Amicta nigrescens (Staudinger, 1900) stat. rev.

Figs 14, 15, 28

Psyche quadrangularis var. nigrescens Staudinger, 1900: 356. Type loc.: Azerbaijan, Ordubad. Syntype ♂ in NHM (examined).

Material examined. 22 ♂, Afghanistan, Kabul u. Umgeb., 15.ix.1971, leg. Dr. Reshöft, GP 4111, Arnscheid (MWM), 2 ♂, Afghanistan, Tangi Gharu, va. 700 m, 24.ix.1971, leg. Dr. Reshöft, 1 ♂ East-Afghanistan, Gulbahar, 1700 m, 17.ix.1973, leg. D. Stengel, 1 ♂ „ Armenien “ ex coll. Arnold (all in MWM).

Diagnosis. Male wingspan 21.5–22.5 mm, Forewing length 10.7 mm, width 4.8 mm (FI: 2.23). Forewings elongated, costal margin nearly straight, rarely slightly concave at the basal third. Apex pointed, termen oblique. Hindwings with pointed apex and olique termen, slightly indented in the second half. Head. Dorsally nearly until the antennae whitish, around the antennae darker, blackish ventrally. EI: 1.25. Antennae length 5.5 mm, with 42 segments (excl. scapus and pedicellus). Pecten length 1.0 mm. Thorax robust. Covered densely with long whitishgrey scales mixed with short, dark hair, distinctly separated, blackish ventrally.

Male genitalia. Elongate in general appearance, more stretched than in A. quadrangularis. Tegumen less indented distally, slightly folded laterally and distally, covered with short hair. Valvae short, not extending beyond the distal end of tegumen, distinctly straight, roundish apically and covered with short setae. Clasper of sacculus elongate, slender, straight, less narrow distally and covered with short spines apically. Anellus elongated, pointed. Vinculum triangular, more stretched and less indented laterally than in A. quadrangularis. Saccus longer than in A. quadrangularis, stretched and distinctly pointed. Phallus of genitalia length or longer, slightly bent, with distinct roundish enlargement caudally, vesica with short cornuti.

Distribution. Only known from Afghanistan. One very old specimen is striking because it is labelled “ Armenia ” without further data. It can, therefore, not be said with certainty if this specimen has been recorded in the Republic of Armenia or in fact in one of the Turkish territories which are also called “ Armenia ” in the first decades of the 20 th century.

Discussion. Differs from A. quadrangularis by the less stretched wings which are distinctly broader and by the male genitalia. The vinculum is more stretched and less indented laterally than in A. quadrangularis and the saccus is longer.

When Staudinger in 1874 mentioned A. quadrangularis as “ quadrangularis Christoph in litt”, this raises some questions. The text is partially contradictory. Christoph mentioned larval cases found near Krasnovodsk in 1872. According to Staudinger this means, of course, that the specimens from Shahrud (northeastern Iran) were collected earlier (supposedly without imagines). However, both authors have had no doubt about the identity of the species from both localities. Staudinger’s description “head black, with white crest” fits very well. Therefore, it is doubtless that only specimens by Staudinger exist in MfN, based on his descriptions of Psyche quadrangularis, Psyche quadrangularis var. nigrescens and var. albescens, with any type specimens of quadrangularis being those of the synonymized Psyche quadrangularis Staudinger 1874 and thus having no validity as syntypes of the taxon Psyche quadrangularis Christoph, 1873. Staudinger himself admits that his description of Psyche quadrangularis appeared later: “my description appeared at the end of January 1874, some months later than Christoph’s.” and “In any case, the moths from northern Persia (Shahrud) and from Transcaspia (Krasnovodsk) described by us as quadrangularis almost agree.” (Staudinger 1900).