The geometrid moth fauna of Kazakhstan has been insufficiently studied. More or less detailed data were published for the southern mountain areas (Viidalepp, 1988; Mironov, 1990, 1991, 2017; Kaila et al., 1996; Viidalepp, 1996). The fauna of the northern regions of the republic has been less studied (Kuznetsov and Martynova, 1954; Kenzhekhanov, 1981, 1989a, 1989b; Knyazev, 2015; Knyazev and Zuban’, 2019); 25 species of the tribe Eupitheciini are known from there. At present, 85 species of these geometrid moths (including those discussed herein) are revealed in Kazakhstan. Records of 11 geometrid moth species relatively recently collected by entomologists S.A. Knyazev (Omsk) and P.Yu. Gorbunov (Yekaterinburg) are given in the present paper. The material was identified by V.G. Mironov. Photographs 1–6, 9, and 10 were taken by V.G. Mironov; the authorship of photographs 7 and 8 belongs to S.F. Melyakh. The color plate is composed by S.A. Knyazev. The species are listed in alphabetic order. Most of the labels are cited almost verbatim and only slightly changed according to the rules of the journal.

The list of the accepted abbreviations:

ZIN: the Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, Russia;

CPG: P.Yu. Gorbunov’s collection, Yekaterinburg, Russia;

CSK: S.A. Knyazev’s collection, Omsk, Russia;

CSM: S.F. Melyakh’s collection, Yekaterinburg, Russia.

Eupithecia accurata Staudinger, 1892 (Fig. 1, 1)

Material. Central Kazakhstan: 1 ♂, Karaganda Province, 70 km N of Balkhash Town, Mt. Konyrkulzha, 700 m, 47°28ʹN, 74°43ʹE, 6.V.2017, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM). Southwestern Kazakhstan: 1 ♀, Ustyurt Res., cordon Oneri, 42°36ʹN, 54°08ʹE, 1247 m, 24–25.IX.2010, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM). Southern Kazakhstan: 1 ♀, Karatau Mt. Range, 10 km N of Kentau, 600 m, at light, 26.V.1994, M. Nesterov (ZIN); 2 ♂, 5 ♀, Karatau Mt. Range, Besaryk River, 35 km N of Talap, 440 m a.s.l., 43°49ʹN, 67°41ʹE, 5.V.2010, leg. P. Gorbunov (ZIN, CPG); 5 ♂, 1 ♀, Karatau Mt. Range, Kurkal dry valley, 40 km N of Igilik, 540 m a.s.l., 43°47ʹN, 68°03ʹE, 6.V.2010, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM, CPG); 1 ♀, Syrdariya Karatau Mt. Range, 2.5 km SE of Baizhansai, 880 m, 43°08ʹN, 69°56ʹE, 15.V.2019, leg. P. Gorbunov (CPG). Eastern Kazakhstan: 2 ♂, 3 ♀, 43 km SE of Makanchi, Arkaly Mts., Egizkyzyl, 600 m, 46°30ʹN, 82°23ʹE, 11.V.2017, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM); 2 ♂, 1 ♀, Manrak Mts., 18 km SW of Tugyl Vill., Kusty River, 770 m, 47°38ʹN, 84°08ʹE, 15.V.2017, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM). Southeastern Kazakhstan: 1 ♂, Almaty Province, Altyn-Emel Mt. Range, Sholak Mts., 850 m, 43°55ʹN, 77°51ʹE, 20.IV.2018, leg. P. Gorbunov (CPG).

Note. Until recently, the species was known from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Viidalepp, 1978, 1988, 1996; Mironov, 1991). It was described from northern Iran (Mazandaran Province) as Eupithecia subscalptata Schütze, 1961.

Fig. 1.
figure 1

Species of the geometrid moth tribe Eupitheciini, new to the fauna of Kazakhstan: (1) Eupithecia accurata Staudinger, 1892; (2) Eu. indigata (Hübner, 1813); (3) Eu. karli Ratzel et Mironov, 2008; (4) Eu. lariciata (Freyer, 1842); (5) Eu. pygmaeata (Hübner, 1799); (6) Eu. stigmaticata Christoph, 1885; (7) Eu. subtilis Dietze, 1910; (8) Eu. usbeca Viidalepp, [1992]; (9) Eu. veratraria Herrich-Schäffer, 1846; (10) Pasiphila rectangulata (Linnaeus, 1758).

Full size image

Eupithecia indigata (Hübner, 1813) (Fig. 1, 2)

Material. Eastern Kazakhstan: 1 ♂, Katon-Karagai Distr., Altai Mts., Tarbagatai Mt. Range, Burkhat Pass, h = 2009 m, 49°08ʹ31.51ʺN, 86°02ʹ29.10ʺE, at light, 27–28.VI.2018, leg. S.A. Knyazev (ZIN).

Note. The species has been reported from the northern regions of Kazakhstan (Mironov, 1991; Viidalepp, 1996). It is recorded for the first time for the east of the country from the Tarbagatai Mt. Range, though known from the neighboring territories of Russia: Altai Territory and the Republic of Altai (Mironov, 1989, 1991, 2017).

Eupithecia karli Ratzel et Mironov, 2008 (Fig. 1, 3)

Material. Southern Kazakhstan: 1 ♂, Karatau Mt. Range, Besaryk River, 35 km N of Talap, 440 m a.s.l., 43°49ʹN, 67°41ʹE, 5.V.2010, leg. P. Gorbunov (ZIN).

Note. The species was described from the Western Himalayas (India, Pakistan) based on a series of the specimens collected at 3000–3700 m a.s.l. (Mironov et al., 2008a). The record of Eu. karli in the south of Kazakhstan is rather unexpected.

Eupithecia lariciata (Freyer, 1842) (Fig. 1, 4)

Material. Eastern Kazakhstan: 3 ♂, 4 ♀, Katon-Karagai Distr., Altai Mts.: Tarbagatai Mt. Range, Burkhat Pass, h = 2009 m, 49°8ʹ31.51ʺN, 86°2ʹ29.10ʺE, at light, 27–28.VI.2018, leg. S.A. Knyazev; 3 ♂, 1 ♀, Southern Altai Mt. Range, Kara-Kaba River, h = 1653 m, 49°1ʹ42.96ʺN, 86°1ʹ4.44ʺE, at light, 28–29.VI.2018, leg. S.A. Knyazev (ZIN, CSK).

Note. A rather common species in Altai, as well as in the largest territory of Siberia. Some specimens from Kazakhstan differ in darker coloration, in a diffused pattern, and in small discal spots on the fore wings.

Eupithecia pusillata ([Denis et Schiffermüller], 1775)

Material. Southern Kazakhstan: 1 ♀, Almaty Province, Charyn River gorge, Kurtogai, 1050 m a.s.l., 43°15ʹN, 78°58ʹE, 21.VIII.2015, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM).

Note. This species widely distributed in the Palaearctic Region from the Canaries in the west to Japan in the east is found in Kazakhstan for the first time. Since a single female (the genitalia have been examined) from the environs of Alma-Ata is heavily worn, we do not present its photograph here.

Eupithecia pygmaeata (Hübner, 1799) (Fig. 1, 5)

Material. Eastern Kazakhstan: 1 ♀, Markakol’ District, 7 km S of Urunkhaika Vill., 7 km E of Lake Markakol’, 47°53ʹ20.41ʺN, 84°47ʹ16.83ʺE, h = 1755 m, 29.VI.2018, leg. S.A. Knyazev (ZIN).

Note. The nearest records are known from Russia (Altai Territory and the Republic of Altai) and Mongolia (Mironov, 1989, 1990; Viidalepp, 1996).

Eupithecia stigmaticata Christoph, 1885 (Fig. 1, 6)

Material. Southwestern Kazakhstan: 1 ♂, Ustyurt Nature Reserve, Karynzharyk Sands, Saksorka, 42°42ʹN, 54°06ʹE, 7.V.2010, leg V. Zurilina (CPG). Southern Kazakhstan: 2 ♀, Aksu-Zhabagly Reserve, 5 km ESE of Zhabagly Vill., “Ruslan” tourist house, 42°24ʹN, 70°32ʹE, 21.V.2016, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM); 1 ♂, 1 ♀, Syrdariya Karatau Mt. Range, 2.5 km SE of Baizhansai, 880 m, 43°08ʹN, 69°56ʹE, 15.V.2019, leg. P. Gorbunov (CPG).

Note. The type series has not been found in the ZIN collection. The species is known from Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan (Fal’kovich, 1986; Viidalepp, 1988).

Eupithecia subtilis Dietze, 1910 (Fig. 1, 7)

Material. Southern Kazakhstan: 3 ♂, 5 ♀, Syrdariya Karatau Mt. Range, 10 km WSW of Abai, 1130 m, 43°47ʹN, 68°45ʹE, 21.VII.2017, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM); 1 ♀, as above, but 13.VII.2019, leg. P. Gorbunov (CPG); 1 ♂, Syrdariya River valley, 12 km N of Tortogai Vill., saxaul desert, 140 m, 44°33ʹN, 66°16ʹE, 29.IV.2018, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM).

Note. The species was described from northern Iran (Shakhkukh). It also occurs in Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Pakistan (Mironov et al., 2008b). The genitalia of the specimens from Southern Kazakhstan have been examined.

Eupithecia usbeca Viidalepp, [1992] (Fig. 1, 8)

Material. Southern Kazakhstan: 1 ♂, Syrdariya River valley, 12 km N of Tortogai Vill., saxaul desert, 140 m, 44°33ʹN, 66°16ʹE, 29.IV.2018, leg. P. Gorbunov (CSM); 1 ♀, 17 km E of Kyzyl-Orda City, sands, 140 m a.s.l., 44°47ʹN, 65°44ʹE, 10.V.2019, leg. P. Gorbunov (CPG).

Note. The species was described from Repetek (Turkmenistan). The holotype (female) is deposited in the ZIN collection. The specimens from Southern Kazakhstan are identified based on the structure of the genitalia.

Eupithecia veratraria Herrich-Schäffer, 1846 (Fig. 1, 9)

Material. Eastern Kazakhstan: 13 specimens, Markakol’ District, 7 km S of Urunkhaika Vill., 7 km E of Lake Markakol’, 47°53ʹ20.41ʺN, 84°47ʹ16.83ʺE, at light, 29–30.VI.2018, leg. S.A. Knyazev (ZIN; CSK).

Note. The nearest record is known from Altai (Mironov, 1989, 1991, 2017; Viidalepp, 1996). In East Kazakhstan, the species was collected in the environs of the lake overgrown with Veratrum lobelianum, host plant of the larvae.

Pasiphila rectangulata (Linnaeus, 1758) (Fig. 1, 10)

Material. Northeastern Kazakhstan: 1 ♀, Pavlodar Region, 1 km N of Sherbakty Vill., pine forest, 52°24ʹ17.90ʺN, 78°18ʹ13.41ʺE, at light, 25–26.VI.2018, leg. S.A. Knyazev (ZIN).

Note. The species was known from the Southern Urals and from the Western Siberian regions adjacent to Kazakhstan and Altai Territory (Mironov, 1990, 2017; Viidalepp, 1996; Knyazev, 2020). The closely related species Pasiphila chloerata (Mabille, 1870), included in the genus Chloroclystis, was recorded for Southern Kazakhstan from the Zaili Ala Tau Mt. Range (Viidalepp, 1988, 1996).