RETHERA BRANDTI EUTELES Jordan, 1937

GB: Lesser Madder Hawkmoth

Rethera brandti euteles Jordan, 1937, Novit. zool. 40: 325.

Type locality: C'urum [between Shiraz and Bushehr], Iran.

(Taxonomic note. Kernbach (1959) doubted the validity of this subspecies on the strength of two specimens from southern Iran, which were superficially similar to subsp. brandti. Examination of an extensive series in the collection of E. P. Wiltshire (deposited at the Natural History Museum, London), as well as recent captures, show that his doubts may be justified.)


BIOGEOGRAPHICAL AFFILIATION

Holarctic; western Palaearctic region. Pleistocene refuge: Monocentric -- probably eastern part of the Syrian refuge.


ADULT DESCRIPTION AND VARIATION

Male Rethera brandti euteles, C'urum (Shiraz-Bushehr road), Iran.

Wingspan: 40--45mm. Generally paler and greyer than subsp. brandti and usually lacking any pink coloration in most individuals; however, some specimens are similar to subsp. brandti in coloration. As in that subspecies, there is little variation.


Male Rethera brandti euteles, near Kashan, Esfahan Province, Iran. Photo: © Gergely Petrány.

ADULT BIOLOGY

Does not overlap with subsp. brandti. Found in hilly steppe and desert-edge vegetation in dense but local populations at between 1500 and 2500m altitude.


FLIGHT-TIME

Univoltine (but with a possible second brood); late March to mid-May, depending on altitude. In 2002, individuals were collected in Iran on 23 April (30 Km N. Bandar-e Abbas) and 14-15 May (Natanz, north of Esfahan).


EARLY STAGES

Unknown.

Hostplants. Unknown, but probably Galium.

PARASITOIDS

Unknown.


DISTRIBUTION

From south-east Turkey and north-east Iraq (Wiltshire, 1957) to southern Iran along the Zagros Mountains (Brandt, 1938; Ghassemi, Alemansoor & Alehossein, 2009). May be more widespread than indicated due to the remoteness of its habitat.

Extra-limital range. None.



OTHER SUBSPECIES

Northern Iran as R. brandti brandti.


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