First record of Scopula orientalis (Alphéraky, 1876) (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) in Romania, at the northern limit of the Balkans

Abstract

The geometrid moth Scopula orientalis (Alphéraky, 1876) has an apparently disjunct distribution in Europe, with local populations in the Balkans (Macedonia, Bulgaria and Albania where recently discovered), as well as in Ukraine and southern European Russia. In this study, based on morphological and mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 – COI) data, we report the presence of S. orientalis in south-eastern Romania (Dobrogea), at the northernmost limit of the Balkans. The flight time (September) of the recorded specimen, is the latest seasonal record for the Balkans, supporting the presence of at least a partial second generation. The Romanian specimen represented a unique COI haplotype which is differentiated by seven mutations from its genetically closest population in Sivas province, Turkey. The presence of S. orientalis in Romania reduces the distributional gap between the known Balkan and Ukrainian populations and highlights the potential for a more widespread distribution that needs documentation based on directed studies.