Observations on the Isturgia limbaria (Fabricius, 1775) / roraria (Fabricius, 1776) complex (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae) Author Flamigni, Claudio via delle Belle Arti 21, I- 40126 Bologna, Italy; claudio. flamigni @ alice. it claudio.flamigni@alice.it Author Fiumi, Gabriele via Decio Raggi 167, I- 47121 Forli, Italy; gabfium @ tiscali. it text Nota Lepidopterologica 2020 43 227 251 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/nl.43.46559 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/nl.43.46559 2367-5365-43-227 C4B0EDAA39825B5B813C21095A655A80 88BBA56C-CEFF-42DA-A452-0DBF104A3DA2 Isturgia limbaria roraria (Fabricius, 1776) stat. nov. Phalaena roraria Fabricius, 1776, Genera Insect. 285, Europe. Phalaena adspersaria Fabricius, 1787, Mantissa Insect. 2: 189, [Germany], [Saxony-Anhalt]: Halae Saxonum [Halle (Saale)]. Fidonia spartiaria Treitschke, 1827, Schmett. Eur. 6 (1): 270, [Germany]: river Rhine [patria falsa?]. The original description (upperside and underside) corresponds to roraria , but in the locality indicated only the taxon limbaria occurs. Fidonia roraria ab. aequestriga Hirschke, 1910, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien 60: 416, [Czech Republic], Silesia: near Trop pau [Opava] [infrasubspecific: form without dark terminal fascia]. Fidonia roraria ab. nigrescens Preissecker, 1923, Verh. zool.-bot. Ges. Wien 72: (95), [Lower Austria]: Dunkelsteinerwald, near Ernsthof [infrasubspecific]. ? Cleogene ostrogovichi Caradja, 1930, Bull. Sect. scient. Acad. roum. 13 (3): 52, [Romania], Siebenbuergen [Transylvania]: Cluj, [ Galiser Hill]. Synonym of roraria according to Rakosy et al. (2016) , but it could instead be synonym of rablensis if the occurrence of this taxon in the Cluj-Napoca area was ascertained. Isturgia roraria ab. stehliki Bretschneider, 1954, Ent. Z. 64: 41, Germany, [Saxony-Anhalt], Dessau [infrasubspecific: almost completely black form, obtained from a F2 generation, bred from normal-coloured roraria parents]. Material examined. Germany : 1 ♂, Saxony-Anhalt: Bitterfeld, Marke, 0.5 km east the motorway exit Dessau-Sued , 85 m, 24.v.2012, J. Gelbrecht leg. (ZSM); 3 ♂ 3 ♀, Saxony-Anhalt: Dessau, Moest W, 80 m, 19.V.2016, 19.v.2016/31.iii-14.iv.2017 ex ovo, E. Friedrich leg. (RCEF) (digital images of both sides on Lepiforum); 3 ♂, 3 ♀, Bavaria: Spalt (and surroundings), 18.v.2004, 26.v.2005 ex ovo, 22.vi.2007 ex ovo, 3.v.2008 ex ovo, 6.v.11 ex ovo, 27.iv.2012 ex ovo, A. Zoglauer leg. (RCCF, RCCM); 1 ♂, Bavaria: Mittelfranken, Nuernberger Land, Leinburg, Wolfsgrube Ost, 405 m, 20.vii.2010, A. H. Segerer leg. (ZSM). Austria : 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Lower Austria: Pottenstein, 31.v.1930, 21.vi.1930, R. Kitschelt leg. (NHMW) (digital images of both sides on Lepiforum). Czech Republic : 1 ♂, Moravia: Vapenky , 13.v.2006 ex ovo, J. Uncar leg. (RCCM); 1 ♂, Moravia: Bile Karpaty [White Carpathians], Machova , 1996 ex ovo, E. Lohocka leg. (RCCM). Slovakia : 1 ♀, Handlova , iv-2003 ex ovo on Genista , I. Richter leg. (RCCM). Colour images of specimens from Poland are shown by Blaik (2003) (variability of upperside), Blaik and Malkiewicz (2003) (upperside and underside) and on the website Lepidoptera Mundi ( 2019 ). Diagnosis (Figs 7 , 12 , 17 , 22 ). Ground colour of the upperside deep yellow or orange, scattered with dark vertical lines; the dark terminal fascia (when present) is generally wide; however, the upperside is often identical to that of the previous subspecies and the differentiation from it is possible only by examining the underside. On the underside fore- and hindwing with identical colour and pattern: ground colour orange-yellow or orange scattered with dark vertical stripes (a little more dense on the hindwings); hindwing without a trace of whitish radiating streaks (sometimes a streak of a slightly lighter yellow, for example in specimens from Poland and Slovakia). On the upperside, the dark terminal fascia is variable: according to Povolny and Moucha (1957) in Slovakia most of the individuals from the Ore Mountains have this fascia less developed than those from Vihorlat Mountains and in the first locality it is absent in a high percentage of females (but also males). In Poland ( Blaik 2003 ) this fascia is wide and always present in the males (more or less distinct), almost always indistinct or absent in the females; specimens were collected in a locality with a large area of the forewing upperside without dark markings. In the female genitalia signum large (1.2-1.4 mm). Bullae tympani without roundish lobe. Distribution. North-eastern and south-eastern Germany (cf. Skou and Sihvonen 2015 : map on page 99), Austria ( Huemer 2013 : Lower Austria), southern Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, north-eastern Hungary. For Romania, see the previous subspecies. Viidalepp (1996) attributes to roraria s. str. the populations from Ukraine, south-eastern Russia and southern Urals.