Extended distribution patterns of the Arabian burnet moth Reissita simonyi (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae; Rebel, 1899) and the Arabian wall brown Lasiommata felix (Lepidoptera: Nymphalidae: Satyrinae; Warnecke, 1929) in Southern Arabia.

Abstract

The extended distribution patterns of two faunal elements of Yemen, Lasiommata felix (Warnecke, 1929) and Reissita simonyi (Rebel, 1899) are presented. Both species are endemic to the Arabian Peninsula and information about distribution patterns has been rather fragmentary so far. The paper summarizes the results of several field trips to Southern Arabia in 2001/2002 and reviews additional published evidence on the distribution patterns. Numerous new localities for both studied species from Yemen are offered. Currently, Reissita simonyi is known from Al Hada, vic. Ta´if, Asir in Saudi Arabia to Province Dhofar, Jabal Samhan, N of Juffa in Oman. Lasiommata felix is distributed from Ta´if, Saudi Arabia to the Jaffah area, E of Taiz/Yemen in Southern Arabia. L. felix seems to be limited to the western escarpment along the Red Sea, whereas R. simonyi shows a division into two subspecies: R. simonyi yemenicola, which also occurs along the mountainous areas along the Red Sea and R. simonyi simonyi, which is distributed along the Indian Ocean. Furthermore, a brief description of morphological characteristics and phylogenetic relationships of these species is given in this context.

Keywords

Reissita simonyi, Lasiommata felix, distribution pattern, endemism, Southern Arabia, Yemen.