Chloroclystis v-ata relicta ssp. n. (Lepidoptera, Geometridae), a new taxon from SW Finland, doomed to go extinct?

摘要

An isolated population of Chloclystis v-ata (Haworth, 1809), occurring at Karkali Peninsula, a nature reserve in southwestern Finland, is described as a new subspecies, ssp. relicta ssp.n., on the basis of differences in appearence and phenology compared to the nominate subspecies. The Central European population of Ch. v-ata has been expanding to the north, reaching the Baltic Sea area in recent decades and Finland in 1985. Thus, the new subspecies which is actually protected by law is now threatened by hybridization with the nominate subspecies. In contrast to the bivoltine nominate subspecies, the Karkali population is univoltine. The biology of the new subspecies is discussed.