Szekessy Vilmos (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 55. (Budapest 1963)

Gozmány, L.: The symmocid species of the Caradja collection (Lepidoptera)

ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATION ALIS HUNGARICI Tomus 55. PARS ZOOLOGICA 1963. The Symmoeid Species of (lie Caradja Collection (Lepidoptera) By L. A. GOZMÁNY, Budapest In Ihe autumn of 1962, I was given opportunity, under the Hungaro-Roumanian Cultural Agreement for that year, to stay for two weeks in Bucarest, Roumania, and study the Symmoeid species preserved in the late Count A. CARADJA'S Collection, now in the Museum „Gr. Antipa". I should like to express my gratitude also in this place, for the realization of my work, to all authorities concerned. It was some years ago that I had occasion to cast a cursory glance over CARADJA'S Symmocas, but, owing to the extremely limited time at my disposal, I was unable to examine them as thoroughly as they fully merited it (6, p. 47—48). It was with eager anticipation therefore that I set to work on the rich material, containing also Central Asiatic specimens and the type specimens of new taxa described by CARADJA and MEYRICK. The Symmoeid material fills one and a half boxes of the characteristical, small-sized containers of the well preserved collection in exemplary order. Aside of the genital examination of the several types, it was also necessary to dissect most of the specimens — due to their well-known external similarity to each other for the sake of a certain identification. As is always the case, I was able to correct several errors and to draw in some taxa as junior synonyms, in the case of published data, I refer to the original publications as listed in the References. I have yet to add that the representatives of the groups A j>iletria LD., and Oeyoeonia STT.- Apatema STGR., had not been examined, as the revision of these morphologically and taxonomically highly complex taxa are still pending. Megasymmoea turana (CARADJA, 1920). — The species is valid (1. p. 119), and both types are extant in the Collection.Due to the external features, venation, and genital apparatus, however, it belongs to the genus Megasymmoea GOZMÁNY, 1963 (9, p.

78 —80). ranging in Iran, Afghanistan and the adjacent southern territories of the Soviet Union. The male genital organ (fig. 1) is characterized by the short tegumen and the lack of the costal appendage of the valva, as well as the exceptionally developed transtillae (Megasymmoea), while, specifically, it is made distinct by the large, erect, proximally wide fand almost meeting) and distally tapering (there sharply pointed at the internal apical corners) transtillar arms, further the weak, dactyloid, distally rounded and better sclerotized, short sacculi. and the strong, almost mucronate, nearly irremovably affixed anellus. The aedoagus is about 2/3 as long as the valve, thin, tubular, with a small, compact group of 4—5 spiniform cornuti distally (gen. prep.: 1695, lectotype, „Margelan"). Megasymmoea pelospora (MEYRICK, 1927) — Symmoca pylospoia MEYRICK, in litt. (2. p. 167). as cited also by GAEDE (4, p. 482). The valid description of the