 8.07.2019, Kyrgyzstan, Moldo-Too Mts., Koro-Goo Pass, 1900 m, leg. S. Korb; 1 ♂, 15.07.2019, Kyrgyzstan, Fergansky Mts., near Burgondu village, leg. S. Korb; 3 ♂, 2.08.2024, Chandlash Kirka Toosu, env. Chanach—Kum Bel Ashuu, 41°55’30” N, 71°15’24”E, 2085 m, leg. P. Huemer, (DNA Barcode IDs TLMF _ Lep _ 43011, 43012, gen. slide PYR 385 P. Huemer). Vertical distribution of this species varies in wide range, from almost 0 m above Sea level in its type locality to 2220 m above Sea level in the highest place where it was found (Darzhomch village in West Pamir, Tajikistan). In Kazakhstan it inhabits desert places with heat and drought-resistant vegetation. In Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan this species also prefers dry places, mostly mountainous steppes and semideserts (Figs 5, 6).