Ecologica Montenegrina 38: 51-62 (2020) This journal is available online at: www.biotaxa.org/em http://dx.doi.org/10.37828/em.2020.38.7 https://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4B85DA98-957E-4788-BC8B-25526047DC8B On the taxonomy of the Chelis glaphyra (Eversmann, 1843) species- group, with description of a new subspecies of Chelis gratiosa (Grum- Grshimailo, 1890) from Kyrgyzstan, brachipterous females of Chelis kashmirica (Ferguson, 1985) and Chelis golbecki (Dubatolov, 1996), and the checklist of the species-group (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Arctiini) AIDAS SALDAITIS1, 4 & ANTON V. VOLYNKIN2, 3 1 Nature Research Centre, Akademijos str., 2, LT-08412, Vilnius-21, Lithuania. E-mail: [email protected] 2 Altai State University, Lenina Avenue, 61, RF-656049, Barnaul, Russia. E-mails: [email protected]; [email protected] 3 National Research Tomsk State University, Lenina Avenue, 36, RF-634050, Tomsk, Russia 4 Corresponding author Received 27 November 2020 │ Accepted by V. Pešić: 30 November 2020 │ Published online 1 December 2020. Abstract In the present paper, the checklist of the Chelis glaphyra (Eversmann, 1843) species-group with 33 new combinations established is provided. A new subspecies of Chelis gratiosa (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890) is described from Kyrgyzstan. Chelis gratiosa kashmirica is upgraded to the species level: Chelis kashmirica (Ferguson, 1985), stat. & comb. nov., its brachipterous female is described and illustrated for the first time. Female genitalia of Chelis golbecki (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. are described and illustrated for the first time. Key words: Palearctia, Central Asia, new combination. Introduction The genus Palearctia Ferguson, 1984 was revised by Dubatolov (1996) and Saldaitis & Ivinskis (2002) and the full checklist of the genus was provided by Dubatolov & de Vos (2010). Subsequently, Rönkä et al. (2016) synonymized Palearctia as well as six other genera with Chelis Rambur, 1866 based on the analysis of eight genetic markers. However, the authors did not establish new combinations for species comprised by the genera synonymized leaving the taxonomy of the enlarged genus Chelis quite messy. In the present paper, we provide the checklist of the species and subspecies previously assigned with Palearctia which we consider as Ch. glaphyra species-group, with establishing new combinations for them. Chelis gratiosa, comb. nov. is distributed in high mountain regions of Central Asia and is subdivided into 10 subspecies. During his entomological trip to Transalai Range in southern Kyrgyzstan, Mr. V. Ecologica Montenegrina, 38, 2020, 51-62 ON THE TAXONOMY OF THE CHELIS GLAPHYRA SPECIES-GROUP Kartashov collected a single alive female of an unidentified subspecies of Ch. gratiosa and managed getting eggs from it which made it possible to obtain a series of specimens of both sexes. All the specimens have uniformly dark hindwing clearly different from those of all known subspecies of Ch. gratiosa and this population represents an undescribed subspecies which is described below as new. Dubatolov (1996) downgraded the taxon Ch. kashmirica to a subspecies of Ch. gratiosa due to its external resemblance to Chelis gratiosa rupicola (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890), comb. nov. and the similar valva shape. However, females of Ch. kashmirica are brachipterous and its male and female genitalia are markedly different from those of Ch. gratiosa therefore we hereby upgrade it to the species level. Additionally, Dubatolov (1996) described Chelis golbecki (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. by two males and one female but did not describe and illustrate its female genitalia. In the present paper, we describe and illustrate the female genitalia of the species for the first time. Material and methods Abbreviations of the depositories used: ASV = private collection of Aidas Saldaitis (Vilnius, Lithuania); MWM/ZSM = Museum Witt Munich in the Bavarian State Collection of Zoology (Museum Witt München / Zoologische Staatssammlung München, Munich, Germany); SDM = private collection of Sergei Didenko (Moscow, Russia); VKV = private collection of Vladimir Kartashov (Voronezh, Russia); WIGJ = World Insect Gallery (Joniškis, Lithuania). Other abbreviations used: AV = genitalia slide prepared by A. Volynkin; HT = holotype; PT = paratype. The genitalia were dissected and mounted in euparal on microscope slides. The photos of adults were taken using a Nikon D3100/AF-S camera equipped with a Nikkor, 18–55 mm lens. The photos of genitalia were taken by the same camera attached to a microscope with an LM-scope adapter. All pictures were processed using the Adobe Photoshop CC 2018® software. Checklist of the Chelis glaphyra species-group – glaphyra glaphyra (Eversmann, 1843), comb. nov. – glaphyra aksuensis (O. Bang-Haas, 1927), comb. nov. – glaphyra dublitzkyi (O. Bang-Haas, 1927), comb. nov. – glaphyra manni (Staudinger, 1881), comb. nov. = mannii Alpheraky, 1882 – golbecki (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. – gratiosa gratiosa (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890), comb. nov. – gratiosa caroli (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. – gratiosa flavala (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. – gratiosa lochmatteri (Reich, 1933), comb. nov. – gratiosa postflavida (Hampson, 1894), comb. nov. – gratiosa rupicola (Grum-Grshimailo, 1890), comb. nov. = glauca Staudinger, 1891 – gratiosa sarezica (Dubatolov, 2003), comb. nov. – gratiosa sarycola (de Freina, 1997), comb. nov. – gratiosa sergei (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. – kashmirica (Ferguson, 1985), stat. & comb. nov. = ab. nebulosa Reich, 1932 – rasa (Saldaitis, Ivinskis & Churkin, 2000), comb. nov. – wagneri (Püngeler, 1918), comb. nov. – mira (Dubatolov & Tshistjakov, 1989), comb. nov. – erschoffii erschoffii (Alpheraky, 1882), comb. nov. – erschoffii issyka (Staudinger, 1889), comb. nov. – erschoffii sarydzhasica (Plustsch & Dolin, 2000), comb. nov. – erschoffii selmonsi (Böttcher, 1905), comb. nov. – ferghana ferghana (Staudinger, 1887), comb. nov. 52 SALDAITIS & VOLYNKIN – ferghana schottlaenderi (Strand, 1912), comb. nov. – ferghana sussamyra (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. – gracilis gracilis (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. = miranda Plustsch & Dolin, 2000 – gracilis arcana (Plustsch & Dolin, 2000), comb. nov. – marxi (O. Bang-Haas, 1927), comb. nov. – mustangbhoti (Daniel, 1961), comb. nov. – turkestana (Dubatolov, 1996), comb. nov. – variabilis (Daniel, 1966), comb. nov. – ammosovi (Dubatolov & Gurko, 2002), comb. nov. – hauensteini (Kautt, 1996), comb. nov. = altotibetana de Freina, 1997 Description of the new subspecies of Ch. gratiosa Chelis gratiosa kartashovi ssp. nov. (Figs 1–4, 9, 17, 24) Type material. Holotype (Figs 1, 17): male, [Kyrgyzstan, Transalai Range] “KIRGIZIA S., Chon-Alai reg., Zaalaisky mountains range, Doroot-Korgon vill., Altyn-dara river, Aram-Kungei valley, H~3600m, original female 15.vii.2018, ex. ovo 14–18.v.2019, leg. V. Kartashov”, gen. slide No.: AV5839 (Coll. ASV, designated to WIGJ). Paratypes: 9 males, 13 females, the same data as in the holotype, gen. slide No.: AV5840 (female) (Colls ASV, VKV and WIGJ); 1 female, [Kyrgyzstan, Transalai Range] Kirgizia, Zaalaisky Ran., Chon-Alaisky Distr., Altyn-Dara Riv., Aram-Kungei Val., 15–21.vii.2018, H-3600m, V. Kartashov leg. (Coll. SDM). Etymology. The new subspecies is dedicated to prominent Russian Lepidoptera collector Vladimir Kartashov. Diagnosis. The new subspecies (Figs 1–4) is most similar externally to Ch. gratiosa rupicola (Fig. 5) and also Ch. rasa (Figs 13, 14, 22, 28) and Ch. golbecki (Figs 15, 16, 23, 27), but is distinguishable by the pinkish suffusion on the thorax and the forewing (it is absent in the three similar taxa), and the intense blackish suffusion on hindwing making it almost uniformly dark with only a small pale spot in the subterminal or terminal area medially (whereas in the three similar taxa, the hindwing has intense blackish or dark brown suffusion in the subterminal area only, while the medial and basal areas are weakly suffused with blackish scales and the discal spot is present). Additionally, the new subspecies differs from Ch. rasa and Ch. golbecki by the longer rami of the male antenna, and from Ch. rasa by its less elongate forewing apex. The male genital capsule of Ch. g. kartashovi (Fig. 17) is nearly identical to that of Ch. g. rupicola (Fig. 18) and is also similar to those of Ch. g. gratiosa (Fig. 20) and Ch. g. flavala (Fig. 19), but differs from the two latter subspecies by its more rectangular cucullus. The aedeagus of Ch. g. kartashovi differs from those of the three similar subspecies by its markedly narrower dentate carinal plate. The vesicae of the four subspecies display no remarkable differences. As the female genitalia of Ch. g. rupicola and Ch. g. flavala are unknown therefore the female genitalia morphology of the new species (Fig. 24) is compared to that of Ch. g. gratiosa (Fig. 25): Ch. g. kartashovi has a somewhat narrower ductus bursae and its appendix bursae is longer than that of the nominate subspecies. Description. External morphology of adults (Figs 1–4, 9). Forewing length 11-12 mm in males and 11-13 mm in females. Male antenna shortly bipectinate, female antenna serrate. Sexual dimorphism limited: compared to males, females have forewing with more rounded apex and more reduced markings and dark suffusion on hindwing less intense. Head dark brown with admixture of pinkish scales. Collar dark brown with pinkish margin. Thorax blackish brown with two pinkish longitudinal stripes and pinkish margins of tegulae. Upperside of abdomen blackish brown with ochreous brown triangular