Lasionycta sala Troubridge and Mustelin

Mustelin, Tomas, 2006, Taxonomy of southern California Erebidae and Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) with descriptions of twenty one new species, Zootaxa 1278, pp. 1-47 : 37-39

Lasionycta sala Troubridge and Mustelin , NEW SPECIES

Figs. 19 , 59 a, and 59b, 80

Type material. Holotype: Male, San Luis Obispo County, San Simeon Dunes [1.6 km N. of San Simeon Pt.], 1 November 1978, F. Sala . Paratypes: 29 males and 18 females. San Luis Obispo County: Same locality and collector as holotype, emerged 10 May 1986 (1 female), emerged 17 June 1984 (1 female), emerged 10 May 1986 (1 female), emerged 17 June 1984 (1 female), emerged 1 July 1984 (1 male), emerged 7 July 1980 (1 male), emerged 17 July 1984 (1 female), emerged 18 July 1983 (1 male), emerged 19 July 1980 (1 female), emerged 24 July 1984 (2 males), emerged 2 August 1985 (1 male, 1 female), emerged 2 August 1998 (1 female), 4 August 1985 (1 male, 1 females), emerged 4 August 1982 (1 male), emerged 19 August 1985 (1 female), emerged 9 September 1993 (3 males), emerged 21 September 1999 (1 female), emerged 5 October 1988 (2 males), 9 October 1977 (1 male), emerged 10 October 1999 (1 male), 19 October, 1992, (2 males, 1 female), 22 October 1982 (2 males, 1 female), emerged 22 October 1990 (1 female), 27 October 1977 (1 male), 27 October 1990 (1 male), emerged 27 October 1999 (1 male, 1 female), emerged 29 October 1984 (1 male, 1 female), 1 November 1978 (3 males, 1 female); San Luis Obispo Dune Lakes, 8 km southeast of Oceano, 2 May 1992 (1 male, 1 female); 25 May 1993 (1 male), 29 May 1993 (1 male), R. Robertson. Holotype and nine paratypes deposited in CNC, other paratypes in the collections of F. Sala , T. Mustelin, and J. Troubridge.

Etymology. This species is named in honor of Frank Sala , who collected and reared most of the type series and who has contributed to the museum collections of Noctuidae .

Diagnosis. A member of the insolens group, which includes L. insolens (Grote, 1874) , L. arietis (Grote, 1879) , L. ochracea (Riley, 1892) , L. wyatti (Barnes & Benjamin, 1926) and L. sala . This group occurs on the Pacific beaches of North America and is characterized by the digitus of the male genitalia, which is reduced to form a plate on the surface of the valve, and by the pointed ovipositor lobes and spiral­shaped appendix bursae of the female. Previously, L. sala has been confused with L. insolens and L. ochracea , which occur on beaches north of the Santa Lucia Range, between Carmel and San Francisco. Lasionycta sala is easily separated from L. ochracea by the powdery appearance of the forewing, indistinct claviform spot, and fuzzy orbicular ( Fig. 18 a) and reniform ( Fig. 18 b) spots. The forewing of L. ochracea is smooth beige, not powdery, with the spots crisp and distinct. The male antenna of L. sala is biserrate, similar to that of L. insolens , and about half the width of the weakly bipectinate antenna of L. ochracea . The forewing of L. insolens ranges from whitish to grey brown. Gray­brown forms of L. insolens could be confused with L. sala , but are easily separated from them by range; however, internally, the subbasal constriction of the male vesica of L. sala is absent in L. insolens , and the ovipositor of L. sala angles more on the ventral margin to a dorsoapical point; that of L. insolens tapers evenly on the dorsal and ventral margins to a more central point.

Description. Male antenna biserrate, that of female filiform. Labial palps covered by white, laterally also by brown scales. Eye with long hairs. Head, prothoracic collar, and thorax light gray brown, abdomen light gray brown with darker dorsal stripe. Forewing with grayish brown, powdery appearance, the result of a dusting of light yellow, white, dark brown, and light gray brown scales; veins edged with white scales. Basal dash dark brown, dusted and forward lined by light yellow scales, basal line obscure, sagittate, brown, edged outwardly with white scales, antemedial line obscure, white, edged outwardly with dark brown scales, orbicular spot light horizontally oval, gray brown, encircled by diffuse ring of white and light yellow scales, reniform spot filled with light gray brown scales, darker brown on posterior edge, encircled by diffuse ring of white and light yellow scales, median area concolorous with basal and subterminal areas, postmedial line obscure, dark brown, edged outwardly with white or light yellow scales, claviform spot very obscure or absent, submarginal line a series of diffuse, dark brown triangles. Marginal line thin, dark brown, interrupted at veins where dark gray brown fringe shows pale spots. Hindwing pale with suffusion of light brown scales, particularly submarginally, postmedial line light gray brown, subterminal area paler with thin, darker brown terminal line; fringe off­white. Under surface of forewing pale gray brown with darker brown postmedial line. Hindwing underside pale gray­brown with small discal dot. Male genitalia ( Figs 59 a and 59b): Uncus pointed, bends 90 degrees downward; juxta shieldlike; sacculus fine with anterior point; valve long and slender with angle on outer margin; cucullus broad, sharply bent at dorsal and ventral angles with corona present on distal margin; clasper elongate, bends medially, a flaplike process arises from base of clasper; digitus forms a flattened plate on surface of valve behind posterior clasper; aedeagus rounded and straight; everted vesica forms a long tube with subbasal constriction, basal half bends slightly to the left, then sweeps abruptly to the right and then anteriorly, distal half projects to right, banana­shaped, with ventral ribbon of dense cornuti, diverticulae absent from vesica. Female genitalia (Fig. 80): Ovipositor lobes drawn to dorsoapical point, numerous setae point forward; ductus bursae long (about as long as corpus bursae), sclerotized, slowly widens and angles to right anteriorly, wrinkled at junction of corpus bursae; corpus bursae oval, bends to left, signa absent; appendix bursae arises from left posterior corpus bursae, spirals down and forward, completing one full revolution.

Distribution and habitat. This species appears to be endemic to coastal San Luis Obispo County in south­central California, where adults were collected in May, September, and October on the outer coastal dunes. Several specimens were reared on lupines by Frank Sala .

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 21. Adults of the new described species: 1, Drasteria convergens. 2, Tarachidia nigra. 3, Oncocnemis duplex. 4, Oncocnemis helena. 5, Oncocnemis sala. 6, Oncocnemis kelsoensis. 7, Annaphila scurlockorum. 8, Cryphia flavipuncta. 9, Protoperigea umbricata. 10, Protoperigea subterminata. 11, Protoperigea parvulata. 12, Protoperigea calientensis. 13, Aseptis fanatica. 14, Aseptis torreyana. 15, Apamea robertsoni. 16, Apamea digitula. 17, Photedes sofiae. 18, Mammifrontia sarae. 19, Lasionycta sala. 20, Trichocerapoda harbisoni. 21, Trichocerapoda oceanis.

FIGURES 40 – 63. Male genitalia of the new described species and related species: 40, Protoperigea calientensis (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 41, Aseptis fanatica (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 42, Aseptis ethnica. 43, Aseptis ferruginea. 44, Aseptis torreyana (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 45, Aseptis serrula. 46, Apamea robertsoni (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 47, Apamea digitula (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 48, Apamea sordens. 49, Photedes sofiae. 50, Mammifrontia sarae (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 51, Mammifrontia rileyi (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 52, Benjaminola colorada (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 53, Perigonica tertia. 54, Perigonica fulminans. 55, Perigonica angulata. 56, Anarta fusculenta (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 57, Anarta crotchi (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 58, Anarta oaklandiae. 59, Lasionycta sala (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 60, Trichocerapoda harbisoni (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 61, Trichocerapoda comstocki. 62, Trichocerapoda oceanis (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 63. Hexorthodes nipana.