Systematics of Problepsis wiltshirei (Prout, 1938), comb. nov. (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Sterrhinae) - An endemic species to the Zagros Mountains in the Middle East

Abstract

Within Iran, the Zagros Mountains show high biodiversity, with a wealth of endemic species. One of these is the geometrid moth Somatina wiltshirei Prout, 1938, originally described from Iran and Iraq. In the present study, one mitochondrial and up to nine protein-coding nuclear gene regions were used along with a comparative morphological examination to investigate the systematic position of this species. The results support the reclassification of this species as Problepsis wiltshirei comb. nov. Since the original species description is superficial, we provide a re-description supported by rich illustrations of morphological characters and distribution. In addition, Problepsis wiltshirei comb. nov. is reported as a new species for the fauna of Turkey. The importance of the habitat for the conservation of this species is discussed.