Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 87. (Budapest 1995)

Ronkay, L., Nekrasov, A. V. ; Szabóky, Cs.: On the taxonomy of the genus Dasypolia Guenée, 1852. Revision of the subgenus Cteipolia Staudinger, 1896 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae)

The subgenus contains three close but separable lines, the sacelli-, the mimetica- and the févfíű-lines. The autapomorphies of the sacelli- and the tertia-Unes appear in the configuration of the female genitalia: the members of the sacelli-Wnt have large, elongated ostium bursae, short and narrow ductus bursae and two more or less bar- or ribbon-like signa consisting of small spiculi and denticuli while in the tertia-Une the ostium is short, cup-shaped, the ductus bursae is longer and broader and the corpus bursae bears a single, small, rounded signum. The females of the species of the mimetica-Yme are yet unknown, the distinctive feature of this line is the broad uncus with flattened, lateral appendages ("sails"). The sacelli- and the mimetica-Ymos show an allopatric speciation, sympatric occurrence of two species is known only in the easternmost Tien Shan Mts {sacelli and isotima from the vicinity of Aksu; but sacelli and mimetica are known from the same region - the Issyk-Kul area -, too). The tertia-Yine is represented by a sole species distributed in the southern part of the Tadjik Pamir. BIONOMICS The subgenus, like the other related subgenera, contains late autumnal-early spring species overwintering as imagines. In spite of the most subgenera and species of Dasypolia s. k, the males of Cteïpolia are often overwintering and fly also in the early spring period. All species live in the higher montane regions of West and Central Asia, their main habitats are rocky slopes, stream valleys and gorges. The imagines are attracted well to artificial light, appearing in the late night period around the light. The moths often resting rather far from the centre of the illuminated zone and hide in the shadow (in small holes, under or behind stones or larger plants). The early stages and the foodlants are unknown, their life history is possibly similar to the members of the related subgenera of Dasypolia. DISTRIBUTION For a long time, the group was considered to be characteristic of the Central Asian high mountains. The discovery of a species in NE Turkey was one of the greatest surprises during the recent exploration of the Noctuidae fauna of Turkey. This fact supports the possibility of the correct labelling of D. (C.) "murina MÉNÉTRIES" from the Ural Mts. Therefore, the known area of the subgenus extends from the eastern Tien Shan Mts, throughout the Pamir (?and the Ural Mts) to NE Turkey. The known area is strongly sporadic yet but new discoveries in Iran and the central Asian mountains are highly predictable. The species appear as highly stenochorous, the only species having a presumably larger area is D. (C.) sacelli (recorded from the Issyk-Kul region and from Aksu), all other species are known as typical for a restricted part of an Asian high mount.! CHECKLIST genus Dasypolia GUENÉE, 1852 subgenus Cteïpolia STAUDINGER, 1896 type species: Cteïpolia sacelli STAUDINGER, 1896 sacelli (STAUDINGER, 1896) isotima (PÜNGELER, 1914)