Introduction

Dodia Dyar, 1901 is species-poor genus of erebid moths comprises seven species yet. It is characteristic by external appearance with almost transparent wings with reduced patterns, unique within family Erebidae. Three species have Palearctic distribution: D. diaphana (Eversmann, 1848), D. maja Rekelj & Gesánek, 2009 and D. sazonovi Dubatolov, 1990, two are Nearctic distribution D. tarandus Schmidt & Macaulay, 2009 and D. verticalis Lafontaine & Troubridge, 1999 and two are Holactic distribution D. albertae Dyar, 1901 and D. kononenkoi Tshistjakov & Lafontaine, 1984. According DUBATULOV (2008), two additional taxa had been originally described as subspecies of D. kononenkoiTshistjakov & Lafontaine, 1984 which were considered as valid species, both with Palearctic distribution (D. sikhotensis Tshistjakov, 1988, D. transbaikalensis Tshistjakov, 1988). All Dodia species occur in boreal and subarctic areas and within Holarctic fauna represent unique coldadapted group associated with cold mountain habitats, peat bogs or subarctic tundra. This strong specialisation on extreme habitats could be probably the reason why the most of taxa were described only in the last thirty years, and altogether with that only several few faunistic records of these species were published since their descriptions.

The Altai mountain is possible considered to be one of the most attractive mountain range of southern Siberia, frequently visited by lepidopterologists since 19th century. TSHISTJAKOV (1988: 641) published the first records of Dodiadiaphana from Altai Republic (incorrectly mentioned as Altayski Krai) collected already in 1898. The Arctiinae fauna of southern Siberia was studied in detail by DUBATULOV (1990), and in this work D. sazonovi Dubatolov, 1990 was described from high elevation of Altai Mts. Its distribution is known only from the Russian republics of Altai and Tuva so far, and within genus it has the most restricted distribution area. Despite the intensive work of many lepidopterologists in Altai to date, only these two Dodia species were known from here, and additional Dodia species -D. albertae Dyar, 1901 - was recorded just recently. The main aim of this paper is to present the first records of D albertae from Altai Mts. Additionally, based on the taxonomical and faunistic works of TSHISTJAKOV (1988), TSHISTJAKOV & LAFONTAINE (1984), DUBATOLOV (1990), LAFONTAINE & TROUBRIDGE (1999), MURZIN (2003), REKELJ & GESÁNEK (2009), SCHMIDT & MACAULAY (2009) and WITT & RONKAY (2011), we present the first preliminary world checklist summarizing the current state of knowledge of taxonomy and distribution of all Dodia species (Table 1).

Tabla 1

Checklist of Dodia Dyar, 1901

(Legend: HO - Holarctic distribution, PA - Palearctic distribution, NE - Nearctic distributionNote: * Affiliation of North American populations to concrete subspecies is unclear so far,holotypus originates from Magadan Region in Russia (TSHISTJAKOV & LAFONTAINE, 1984:1554).

Material and methods

Moths were collected by using portable light traps in which the one ultraviolet 8 W / 12 V tube (powered by 7.2 Ah / 12 V lead battery) was used as bait. Some specimens were captured by using net during daytime search. Photographs of voucher specimen were taken with Canon EOS 750 D digital camera, and genitalia with Canon 1100 D mounted in Olympus BX41 microscope.

Abbreviations of museums and private collections in which presented material is deposited:

NMPC National Museum, Natural History Museum, Prague, Czech Republic

RCMD Research collection of Marek Dvorák, Smrgná, Czech Republic

RCMP Research collection of Michal Pikner, Knezpole, Czech Republic

Dodia albertae Dyar, 1901 (figs 1-3)

RUSSIA, Altai Republic, 6 ♂♂, 18 km SW of ULAGAN, 50º32’32”N; 87º46’44”E, boreal forest, 1700 m a.s.l., 28-VI-2019, gen. prep. Jan Sumpich 19980, M. Dvorˇák, T. Kadlec, M. Pikner & J. Sumpich leg. (NMPC, RCMD, RCMP).

Bionomy: Adults are usually flying in June and July at boreal peat bogs, but also at rocky scree with Cedrus and Larix, frequently confined to humid areas with dominance of Salix and Alnus trees. The Altaic specimens were attracted to light traps during the very cold night (temperature approximately 7-9º C) in boreal forest with dominant Larix sibirica Ledeb., and with distinctive growths of Vaccinium species and Ledum palustreL., in undergrowth (Fig. 3).

Figs 1-3.
Dodia albertae Dyar, 1901, Altai mountains. 1. Adult, males. 2. Male genitalia. 3. Boreal forest near Ulagan, habitat of Dodia albertae Dyar, 1901 in the Altai mountains.

Remark: According to DUBATULOV (1990: 148) it is rare species in Russia, nevertheless new records from Altai as well as recently published record from Kazakhstan (WITT & RONKAY, 2011: 291) confirm the large distribution area of this species. New species for Altai Republic (Russia).

Dodia diaphana (Eversmann, 1848)

RUSSIA, Altai Republic, 7 ♂♂, Aktash env., road to 9. station (below Zavod), 50º19’14”N; 87º42’57”E, mountain meadows, 2260 m a.s.l., 22-23-VI-2015, M. Dvorˇák & J. Sumpich leg. (RCMD, NMPC); 4 ♂♂, Kurai env. (15 km SW), Dzhangyskol lake, 50º10’49”N; 87º44’19”E, coniferous forest, 1830 m a.s.l., 29-30-VI-2019, M. Pikner leg. (RCMP).

Bionomy: Adults occur in June and July in dry habitats, predominantly on rocky scree, but also in humid boreal forests. Moths are active mainly at night.

Remarks: In the Altai mountains it is the most distributed Dodia species but it is very local and only exceptionally more abundant.

Dodia sazonovi Dubatolov, 1990

RUSSIA, Altai Republic, 5 ♂♂, Aktash env., road to 9. station (Závod), 50º19’34”N; 87º43’54”E, mountain meadows, 2400-2900 m a.s.l., 23-VI-2015, M. Dvorˇák & J. Sumpich leg. (NMPC, RCMD).

Bionomy: Closely associated to the rocky rubble, caterpillars polyphagous (DUBATOLOV, 1990: 149).

Remarks: Presented specimens were probably collected on the type locality (coordinates were not stated in the original description) during daytime. Until recently, it was considered as endemic for Altai Mts. but IVINSKIS & SALDAITIS (2004: 107) and REKELJ & GESÁNEK (2009: 275) reported it also from neighbouring Tuva Republic (West Tannu Ola Mts., Tsagan Shibetu Mts.).

Discussion

According to MURZIN (2003: 32) and WITT & RONKAY (2011: 143) the new Altaic specimens of D. albertae could belong to subspecies of D. atra atra which was originally described from Sajan mountains in southern Siberia, Russia. However, this taxon was already synonymized by TSHISTJAKOV & LAFONTAINE (1984: 1553) with nominal subspecies described from Canada. In contrast to that, one of these authors later described new subspecies D. atra eudiopta from central Siberia, namely from the area between Alakit and Verhnaya Tomba rivers, imprecisely presented as the lower reaches of the Lena river (TSHISTJAKOV, 1988: 638). This description is based on the smaller wingspan, lighter pattern on the forewings and shorter protrusion in ventral part of the apex of valvae. However, the shape of valva of this taxon, published by TSHISTJAKOV (1988: 637), corresponds with our Altaic specimens (Fig. 2). Moreover, SCHMIDT & MACAULAY (2009: 82) showed the high variability of this character, where the shape of valvae of sample from Muskox Lake in Canada represented in Figure 4c also fully fits with our Altaic specimen. Similarly, the specimen collected also in the Yukon Territory in Canada and published by REKELJ & GESÁNEK (2009: 278) has identical genitalia with our Altaic specimen, too. Therefore, taxonomic position of particular taxa of D. albertae require future study, and presented ordering to subspecies atra is necessary to consider as provisional. Similarly, also taxonomic position of further Dodia taxa, primarily sikhotensis and transbaikalensis should be revised due their unclear status (cf. MURZIN, 2003: 33; DUBATULOV, 2008: 297).

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic (DKRVO 2019-2023/5.I.b, National Museum, 00023272) to J. Sumpich. We are indebted to Emanuel Arriaga Varela (México) for translation of abstract into Spanish.

BIBLIOGRAPHY

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Author notes

* Autor para la correspondencia / Corresponding autor jansumpich@seznam.cz