© Entomologica Fennica. 15 June 2003 Contribution to the scythridid fauna of southern Buryatia, with description of seven new species (Lepidoptera: Scythrididae) Kari Nupponen Nupponen, K. 2003: Contribution to the scythridid fauna of southern Buryatia, with description of seven new species (Lepidoptera: Scythrididae). — Entomol. Fennica 14: 25–45. A list of 26 species embracing 673 specimens of the family Scythrididae collected during 13.–29.VI.2002 from southern Buryatia is presented. Seven new species are described: Scythris erinacella sp. n., S. gorbunovi sp. n., S. hamardabanica sp. n., S. malozemovi sp. n., S. ninae sp. n., S. potatorella sp. n. and S. sinevi sp. n. Two unknown species are mentioned but not described because only females are available. In addition, S. penicillata Chrétien, 1900 is reported as new for Russia, S. emichi (Anker, 1870) as new for the Asiatic part of Russia and seven further species as new for the Baikal region. The known distribution range of each species is given as well as further notes on some poorly known taxa. Kari Nupponen, Miniatontie 1 B 9, FIN-02360 Espoo, Finland Received 30 October 2002, accepted 21 January 2003 1. Introduction & Liòka 1996, Sinev 2001) concern occasionally collected single specimens, and no systematic in- The Republic of Buryatia is located on the southern vestigations of scythridids have been made in the and southeastern shores of Lake Baikal. Character- region. The present article is based on material istic features of the southern part of that region are collected by the author during 13.–29.VI.2002 in mountain ranges: East Sayan Mountains in the west southern Buryatia. and Hamar Daban Mountains in the east, the latter dividing the region into a taiga forest zone in the north and a steppe zone in the south. The moun- 2. The investigated area, material and tains, up to 2000 m a.s.l., are covered by conifer methods forests, and mountain tundra is present only at the highest elevation. The steppes mainly exist in a rather The investigated area is situated between 50–52∞N and 100– restricted area in the valley of the River Selenga and 108∞E, mainly in the valley of the River Selenga and south- its subsidiaries, and very sparsely in Irkut valley in ern foothills of Hamar Daban Mountains, but also in Irkut East Sayan. The lowest elevation of the region is at valley in the East Sayan Mountains. The material, compris- ing 673 pinned specimens of Scythrididae, was collected the shore of the Lake Baikal (456 m), with the high- by sweeping and netting during daytime. In addition, hun- est one being in the Sayan Mountains (3491 m). dreds of specimens were observed but not collected, be- The scythridid fauna of southern Buryatia is cause they were easily determined in the field. Several spe- poorly known. The published reports (Bengtsson cies occurred in large numbers and it was possible to col- 26 Nupponen • ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 14 Fig. 1. Map of southern Buryatia with collecting localities. — 1: Gusinoe ozero, steppe slopes. — 2: Gusinoe ozero, lake. — 3: Kharamsha. — 4: Mondy, steppe. — 5: Mondy. — 6: Novoselenginsk. — 7: Solyonoye, salt lake. — 8: Turan. — 9: Gurulba. lect them without limits. Seven of the recorded species are — 5: Russia, SW-Buryatia, 51∞47–48´N 100∞55– previously unknown, and they are described in this paper. 58´E, East Sayan Mountains, 1450 m, Mondy The collected material is generally deposited in the collec- village 2 km E. 13.–15.VI.2002. Conifer forest tion of the author. with restricted forest steppes. — 6: Russia, S-Buryatia, 50∞58–59´N 106∞38– 3. Collecting sites 40´E, 550–600 m, Chikoy valley, Novo- selenginsk village 10 km S. 23.–25.VI.2002. A sand dune region at the river valley, The collecting sites and dates are mentioned be- gradually passing into sandy steppe and rocky low. The number given to each of the localities is slopes with plenty of Artemisia and Thymus connected to that on the map (Fig. 1). at higher elevations (Fig. 4). — 1: Russia, S-Buryatia, 51∞11–13´N 106∞10– — 7: Russia, S-Buryatia, 51∞28´N 106∞33´E, 12´E, 700 m, Hamar Daban Mountains, 600 m, lake Solyonoye. 26.VI.2002. A small Murtoy river, Gusinoe ozero village 6 km NW. salt lake, surrounded by salt marshes and dry 19.–22.VI.2002. A foothill region of Hamar Artemisia steppes. Daban Mountains. Rocky steppe slopes and — 8: Russia, SW-Buryatia, East Sayan forest steppes (Fig. 2). Mountains, 900 m, Halagun river, Turan — 2: Russia, S-Buryatia, 51∞09´N 106∞16´E, village 8 km W. 16.VI.2002. Mixed forest with 550 m, lake Gusinoe ozero. 18.VI.2002, small meadows. 23.VI.2002. Dry Artemisia steppe on the shore — 9: Russia, S-Buryatia, Ulan-Ude 10 km W, of the lake. near Gurulba village, 700 m. 29.VI.2002. — 3: Russia, S-Buryatia, 51∞37´N 106∞46´E, Forest steppes and meadows. 600 m, Hamar Daban Mountains, bolshoi Sanzheevka river, Kharamsha village 2 km W. 27.–28.VI.2002. A small, partly rocky steppe 4. List of scythridid species area at the foothills of Hamar Daban Mountains, surrounded by conifer forests (Fig. 3). The species are presented in alphabetic order as — 4: Russia, SW-Buryatia, 51∞47–48´N 100∞52– the family Scythrididae has not been revised and 55´E, East Sayan Mountains, 1500 m, Mondy the relationships within the family are not fully village 2 km WNW. 13.VI.2002. A rocky understood. The grouping of the species inside steppe slope. the genus follows that of Bengtsson (1997a). The ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 14 • Scythirids of southern Buryatia 27 Fig. 2. Foothills of Hamar Daban Mountains near Fig. 3. Foothill steppe of Hamar Daban Mountains Gusinoe Ozero. The habitat of Scythris felixi Bgts. & near Kharamsha village. The habitat of Scythris emichi Sutter, S. hamardabanica sp. n., S. lativalvella Sinev, (Ank.), S. hamardabanica sp. n., S. minorella Sinev, S. nitidella Sinev, S. potatorella sp. n., S. sibirella S. penicillata Chrét., S. potatorella sp. n. and S. sinevi Sinev and S. sinevi sp. n. sp. n. known distribution for each species is given, as well as further notes on some poorly known taxa. Scythris braschiella (Hofmann, 1889) Russia, S-Buryatia, 51∞11–13´N 106∞10–12´E, 700 m, Hamar Daban Mountains, Murtoy river, Gusinoe ozero village 6 km NW, forest steppe, 1 £ 19.VI.2002, K. Nupponen leg. Distribution. Germany, Greece, Turkey, Po- land, Russia (S Ural, Altai). Remarks. The examination of further speci- mens from the Altai Mountains (Kuraiskaja step, 5 ££ 13.VII.2001, K. Nupponen leg.) confirmed that the Altaian taxon is the true braschiella, de- spite its large size (see K. & T. Nupponen 2001). Fig. 4. Sandy steppe and rocky slopes in Chikoy The specimens from Buryatia and Altai are exter- valley near Novoselenginsk village. The habitat of S. nally alike. This record extends the known distri- erinacella sp. n., S. gorbunovi sp. n., S. bution range of S. braschiella 1400 km to the east. hamardabanica sp. n., S. malozemovi sp. n., S. New to the Baikal region. minorella Sinev, S. ninae sp. n., S. potatorella sp. n. and S. remexella K. Nupponen & Kaitila. Scythris cassiterella (Snellen, 1884) village 2 km W, forest steppe, 1 £ 28.VI.2002, K. Nupponen leg. Russia, SW-Buryatia, 51∞47–48´N 100∞55–58´E, East Russia, S-Buryatia, Ulan-Ude 10 km W, near Gurulba Sayan Mountains, 1450 m, Mondy village 2 km E, forest village, meadow/steppe, 700 m, 8 ££ 1 ¥ 29.VI.2002, K. steppe, 5 ££ 7 ¥¥ 13.VI.2002, 1 £ 14.VI.2002, K. Nupponen leg. Nupponen leg. Distribution. Russia (Altai, Tuva, Krasnojarskij Russia, S-Buryatia, 51∞11–13´N 106∞10–12´E, 700 m, kraj, Baikal region, Amur). Hamar Daban Mountains, Murtoy river, Gusinoe ozero vil- ££ ¥¥ Remarks. Scythris baikalensis Bengtsson & lage 6 km NW, forest steppe, 10 12 19.VI.2002, ò 1 £ 3 ¥¥ 22.VI.2002, K. Nupponen leg. Li ka, 1996 is a junior synonym of S. cassiterella Russia, S-Buryatia, 51∞37´N 106∞46´E, 600 m, Hamar (see Sinev 2001). The species is abundant in vari- Daban Mountains, bolshoi Sanzheevka river, Kharamsha ous kinds of steppe habitats. 28 Nupponen • ENTOMOL. FENNICA Vol. 14 Fig. 5. Imago (holotype) of Scythris erinacella sp. n. Scythris emichi (Anker, 1870) Russia, S-Buryatia, 51∞37´N 106∞46´E, 600 m, Hamar Daban Mountains, bolshoi Sanzheevka river, Kharamsha village 2 km W, forest steppe, 16 ££ 27.VI.2002, 14 ££ 28.VI.2002, K. Nupponen leg. Russia, S-Buryatia, Ulan-Ude 10 km W, near Gurulba Fig. 6. Male genitalia of Scythris erinacella sp. n. village, meadow/steppe, 700 m, 2 ££ 29.VI.2002, K. (paratype). Nupponen leg. Distribution. Hungary, Latvia, Russia (S Ural). malozemovi sp. n., S. gorbunovi sp. n., S. Recently recorded also in lower Volga region in terekholensis Bengtsson, 1997 and some still the vicinity of Sarepta (Volgograd obl., Volgograd undescribed taxa from Turkey. The male genita- 80 km NW, near Ilovla village, 5 exx. 02.VI.2001, lia structure resembles that of S. terekholensis (see K. Nupponen leg.). Remarks), but differs in details. The valva of S. Remarks. These records extend the known erinacella is shorter with roundish posterior half, distribution range of S. emichi 3300 km to the east. the shape of gnathos is different and the tergum New to the Baikal region and Asian part of Rus- VIII is triangular with more robust, sclerotized sia. The host plant of the taxon is Gypsophila distal processes and weak lateral extensions. patrinii Ser.