S. Mahunka szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 46/2. (Budapest, 1985)
FOLIA ENTOMOLOGICA HUNGARICA ROVARTANI KÖZLEMÉNYEK XLVI. 2 1985 p. 169-172 The description of the female of Brachionycha syriaca decipulae Kovács, 1966 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) By L. SZÉCSÉNYI (Received 14 May, 1984) Abstract: The description of the unknown female of B. syriaca decipulae Kovács with some ethological and phenological data is given. The interesting moth, Brachionycha decipulae was described by L. KOVÁCS as a distinct species between B. syriaca Warren, 1910 and B . sphinx (Hufnagel, 1766), but some years later - on the basis of its distribution and the existence of intermedial forms between syriaca and decipulae on the Balkans (Makedonia) - was downgraded to subspecies of syriaca. The differences between the males of sphinx and the' two races of syriaca are well known, but the female of decipulae (and the early stages, foodplant, etc.) was unknown so far. As the result of the systematically organized faunistical collectings in the Balaton Highland, some males were collected on light at Dörgicse, Zimer-tető at the first time on the 31st October, 1981 (leg. SIMONYI). This is the westernmost known locality of the decipulae. At the same place in the next occasion one male specimen was found on the 28th October, 1983, and in the last case, on the 4th November, 1983 - with some males - two females were caught (leg. KÁLLÖ and SZÉCSÉNYI). (Fig. 1). The females of decipulae, similarly to the males, differ from those of the sphinx; the differences are as follows; (Fig. 2, 3). decipulae sphinx brownish grey, not glossy postmedial subterminal basic colour of fore wing hind wing veins bluish graphite grey and glossy with relatively strong, blackish irroration very slightly serrate with strong, blackish triangular spots, being more characteristic at the tornus; without big whitish patch pale grey with strong blackish cellular lunule and blackish spots at the base of the cilia with very pale dark covering relatively strongly dentated the triangular spots less defined, with a whitish patch at the tornus cellular lunule pale, indefined; the spots at the base of the cilia are diffuse, brownish grey.
