MALE GENITALIA VARIABILITY IN CRANIOPHORA LIGUSTRI (LEPIDOPTERA: NOCTUIDAE: ACRONICTINAE)

Abstract

Craniophora ligustri is the most widely distributed species within the genus Craniophora. We used geometric morphometry to assess the shape variation of male valvae in the Western Palaearctic and Russian Far East populations of C. ligustri including the subspecies C. l. carbolucana and C. l. hyrcanica. Outlines were transformed using Hangle Fourier method followed by shape analyses using multivariate statistics (CVA, UPGMA). Based on the re-sults the Far Eastern sample is clearly separated from the Western Palaearctic populations. The West Palaearctic samples were split to two demes, a Northern and a Southern one. The probable refugia of the Southern deme may have extended from South Italy, the Balkan Peninsula across the Euxinic coast of Asia Minor to the Talysh and Northern Iran (Hyrca-nian part of Elburs Mts), while the refugia of the Northern deme have been supposedly extra-Mediterranean.