Testing configurations of attractive toxic sugar bait (ATSB) stations in Mali, West Africa, for improving the control of malaria parasite transmission by vector mosquitoes and minimizing their effect on non-target insects.

BACKGROUND: Application methods of |Attractive Toxic Sugar Baits (ATSB) need to be improved for wide-scale use, and effects on non-target organisms (NTOs) must be assessed. The goals of this study were to determine, at the village level, the effect of different configurations of bait stations to (1) achieve < 25% Anopheles mosquito vector daily feeding rate for both males and females and (2) minimize the effect on non-target organisms. METHODS: Dye was added to Attractive Sugar Bait Stations (without toxin) to mark mosquitoes feeding on the baits, and CDC UV light traps were used to monitor for marked mosquitoes. An array of different traps were used to catch dye marked NTOs, indicating feeding on the ASB. Stations were hung on homes (1, 2, or 3 per home to optimize density) at different heights (1.0 m or 1.8 m above the ground). Eight villages were chosen as for the experiments. RESULTS: The use of one ASB station per house did not mark enough mosquitoes. Use of two and three stations per house gave feeding rates above the 25% goal. There was no statistical difference in the percentage of marked mosquitoes between two and three stations, however, the catches using two and three bait stations were both significantly higher than using one. There was no difference in An. gambiae s.l. feeding when stations were hung at 1.0 and 1.8 m. At 1.8 m stations sustained less accidental damage. ASB stations 1.8 m above ground were fed on by three of seven monitored insect orders. The monitored orders were: Hymenoptera, Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera, Hemiptera, Neuroptera and Orthoptera. Using one or two stations significantly reduced percentage of bait-fed NTOs compared to three stations which had the highest feeding rates. Percentages were as follows: 6.84 ± 2.03% Brachycera followed by wasps (Hymenoptera: Vespidae) 5.32 ± 2.27%, and Rhopalocera 2.22 ± 1.79%. Hanging the optimal number of stations per house for catching mosquitoes (two) at 1.8 m above ground, limited the groups of non-targets to Brachycera, Chironomidae, Noctuoidea, Rhopalocera, parasitic wasps and wasps (Hymenoptera). Feeding at 1.8 m only occurred when stations were damaged. CONCLUSIONS: The goal of marking quarter of the total Anopheles population per day was obtained using 2 bait stations at 1.8 m height above the ground. This configuration also had minimal effects on non-target insects.

Large-scale field trial of attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) for the control of malaria vector mosquitoes in Mali, West Africa.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this field trial was to evaluate the efficacy of attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) in Mali, where sustained malaria transmission occurs despite the use of long-lasting insecticidal nets (LLINs). ATSB bait stations were deployed in seven of 14 similar study villages, where LLINs were already in widespread use. The combined use of ATSB and LLINs was tested to see if it would substantially reduce parasite transmission by Anopheles gambiae sensu lato beyond use of LLINs alone. METHODS: A 2-day field experiment was conducted to determine the number of mosquitoes feeding on natural sugar versus those feeding on bait stations containing attractive sugar bait without toxin (ASB)-but with food dye. This was done each month in seven random villages from April to December 2016. In the following year, in seven treatment villages from May to December 2017, two ATSB bait stations containing the insecticide dinotefuran were placed on the outer walls of each building. Vector population density was evaluated monthly by CDC UV light traps, malaise traps, pyrethrum spray (PSCs) and human landing catches (HLCs). Female samples of the catch were tested for age by examination of the ovarioles in dissected ovaries and identification of Plasmodium falciparum sporozoite infection by ELISA. Entomological inoculation rates (EIR) were calculated, and reductions between treated and untreated villages were determined. RESULTS: In the 2-day experiment with ASB each month, there was a lower number of male and female mosquitoes feeding on the natural sugar sources than on the ASB. ATSB deployment reduced CDC-UV trap female catches in September, when catches were highest, were by 57.4% compared to catches in control sites. Similarly, malaise trap catches showed a 44.3% reduction of females in August and PSC catches of females were reduced by 48.7% in September. Reductions of females in HLCs were lower by 19.8% indoors and 26.3% outdoors in September. The high reduction seen in the rainy season was similar for males and reductions in population density for both males and females were > 70% during the dry season. Reductions of females with ≥ 3 gonotrophic cycles were recorded every month amounting to 97.1% in October and 100.0% in December. Reductions in monthly EIRs ranged from 77.76 to 100.00% indoors and 84.95% to 100.00% outdoors. The number of sporozoite infected females from traps was reduced by 97.83% at treated villages compared to controls. CONCLUSIONS: Attractive toxic sugar baits used against Anopheles mosquitoes in Mali drastically reduced the density of mosquitoes, the number of older females, the number of sporozoite infected females and the EIR demonstrating how ATSB significantly reduces malaria parasite transmission.

Information Dropout Patterns in Restriction Site Associated DNA Phylogenomics and a Comparison with Multilocus Sanger Data in a Species-Rich Moth Genus.

A rapid shift from traditional Sanger sequencing-based molecular methods to the phylogenomic approach with large numbers of loci is underway. Among phylogenomic methods, restriction site associated DNA (RAD) sequencing approaches have gained much attention as they enable rapid generation of up to thousands of loci randomly scattered across the genome and are suitable for nonmodel species. RAD data sets however suffer from large amounts of missing data and rapid locus dropout along with decreasing relatedness among taxa. The relationship between locus dropout and the amount of phylogenetic information retained in the data has remained largely uninvestigated. Similarly, phylogenetic hypotheses based on RAD have rarely been compared with phylogenetic hypotheses based on multilocus Sanger sequencing, even less so using exactly the same species and specimens. We compared the Sanger-based phylogenetic hypothesis (8 loci; 6172 bp) of 32 species of the diverse moth genus Eupithecia (Lepidoptera, Geometridae) to that based on double-digest RAD sequencing (3256 loci; 726,658 bp). We observed that topologies were largely congruent, with some notable exceptions that we discuss. The locus dropout effect was strong. We demonstrate that number of loci is not a precise measure of phylogenetic information since the number of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) may remain low at very shallow phylogenetic levels despite large numbers of loci. As we hypothesize, the number of SNPs and parsimony informative SNPs (PIS) is low at shallow phylogenetic levels, peaks at intermediate levels and, thereafter, declines again at the deepest levels as a result of decay of available loci. Similarly, we demonstrate with empirical data that the locus dropout affects the type of loci retained, the loci found in many species tending to show lower interspecific distances than those shared among fewer species. We also examine the effects of the numbers of loci, SNPs, and PIS on nodal bootstrap support, but could not demonstrate with our data our expectation of a positive correlation between them. We conclude that RAD methods provide a powerful tool for phylogenomics at an intermediate phylogenetic level as indicated by its broad congruence with an eight-gene Sanger data set in a genus of moths. When assessing the quality of the data for phylogenetic inference, the focus should be on the distribution and number of SNPs and PIS rather than on loci.

Species-Level Para- and Polyphyly in DNA Barcode Gene Trees: Strong Operational Bias in European Lepidoptera.

The proliferation of DNA data is revolutionizing all fields of systematic research. DNA barcode sequences, now available for millions of specimens and several hundred thousand species, are increasingly used in algorithmic species delimitations. This is complicated by occasional incongruences between species and gene genealogies, as indicated by situations where conspecific individuals do not form a monophyletic cluster in a gene tree. In two previous reviews, non-monophyly has been reported as being common in mitochondrial DNA gene trees. We developed a novel web service "Monophylizer" to detect non-monophyly in phylogenetic trees and used it to ascertain the incidence of species non-monophyly in COI (a.k.a. cox1) barcode sequence data from 4977 species and 41,583 specimens of European Lepidoptera, the largest data set of DNA barcodes analyzed from this regard. Particular attention was paid to accurate species identification to ensure data integrity. We investigated the effects of tree-building method, sampling effort, and other methodological issues, all of which can influence estimates of non-monophyly. We found a 12% incidence of non-monophyly, a value significantly lower than that observed in previous studies. Neighbor joining (NJ) and maximum likelihood (ML) methods yielded almost equal numbers of non-monophyletic species, but 24.1% of these cases of non-monophyly were only found by one of these methods. Non-monophyletic species tend to show either low genetic distances to their nearest neighbors or exceptionally high levels of intraspecific variability. Cases of polyphyly in COI trees arising as a result of deep intraspecific divergence are negligible, as the detected cases reflected misidentifications or methodological errors. Taking into consideration variation in sampling effort, we estimate that the true incidence of non-monophyly is ∼23%, but with operational factors still being included. Within the operational factors, we separately assessed the frequency of taxonomic limitations (presence of overlooked cryptic and oversplit species) and identification uncertainties. We observed that operational factors are potentially present in more than half (58.6%) of the detected cases of non-monophyly. Furthermore, we observed that in about 20% of non-monophyletic species and entangled species, the lineages involved are either allopatric or parapatric-conditions where species delimitation is inherently subjective and particularly dependent on the species concept that has been adopted. These observations suggest that species-level non-monophyly in COI gene trees is less common than previously supposed, with many cases reflecting misidentifications, the subjectivity of species delimitation or other operational factors.

Calibrating the taxonomy of a megadiverse insect family: 3000 DNA barcodes from geometrid type specimens (Lepidoptera, Geometridae).

It is essential that any DNA barcode reference library be based upon correctly identified specimens. The Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) requires information such as images, geo-referencing, and details on the museum holding the voucher specimen for each barcode record to aid recognition of potential misidentifications. Nevertheless, there are misidentifications and incomplete identifications (e.g., to a genus or family) on BOLD, mainly for species from tropical regions. Unfortunately, experts are often unavailable to correct taxonomic assignments due to time constraints and the lack of specialists for many groups and regions. However, considerable progress could be made if barcode records were available for all type specimens. As a result of recent improvements in analytical protocols, it is now possible to recover barcode sequences from museum specimens that date to the start of taxonomic work in the 18th century. The present study discusses success in the recovery of DNA barcode sequences from 2805 type specimens of geometrid moths which represent 1965 species, corresponding to about 9% of the 23 000 described species in this family worldwide and including 1875 taxa represented by name-bearing types. Sequencing success was high (73% of specimens), even for specimens that were more than a century old. Several case studies are discussed to show the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of this approach.

Comparative molecular species delimitation in the charismatic Nawab butterflies (Nymphalidae, Charaxinae, Polyura).

The charismatic tropical Polyura Nawab butterflies are distributed across twelve biodiversity hotspots in the Indomalayan/Australasian archipelago. In this study, we tested an array of species delimitation methods and compared the results to existing morphology-based taxonomy. We sequenced two mitochondrial and two nuclear gene fragments to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships within Polyura using both Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood. Based on this phylogenetic framework, we used the recently introduced bGMYC, BPP and PTP methods to investigate species boundaries. Based on our results, we describe two new species Polyura paulettae Toussaint sp. n. and Polyura smilesi Toussaint sp. n., propose one synonym, and five populations are raised to species status. Most of the newly recognized species are single-island endemics likely resulting from the recent highly complex geological history of the Indomalayan-Australasian archipelago. Surprisingly, we also find two newly recognized species in the Indomalayan region where additional biotic or abiotic factors have fostered speciation. Species delimitation methods were largely congruent and succeeded to cross-validate most extant morphological species. PTP and BPP seem to yield more consistent and robust estimations of species boundaries with respect to morphological characters while bGMYC delivered contrasting results depending on the different gene trees considered. Our findings demonstrate the efficiency of comparative approaches using molecular species delimitation methods on empirical data. They also pave the way for the investigation of less well-known groups to unveil patterns of species richness and catalogue Earth's concealed, therefore unappreciated diversity.

Control of Aedes albopictus with attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) and potential impact on non-target organisms in St. Augustine, Florida.

The purpose of this study was to test the efficacy of bait stations and foliar applications containing attractive toxic sugar baits (ATSB) and eugenol to control Aedes albopictus. At the same time, the potential impact of these control methods was evaluated on non-target organisms. The study was conducted at five tire sites in St. Augustine, Florida. A. albopictus populations were significantly reduced with ATSB-eugenol applications applied directly to non-flowering vegetation and as bait stations compared with non-attractive sugar baits and control. The application of ATSB made to non-flowering vegetation resulted in more significant reductions of mosquito populations compared to the application of ATSB presented in a bait station. Over 5.5% of the non-targets were stained in the flowering vegetation application site. However, when the attractive sugar bait application was made to non-flowering vegetation or presented in bait stations, the impact on non-target insects was very low for all non-target orders as only 0.6% of the individual insects were stained with the dye from the sugar solutions, respectively. There were no significant differences between the staining of mosquitoes collected in flowering vegetation (206/1000) or non-flowering vegetation (242/1000) sites during the non-target evaluation. Our field studies support the use of eugenol as an active ingredient for controlling the dengue vector A. albopictus when used as an ATSB toxin and demonstrates potential use in sub-tropical and tropical environments for dengue control.

The geometrid moths of Ethiopia I: tribes Pseudoterpnini and Comibaenini (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Geometrinae).

In this paper we present a checklist for Ethiopian Geometridae, subfamily Geometrinae, tribes Pseudoterpnini and Comibaenini. Six species were found to belong to the tribe Pseudoterpnini, two species to the tribe Comibaenini. One species is described as new, Comibaena theodori sp. nov. Adults of all species are illustrated, genitalia are figured for the new species.

Revision of the Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) species group in the western Palaearctic (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae).

The Palaearctic Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) species group is revised (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Ennominae). Four taxa are considered valid at species level: H. fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758), H. pinicolaria (Bellier, 1861), H. compararia (Staudinger, 1894) and one new species, H. mediterranea, from Italy: Sicily, Calabria and Molise. The following taxonomic changes are proposed: Ellopia cedricola Wehrli, 1919, from Turkey is downgraded to subspecies of Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) (revised status), Hylaea fasciaria cleui Leraut, 1993, from France is downgraded from subspecies to synonymy with H. fasciaria fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) (new synonymy) and Ellopia compararia Staudinger, 1894, from Algeria is raised from subspecies of Hylaea fasciaria (Linnaeus, 1758) to species status (revised status). Hemithea squalidaria O. G. Costa, 1848 from southern Italy was placed in the genus Hylaea, but it is reverted to its original combination as its taxonomic status is uncertain. Adults, male and female genitalia and distribution maps are illustrated for all species. DNA barcodes are presented for most taxa studied.

A DNA barcode library of Austrian geometridae (Lepidoptera) reveals high potential for DNA-based species identification.

Situated in the Eastern section of the European Alps, Austria encompasses a great diversity of different habitat types, ranging from alpine to lowland Pannonian ecosystems, and a correspondingly high level of species diversity, some of which has been addressed in various DNA barcoding projects. Here, we report a DNA barcode library of all the 476 species of Geometridae (Lepidoptera) that have been recorded in Austria. As far as possible, species were sampled from different Austrian regions in order to capture intraspecific genetic variation. In total, 2500 DNA barcode sequences, representing 438 species, were generated in this study. For complete coverage of Austrian geometrid species in the subsequent analyses, the dataset was supplemented with DNA barcodes from specimens of non-Austrian origin. Species delimitations by ASAP, BIN and bPTP methods yielded 465, 510 and 948 molecular operational taxonomic units, respectively. Congruency of BIN and ASAP partitions with morphospecies assignments was reasonably high (85% of morphospecies in unique partitions), whereas bPTP appeared to overestimate the number of taxonomic units. The study furthermore identified taxonomically relevant cases of morphospecies splitting and sharing in the molecular partitions. We conclude that DNA barcoding and sequence analysis revealed a high potential for accurate DNA-based identification of the Austrian Geometridae species. Additionally, the study provides an updated checklist of the geometrid moths of Austria.

Global arthropod beta-diversity is spatially and temporally structured by latitude.

Global biodiversity gradients are generally expected to reflect greater species replacement closer to the equator. However, empirical validation of global biodiversity gradients largely relies on vertebrates, plants, and other less diverse taxa. Here we assess the temporal and spatial dynamics of global arthropod biodiversity dynamics using a beta-diversity framework. Sampling includes 129 sampling sites whereby malaise traps are deployed to monitor temporal changes in arthropod communities. Overall, we encountered more than 150,000 unique barcode index numbers (BINs) (i.e. species proxies). We assess between site differences in community diversity using beta-diversity and the partitioned components of species replacement and richness difference. Global total beta-diversity (dissimilarity) increases with decreasing latitude, greater spatial distance and greater temporal distance. Species replacement and richness difference patterns vary across biogeographic regions. Our findings support long-standing, general expectations of global biodiversity patterns. However, we also show that the underlying processes driving patterns may be regionally linked.

Biodiversity into your hands - A call for a virtual global natural history 'metacollection'.

BACKGROUND: Many scientific disciplines rely on correct taxon delineations and identifications. So does a great part of the general public as well as decision makers. Researchers, students and enthusiastic amateurs often feel frustrated because information about species remains scattered, difficult to access, or difficult to decipher. Together, this affects almost anyone who wishes to identify species or verify identifications. Many remedies have been proposed, but we argue that the role of natural history collections remains insufficiently appreciated. We suggest using state-of-the-art mass imaging technology and to join forces to create a global natural history metacollection on the internet, providing access to the morphology of tens of millions of specimens and making them available for automated digital image analysis. DISCUSSION: Robotic high-resolution imaging technology and fast (high performance) computer-based image stitching make it now feasible to digitize entire collection drawers typically used for arthropod collections, or trays or containers used for other objects. Resolutions of 500 megapixels and much higher are already utilized to capture the contents of 40x50 cm collection drawers, providing amazing detail of specimens. Flanked by metadata entry, this helps to create access to tens of thousands of specimens in days. By setting priorities and combining the holdings of the most comprehensive collections for certain taxa, drawer digitizing offers the unique opportunity to create a global, virtual metacollection.The taxonomic and geographic coverage of such a collection could never be achieved by a single institution or individual. We argue that by joining forces, many new impulses will emerge for systematic biology, related fields and understanding of biodiversity in general.Digitizing drawers containing unidentified, little-curated specimens is a contribution towards the beginning of a new era of online curation. It also will help taxonomists and curators to discover and process the millions of "gems" of undescribed species hidden in museum accessions. SUMMARY: Our proposal suggests creating virtual, high-resolution image resources that will, for the first time in history, provide access for expert scientists as well as students and the general public to the enormous wealth of the world's natural history collections. We foresee that this will contribute to a better understanding, appreciation and increased use of biodiversity resources and the natural history collections serving this cause.

Integrative taxonomic revision of the African taxa of the Racotis Moore, 1887 generic complex (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae, Boarmiini).

The Afrotropical taxa of the Racotis s.l. generic complex are revised utilising integrative taxonomical methods. Based on the evaluation of genital morphology and analyses of DNA barcodes, a new genus, Afroracotis gen. n. is established to include the Afrotropical "Racotis" species. The new genus is subdivided into 5 subgenera: Afroracotis subgen. n., Herbuloracotis subgen. n., Rwandaracotis subgen. n., Zebracotis subgen. n. and Sokokeracotis subgen. n.. A new monotypic genus is described to include Boarmia ugandaria Swinhoe, 1904 which was combined earlier with the genus Chorodna and recently with Racotis: Chorocotis gen. n.. Two species formerly assigned to Cleora are moved to Afroracotis: A. albitrigonis (Prout, 1927) comb. n., A. atriclava (Prout, 1926) comb. n.. Two species are transferred from Racotis to Colocleora: C. breijeri (Prout, 1922) comb. n., C. incauta (Prout, 1916) comb. n.. Seventeen new Afroracotis species (A. aliena, A. stadiei, A. violetteae, A. fiebigi, A. turlini, A. dargei, A. longicornuta, A. aristophanousi, A. muscivirens, A. chaineyi, A. lydiae, A. smithi, A. ochsei, A. milesi, A. helicalis, A. takanoi and A. staudei spp. n.) and 5 new subspecies (A. squalida thomensis, A. argillacea morettoi, A. longicornuta congolana, A. longicornuta ugandana and A. lydiae orientalis sspp. n.) are described, totalling 27 species and 8 subspecies contained in the genus Afroracotis. Adults and genitalia of all taxa are illustrated in 210 colour and 129 black and white figures demonstrating the intraspecific variability. The distribution of all taxa is illustrated in 6 dot maps. The results of the genetic analyses are figured in four phylograms.

Surprising discovery of an enigmatic geometrid in Croatia: Mirlatiaarcuata, gen. nov., sp. nov. (Lepidoptera, Geometridae).

A new monotypic genus of Geometridae, Mirlatiagen. nov., and a new species, M.arcuatasp. nov., are described from Croatia. Based on external and genitalia characters, the new genus is tentatively placed in the subfamily Larentiinae. However, the new genus takes a highly isolated position by having unique characters of the tympanum and showing an unusually long pectination of female antennae. Genetic analysis of a fragmented DNA barcode (mtDNA; cytochrome c oxidase 1) did not result in a clear assignation to any geometrid subfamily or tribe. Adults, male and female genitalia, and habitat photos of the type locality of the new species are illustrated.

Tribal assignment of the genus Eumera Staudinger, 1892, using multi-gene analysis, with description of a new species from Iran (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae).

The geometrid moth genus Eumera Staudinger, 1892 consists of five yellow-orange-pinkish species distributed in the western Palearctic, with uncertain tribal classification within the geometrid subfamily Ennominae. In this study, we explored the phylogenetic position of the genus Eumera. Therefore, a concatenated dataset was analyzed, which includes one mitochondrial and up to ten protein-coding genetic markers per taxa. Moreover, we compared some external and internal morphological traits to other closely related genera. Our phylogenetic inference and comparative morphology suggested that Eumera should be included in the tribe Prosopolophini. In addition, a new species, Eumera rajaeii sp. nov. Wanke & Shirvani is described from southern Iran, and diagnosed by molecular data and morphological features. The distribution of the Iranian species is shown on a map. We illustrate external characters and male genitalia of three closely related Eumera species.

Integrative taxonomic revision of the genus Phaselia Guene, [1858] (Geometridae: Ennominae) in the Middle East and Central Asia.

In the past, the high intraspecific variation of wing pattern within the genus Phaselia Guene, [1858] repeatedly led to misidentifications. In this study, we applied an integrative approach using external and internal morphological characters, along with DNA barcoding and distribution data to review the taxonomy of the genus Phaselia in the Middle East and Central Asia. For this study, 710 specimens, including type specimens and 242 genitalia slides were prepared and examined. As a result, P. phaeoleucaria (Lederer, 1855) stat. rev. is reinstated from synonymy of P. serrularia; P. phaeoleucaria shurensis Wehrli 1941 comb. nov. is regarded as a subspecies of P. phaeoleucaria stat. rev. instead of a subspecies of P. serrularia; P. serrularia catharia Wehrli, 1941 syn. nov. is regarded as a junior synonym of P. phaeoleucaria shurensis comb. nov.; P. narynaria Oberthr, 1913 syn. nov. is regarded as a junior synonym of P. serrularia (Eversmann, 1847); P. pithana Wehrli, 1941 bona sp. is raised to species level from subspecies of P. serrularia. Furthermore, two species and two subspecies are described as new to science: P. smettboi sp. nov., P. sihvoneni sp. nov., P. erika jonubi ssp. nov. and P. erika sindhi ssp. nov. Wing pattern, and both male and female genitalia of all discussed taxa are illustrated, their distribution patterns are shown on a map and CO1 data is evaluated to confirm our taxonomic decisions.

Systematics and integrative taxonomic revision of the tribe Scopulini Duponchel, 1845 in Iran (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Sterrhinae).

The Iranian taxa of the tribe Scopulini are taxonomically revised. The systematic positions of the genera Cinglis Guene, 1858, Glossotrophia Prout, 1913, Pseudocinglis Hausmann, 1994 and Scopuloides Hausmann, 1994, with uncertain validity and/or position within the tribe Scopulini Duponchel, 1845 (Lepidoptera: Sterrhinae), are further elucidated by use of one mitochondrial and up to nine protein-coding nuclear gene regions. Available type specimens of the described species and more than 2,600 additional specimens were morphologically investigated. In addition, over 400 genitalia preparations were made and examined together with distribution data and DNA barcodes. As a result of the multi-gene analysis, the genera Cinglis stat. rev. and Scopuloides stat. rev. are re-validated at the genus level. The genus Pseudocinglis syn. nov. is regarded as a junior synonym of the genus Cinglis stat. rev. and Glossotrophia syn. nov. is regarded as a junior synonym of the genus Scopula. Cinglis eurata (Prout, 1913) comb. nov. and Cinglis benigna (Brandt, 1941) comb. nov. are combined with the genus Cinglis. Additionally, Cinglis benigna amseli (Wiltshire, 1967) syn. nov. is regarded as a synonym of C. benigna. Scopula adulteraria (Erschov, 1874) stat. nov. is raised from subspecies to species rank; Scopula iranaria Bytinski-Salz & Brandt, 1937 syn. nov. is synonymized with S. flaccidaria (Zeller, 1852); S. transcaspica taftanica Brandt, 1941 syn. nov. is synonymized with S. transcaspica Prout, 1935; S. diffinaria asiatica (Brandt, 1938) syn. nov. is synonymized with S. diffinaria (Prout, 1913) and Glossotrophia bullata Vojnits, 1986 syn. nov. is synonymized with Scopula sacraria ariana (Ebert, 1965). The female genitalia of Scopula lactarioides Brandt, 1941 are described and illustrated for the first time. In total, the presence of 33 species of Scopulini in Iran is confirmed. Wing patterns, male and female genitalia and diagnostic characters of most Iranian Scopulini species are depicted and their distribution ranges are mapped.

Taxonomic review of the genus Morabia Hausmann amp; Tujuba, 2020 with descriptions of two new species and introducing five new generic combinations (Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Ennominae).

The paper contains the description of two new species of the genus Morabia Hausmann Tujuba, 2020: M. cryptica sp. n. and M. smithi sp. n. The descriptions are based on both morphological data and DNA barcoding. Based on integrative taxonomic analyses, five new combinations are proposed: Morabia nigripunctata (Warren, 1897), comb. n. described from Nigeria, Morabia hero (Viette, 1971), comb. n., Morabia pluto (Viette, 1971), comb. n. described from Madagascar, Morabia herbuloti (Orhant, 2003), comb. n. described from Runion and Morabia distinctaria (Joannis, 1915), comb. n. described from Mauritius are transferred from the genus Ectropis Hbner, 1825 to Morabia. The female genitalia of M. nigripunctata, M. brunnea Hausmann Tujuba, 2020, M. hero and M. herbuloti are described and illustrated for the first time. Detailed diagnoses and re-descriptions of all taxa newly transferred to Morabia are given, interspecific pairwise distances of DNA barcodes are calculated and a maximum likelihood tree is compiled. The paper is illustrated with 38 colour and 38 black and white diagnostic images and a distribution map.

Taxonomic review of the genus Rhodostrophia Hbner, 1823 (Geometridae: Sterrhinae) in Iran.

So far, the species of the genus Rhodostrophia Hbner, 1823 (Geometridae), their diagnostic characters and their distribution in Iran have not been investigated in detail. Moreover, some species were misunderstood by earlier authors. To solve these problems, a survey of the Iranian Rhodostrophia species based on over 1700 specimens has been executed. The type series of all species known from Iran were examined. Additionally extensive material from different museums and private collections was morphologically studied and compared with the type material. DNA-barcoding was used as an independent line of information and the results were compared with the morphological data. Examination of the type material revealed that R.cuprinaria (Christoph, 1876) was misinterpreted for a long time. The taxon R.nubifera Brandt, 1941 syn. nov. is a younger synonym of Hugo Christophs R.cuprinaria, which was misidentified by himself in his later publications. An available name for R.cuprinaria in the old, erroneous sense is R.phaenicearia (Hampson, 1907). Three subspecies were recognized for R. terrestraria, including R. terrestraria farsi ssp. nov. Additionally, R. terrestraria furialis Brandt, 1941 syn. nov. is hereregarded as junior synonym ofR. terrestraria(Lederer, 1869); Rhodostrophia nubifera nubifera Brandt, 1941 syn. nov. and R. nubifera klapperichi Wiltshire, 1966 syn. nov. are here regarded as junior synonyms of R. cuprinaria (Christoph, 1876). R. abscisaria chlorotica Wiltshire, 1967 syn. nov. is downgraded to synonymy of R. abscisaria Brandt, 1941 and R. peripheres debilis Wiltshire, 1949 syn. nov. to synonymy of R. peripheres Prout, 1938. Rhodostrophia vahabzadehi sp. nov. is described as a new species. In total, 15 species are regarded as valid for the fauna of Iran. External and internal morphological characters for all examined species are illustrated. Distribution data are shown on maps for of all species. An updated checklist is presented for the Iranian representatives of the genus Rhodostrophia.

An unexpected species complex unveiled in southern European populations of Phragmatiphila nexa (Hbner, [1808]) (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Apameini).

DNA barcoding analyses of Phragmatiphila nexa (Hbner, 1808) populations unveiled an unexpected divergence in mtDNA of Italian populations, showing the existence of three allopatric cryptic species. The northernmost BIN is shared with specimens from most other European countries, the southernmost one includes specimens from Basilicata and Calabria regions, and the last BIN includes specimens from Apennines, Sardinia and Corsica. Wing pattern as well as male and female genitalia support the existence of three different species along the Italian peninsula: Phragmatiphila nexa north of the Po River for which we designate a neotype, Phragmatiphila insularis (Turati, 1913), stat. rev. in the Apennines as well as in Sardinia (and Corsica), and Phragmatiphila parenzani sp. n. in the south. The Italian distribution of the genus Phragmatiphila is presented in detail.