Taxonomic revision and morphological characterization of Spilomelinae (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in the eastern Arabian Peninsula

The subfamily Spilomelinae Guenée, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) constitutes one of the most species-rich lineages of pyraloid moths, yet its taxonomic documentation across the Arabian Peninsula remains fragmentary and incomplete. The present research undertakes a comprehensive taxonomic revision and morphological characterization of Spilomelinae specimens collected from five distinct ecological zones in the eastern Arabian Peninsula, with particular emphasis on Oman. Field surveys were conducted between March 2021 and November 2023 across Al Jabal Al Akhdar, Wadi Bani Khalid, Dhofar coastal zone, Al Batinah Plain, and the Musandam Peninsula. A total of 63 specimens representing 11 species across six genera were examined using both external morphological features and genitalic characters. Morphometric analyses of wingspan, body length, antennal segments, and forewing venation patterns revealed significant interspecific variation. The genera Spoladea, Hymenia, Palpita, Diaphania, and Glyphodes were recorded, with Spoladea recurvalis demonstrating the highest relative abundance at 28.1% of total captures. Notable morphological distinctions in male genitalia, particularly the configuration of the valva and aedeagus, provided reliable diagnostic characters for species separation. Two species, Palpita vitrealis and Glyphodes stolalis, represent new distributional records for Oman. The findings contribute an updated regional checklist and highlight the eastern Arabian Peninsula as an important transitional zone for Spilomelinae diversity between Afrotropical and Oriental faunal realms. These results underscore the necessity for continued faunistic surveys to capture the full breadth of Lepidopteran biodiversity in understudied arid environments.