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The genus Euxoa Hübner, [1821] is regarded as the most highly evolved among the genera of the subfamily Noctuinae and contains by far the largest number of species of the subfamily in Europe and in the Palaearctic region. Fifty-four species of this genus has been already reported from Iran. In this paper a list of 17 already recorded species and subspecies of Euxoa from the north-east of Iran is given and discussed. Furthermore, E. acuminifera (Eversmann, 1854) is newly reported for the fauna of Iran. Figures of its adult male and female and their genitalia are provided together with bionomics and distribution of the species.

A list of Iranian Euxoa Hübner, [1821] species is provided mainly based on the literatures since the begining of the twenteth century. Beside, some records were obtained from the study of material deposited in the Collection of Entomology, Shahid Bahonar University of Kerman, as well as the recent expeditions carried out on the fauna of Noctuidae family in Iran. This paper includes a checklist of 48 species and subspecies of Euxoa in Iran. Provincial distribution, citation of the original description, type locality and synonymy of each species and subspecies is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of Euxoa Hébner are described from northern and western Canada: Euxoa apopsis Troubridge & Lafontaine, related to E. macleani McDunnough, and E. muldersi Lafontaine & Hensel, related to E. churchillensis McDunnough. Euxoa chimoensis Hardwick, stat. rev., is recognized as a valid species rather than as a subspecies of Euxoa macleani. A diagnosis of the E. westermanni species-group is given with descriptions and illustrations of the new species and their relatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Genital morphology shows peculiar patterns of variation among insect species. Traditionally, genital species specificity has been assumed to serve as a mechanical isolation system between species (the lock-and-key hypothesis). Most recent studies suggest, however, that such variation may also be because of sexual selection. These two hypotheses give different predictions on genital variation within and between species. We tested the lock-and-key hypothesis by morphometrically exploring variation and allometry in male genitalia in three closely related Euxoa moth species. Single genital characteristics usually show overlap between species. As a whole, internal genitalia distinguish species better than external genitalia. The size of genitalia is generally correlated with body size, but the relationship is strongly negatively allometric so that the size of internal genitalia increases least with body size. These findings support the lock-and-key hypothesis. Both external and internal male genitalia show morphometric variation both within and between species, but the variation is significantly smaller in external genitalia. As internal genitalia are assumed to work as ‘keys’ in moths, this finding does not support the predictions of the lock-and-key hypothesis. Therefore, we cannot unambiguously support or reject this hypothesis. Our results agree well with the sexual selection hypotheses, particularly, the one-size-fits-all concept of the cryptic female choice hypothesis, which suggests stabilizing selection on genital size, but at the same time allows genital shape to vary relatively considerably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]