Bryolymnia biformata Lafontaine & Walsh, 2010

Lafontaine, Donald, Walsh, J. & Holland, Richard, 2010, A revision of the genus Bryolymnia Hampson in North America with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Elaphriini), ZooKeys 39 (39), pp. 187-204 : 199-201

Bryolymnia biformata Lafontaine & Walsh , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:972C9617-5788-4CD9-B565-61ACC6A0F1C3

Figs 14–16, 30, 38

Type material. Holotype ♁. Arizona, Santa Cruz Co., Santa Rita Mts., Madera Canyon , 5800’, 30 June 1960, J. G. Franclemont [pale form]. CUIC . Paratypes: 73 ♁, 227 ♀. USA, Arizona. Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts., Cave Canyon , 6075’, 19 July 1995, Thomas E. Dimock (1 ♀). Santa Cruz Co. , same locality and collector as for holotype, 16 June – 12 July 1960 (66 ♁, 207 ♀) ; Santa Cruz Co., Patagonia Mts., Harshaw , 4900’, UV/MV lights, 3 August 2007, B. Walsh (1 ♀) ; Santa Cruz Co., Santa Rita Mts., Madera Canyon , 4800’, 2–24 July 1959, 14 June – 23 July 1960, J. G. Franclemont (7 ♁, 18 ♀) . Paratypes deposited in CDF, CNC, CUIC, JBW, USNM.

Etymology. The name biformata is from Latin and refers to the two color forms of this species.

Diagnosis. Bryolymnia biformata can be recognized by the contrast between the gray-brown or pale yellow-brown shading of most of the medial area compared to the blackish-brown shading in the basal and subterminal areas and in the medial area between the reniform spot and subterminal line. Th e contrast in the shading is much more sharply defined than in either B. ensina or B. mixta , although B. biformata went unrecognized for many years because the two forms were treated as additional forms of B. ensina . Th e genitalia are significantly different from those of B. ensina . The male genitalia are similar to those of B. ensina in that the uncus is swollen basally, the clasper has a dorsal process near the base, and the sclerotized lobe on the basal extension of the clasper is tapered and rounded. However, the vesica in B. biformata does not resemble that of B. ensina but is more like that of B. mixta in having a postmedial cornutus, although much stouter and angled, and no apical spines. Th e valve is tapered apically, unlike that of either B. ensina or B. mixta . In the female genitalia the ductus bursae is almost as long as the corpus bursae, and the ostium bursae, unlike that in B. ensina , lacks a pouch on each side of the ostium bursae.

Description. Adults. Male and female similar in size, color, and maculation. Head – Male antenna with flagellomeres very slightly swollen laterally; setae tending to group into two or three clusters on each side of each segment. Palpi and head mainly of broad apically serrated dark-brown scales with a speckling of gray scales on sides of palpi. Thorax – Scales similar in shape to those on head, dark brown to blackish brown, similar in color to basal area of forewing; a slightly divided dorsal tuft on metathorax. Legs: Covered with gray-brown scales with white band in middle of tibiae and at apices of tarsal segments. Tibia without spiniform setae. Wings: Forewing length: 11–12 mm. Dorsal forewing ground color variable by area; basal and antemedial areas and medial area between reniform spot and postmedial line dark brown to blackish brown; remain- der of medial area usually either pale orange brown, reddish brown, with a few intermediates; subterminal and terminal areas a mixture of brown, hoary gray, and blackish brown with hoary gray predominating in subterminal area, brown in terminal area, and blackish brown mainly forming a patch in subterminal area adjacent to costa; basal, antemedial and postmedial lines black, narrowly bordered by a pale line; subterminal line diffuse; reniform, orbicular, and claviform spots, and medial line, a shade darker than medial area ground color, not contrasting, but reniform spot sometimes with partial pale-gray outline; fringe dark gray brown with tiny yellow dots at base between wing veins. Dorsal hindwing pale fuscous with darker on discal spot, veins, postmedial line, and wing margin. Fringe pale buff with fuscous medial line. Male genitalia – Uncus mainly cylindrical, slightly swollen dorsally toward base, tapered to spine-like apex. Valve strap-like, mainly parallel sided but slightly tapered apically; apex of valve with corona on outer margin; digitus mainly fused to costal margin of valve except for short tapered apex; apical part of clasper slender and upcurved, with dorsal process near base; dorsal part of basal rod extending from clasper to dorsal margin of valve a large rounded process extending beyond dorsal margin of valve; apical part of sacculus beyond post- medial suture slightly less heavily sclerotized than basal part. Aedeagus irregularly sclerotized, with narrow sclerite extending onto vesica on right as far as base of cornutus. Vesica about as long as aedeagus, with large basally-stout, apically-angled postmedial cornutus. Female genitalia – Corpus bursae oval, slightly longer than ductus bursae with ductus seminalis at posterior end of corpus bursae. Ductus bursae with posterior 3/4 heavily sclerotized, slightly wider posteriorly, with irregularly sclerotized suture separating ductus bursae from heavily sclerotized rounded plate of ostium bursae.

Distribution and biology. Bryolymnia biformata is known only from the Huachuca, Patagonia, and Santa Rita Mountains in southeastern Arizona. Adults have been collected between mid-June and late July.