Contributions to the taxonomy and biogeography of the genus Dichagyris (subg. Dichagyris) Lederer, 1867 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae) II. : The review of the D. forficula species group

Abstract

The forficula species group of the Holarctic genus Dichagyris is revised based on the survey of type specimens and relevant materials of state and private collections. D. turana (Staudinger, [1892]) stat. rev. and D. furiosa (Bang-Haas, 1912) stat. rev. are elevated to specific status and lectotypes are designated, D. forficula devota (Christoph, 1884) stat. rev. is downgraded to subspecies. The specific status of D. erubescens (Staudinger, [1892]) and D. contermina (Corti, 1930) is confirmed. The junior synonymy of D. devota eremica (Amsel, 1935) with D. forficula devota (Christoph, 1884) was constated. Seven new subspecies (D. forficula akdagestana ssp. n., D. forficula pseudoturana ssp. n., D. forficula chitralensis ssp. n., D. turana cisiliensis ssp. n., D. furiosa kugitanga ssp. n., D. furiosa griseoerythra ssp. n. and D. contermina melanographa ssp. n.) are described, with considerations on the phyletic lines and biogeography of the taxa of the D. forficula species complex. With 79 figures.