Genus and species of moth
Watsonarctia is a monotypic moth genus in the subfamily Arctiinae erected by Josef J. de Freina and Thomas Joseph Witt in 1984. Its only species, Watsonarctia deserta , the chaste pellicle , was first described by Max Bartel in 1902.[ 1] It is found in central and south-eastern Europe, southern Russia , southern Siberia east to Lake Baikal ; also in Asia Minor , Armenia , Azerbaijan , northern Iran , Kazakhstan , Kyrghyzstan and Xinjiang in China.[ 2]
The wingspan is 26–32 mm.
The larvae feed on Asperula , Achillea and Galium species (including Galium verum and Galium odoratum ).
Subspecies
Watsonarctia deserta deserta (Bartel, 1902) (southern and central Europe, Caucasus, north-western Kazakhstan, southern Siberia, northern Mongolia)
Watsonarctia deserta karduchena (de Freina, 1983) (Anatolia )
Watsonarctia deserta centralasiae (O. Bang-Haas, 1927) (mountains of eastern Kazakhstan, Xinjiang, eastern Tien Shan)
Watsonarctia deserta elbursica Dubatolov & Zahiri, 2005 (northern Iran)
References
External links
Watsonarctia Watsonarctia deserta