Introduction

The Lepidoptera of Southern Ossetia are very poorly studied. In the first and second parts of this series of articles, we provided 111 species of Pyraloidea, including 96 species new for this territory ( Streltzov et al. 2022a, 2022b) and 82 species of Macroheterocera ( Streltzov et al. 2022c). In the second part, we publish the data on three Microlepidoptera families (Tortricidae, Pterophoridae and Alucitidae) of South Ossetia. This information has not been published before.

Material and methods

The specimens were collected in South Ossetia in seven localities ( Figures 1-2). The list of collection sited was chosen by Alexandr Fomichev (Barnaul), for the most complete overview of the altitudinal belts and plant communities of Southern Ossetia.

The collections were carried out by manual collection during the daytime and at dusk, as well as on light screens Naturaliste-150 and Naturaliste-180 (using lamps OSRAM-160, 250 W), powered by the inverter generator Honda EU10i and autonomous light traps ENTOSPHINX lamp UV LED 12 V/19,2W (equipped with diodes 240 UV LED). Deadening of the specimens was carried out using ethyl acetate. The material was mounted on entomological pins.

The examined material is kept in the collections:

CUK collection of Petr Ustjuzhanin and Vasiliy Kovtunovich (Novosibirsk, Moscow, Russia); ZISP Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Saint-Petersburg, Russia).

List of collecting localities ( Figure 2)

1. 1. South Ossetia, Tskhinval Distr., 2 km NW Grom, 42º10’6” N / 44º11’53” E, 930 m, 22-25-VI-2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.
2. 2. South Ossetia, Leningor Distr., 4 km E Leningor, 42º08’45”N, 44º30’55”E / 1200 m, 26-27-VI-2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.
3. 3. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., 4 km NNE Kvaisa, Koz lake, 42º33’32” N / 43º37’59” E, 1580 m, 28-30-VI-2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.
4. 4. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., Rachinsky Range, near Dodtota, 42º27’25” N / 43º43’18” E, 1750 m, 1-2-VII-2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.
5. 5. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., Dvalet Range, near Kherusel’t, 42º32’37” N / 43º47’32” E, 1760 m, 3-5-VII-2021, A. Streltzov, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.
6. 6. South Ossetia, Dzaus Distr., Mtiulet Range, near Erman, 42º31’2” N / 44º14’10” E, 2140 m, 7-9-VII-2021, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.
7. 7. South Ossetia, Znaur Distr., 2 km W Dzagina, 42º14’34” N / 43º43’11” E, 1100 m, 11-12-VII-2021, P. Ustjuzhanin & R. Yakovlev leg.

Results

Faunistic and systematic notes

TORTRICIDAE

All species new for South Ossetia.

Acleris bergmanniana (Linnaeus, 1758), Acleris schalleriana (Linnaeus, 1761), A. variegana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Phtheochroa unionana (Kennel, 1900), Agapeta hamana (Linnaeus, 1758), A. zoegana (Linnaeus, 1767), Aethes moribundana (Staudinger, 1859), A. nefandana (Kennel, 1899), A. margaritana (Haworth, 1811), Falseuncaria degreyana (McLachlan, 1869), Eana osseana (Scopoli, 1763), E. argentana (Clerck, 1759), Cnephasia asseclana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), C. genitalana Pierce & Metcalfe, 1922, Epagoge grotiana (Fabricius, 1781), Periclepsis cinctana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Philedone gerningana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Archips rosana (Linnaeus, 1758), Ptycholoma erschoffi (Christoph, 1877), Pandemis heparana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Dichelia histrionana (Frölich, 1828), Isotrias rectifasciana (Haworth, 1811), Endothenia gentianaeana (Hübner, [1799]), E. nigricostana (Haworth, 1811), Lobesia abscisana (Doubleday, 1849), Hedya salicella (Linnaeus, 1758), H. nubiferana (Haworth, 1811), H. pruniana (Hübner, [1799]), Metendothenia atropunctana (Zetterstedt, 1839), Orthotaenia undulana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Apotomis turbidana Hübner, [1825], Olethreutes arcuella (Clerck, 1759), Celypha rufana (Scopoli, 1763), C. cespitana (Hübner, [1817]), Syricoris rivulana (Scopoli, 1763), Phiaris delitana (Staudinger, 1880), Ancylis comptana (Frölich, 1828), A. badiana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), A. achatana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Thiodia torridana (Lederer, 1859), T. citrana (Hübner, [1799]), Spilonota ocellana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Zeiraphera griseana (Hübner, [1799]), Pelochrista mollitana (Zeller, 1847), Gypsonoma dealbana (Frölich, 1828), Epiblema graphana (Treitschke, 1835), Notocelia uddmanniana (Linnaeus, 1758), N. roborana [Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775, N. rosaecolana (Doubleday, 1850), Cydia succedana ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), C. medicaginis (Kuznetsov, 1962), C. pomonella (Linnaeus, 1758), C. fagiglandana (Zeller, 1841), Lathronympha strigana (Fabricius, 1775), Grapholita funebrana (Treitschke, 1835), and Dichrorampha gruneriana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1851) are known from the boundary territory of the West or/and Northern Caucasian Region ( SINEV et al. 2019).

Phtheochroa purana (Guenée, 1845)

New for Caucasus. Previously was recorded from South Europe and Asia Minor ( Razowski, 2009).

Gynnidomorpha minimana (Caradja, 1916)

New for Caucasus. Previously was known from Europe to Kuril Is., China, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan ( Razowski, 2009; Sun & Li, 2013).

Eupoecilia sanguisorbana (Herrich-Schäffer, 1856)

New for Caucasus. Previously was recorded from Europe to South Siberia, West Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and China ( Razowski, 2009; Trematerra, 2010; Sinev et al. 2019).

Cochylis pallidana Zeller, 1847

New for Caucasus. Previously was noted from Europe to Sakhalin Is., North Africa, Asia Minor, Kazakhstan, Mongolia ( Razowski, 2009).

Ancylis unguicella (Linnaeus, 1758)

New for Caucasus. Previously was known from Europe to Kuril Is., North Kazakhstan, Korea, Japan, Nearctic Region ( Razowski, 2003).

Ancylis paludana (Barrett, 1871)

New for Caucasus. Previously was noted from Europe to Kuril Is., Mongolia, China ( Razowski, 2003).

Cydia ulicetana (Haworth, 1811)

Grapholitha conjunctana Möschler, 1866 was treated as a junior synonym of ulicetana Haworth by Gilligan et al. (2018). However, our material from South Ossetia shows clear differences in male genitalia between conjunctana and ulicetana sensu Razowski (2003). Revision of the type material of ulicetana and a molecular study of our material are needed to resolve this problem.

PTEROPHORIDAE

All species new for South Ossetia.

Gillmeria pallidactyla (Haworth, 1811), Paraplatyptilia metzneri (Zeller, 1841), Cnaemidophorus rhododactyla ([Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775), Stenoptilia graphodactyla (Treitschke, 1833), S. pterodactyla (Linnaeus, 1761), Crombrugghia distans (Zeller, 1847), Oxyptilus parvidactylus (Haworth, 1811), Procapperia linariae (Chrétien, 1922), Capperia maratonica Adamczewski, 1951, Pselnophorus poggei (Mann, 1862), Hellinsia didactylites (Strom, 1783), H. tephradactyla (Hübner, [1813]), Emmelina monodactyla (Linnaeus, 1758), and Pterophorus pentadactyla (Linnaeus, 1758) are known from the boundary territory in the West, Northern and Eastern Caucasian region ( Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2019a).

Stenoptilia arida (Zeller, 1847)

New for Greater Caucasus. Known from Northern Africa, Yemen, France, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Corse, Sardinia, Sicily, Malta, Croatia, Serbia, Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Turkey, Kazakhstan ( Gielis, 2003), Iran ( Zerny, 1940; Arenberger, 2005; Alipanah & Gielis, 2010), Armenia ( Ustjuzhanin et al. 2015).

Capperia salangaArenberger, 1995

New for Caucasus. Known from Afghanistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan ( Arenberger, 1995, 2002a; Gielis, 2003; Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2016; Ustjuzhanin et al. 2016).

Stangeia siceliota (Zeller, 1847)

New for Greater Caucasus. Known from Arabian Peninsula, Armenia, Afghanistan, Canary Islands, China, Iran, Iraq, South Europe, China, and Turkey ( Arenberger, 1986, 1998, 2002b; Gielis, 2009; Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2011; Ustjuzhanin et al. 2015; De Prins & De Prins, 2022).

ALUCITIDAE

All species new for South Ossetia.

Alucita grammodactyla Zeller, 1841, A. huebneri Wallengren, 1859, A. zonodactyla Zeller, 1847, and Pterotopteryx synnephodactyla (Alphéraky, 1876) are known from the boundary territory in the West, Northern and Eastern Caucasian region ( Ustjuzhanin & Kovtunovich, 2019b).

Alucita ordubadiZagulajev, 2000

New for Greater Caucasus. Known from Azerbaijan and Iran ( Zagulajev, 2000; Alipanah & Ustjuzhanin, 2014).

Acknowledgements

In conclusion, we would like to thank all the people of South Ossetia, whom we met during the expedition, for their help and politeness towards us and our work.

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Author notes

*Autor para la correspondencia / Corresponding author