Ogdoconta satana Metzler, Knudson & Poole

Metzler, Eric H., Knudson, Edward C., Poole, Robert W., J. Donald Lafontaine, & Pogue, Michael G., 2013, A review of the genus Ogdoconta Butler (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Condicinae, Condicini) from North America north of Mexico with descriptions of three new species, ZooKeys 264, pp. 165-191 : 172-175

Ogdoconta satana Metzler, Knudson & Poole sp. n. Figs 11, 12, 28, 29, 40, 44

Type material.

Holotype: Adult male, pinned: USA: NM: Eddy Co. Carlsbad Caverns N[ational]P[ark], arroyo habitat, 104°33.74'W, 32°06.38'N 4,170', 10 July 2010, CCNP5, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: CAVE - 02263 (USNM). Paratypes: 38 males and 20 females: Same data as holotype with dates 10 July 2010, 9 June 2009, 14 June 2007. USA: NM: Eddy Co. Carlsbad Caverns NP, arroyo habitat, 104°33.569'W, 32°5.976'N 4,100', 9 June 2009, 6 August 2010 CCNP2, Eric H. Metzler, uv trp, Accss #: CAVE - 02263. USA: NM: Eddy Co. Carlsbad Caverns NP, grassland habitat, 32°06.222'N 4,160' 104°33.759'W, 29 August 2006, CCNP1, Eric H. Metzler Accss #: CAVE - 02263. TEXAS, Culberson Co., Guadalupe Mts. NP, Williams Ranch, 10,11-VIII-91, leg.E.C.Knudson. TEXAS: Culberson Co. Sierra Diablo WMA, leg. E.C.Knudson, 18-VIII-84. TX: Culberson Co., Guadalupe MtsNP, Ship on Desert, 24-VIII-95, leg.E.Knudson. Texas: Bear Canyon, Guadalupe Mts., Texas, 5700', 4.IX.69, A. & M.E. Blanchard. TX: El Paso Co., Hueco Tanks SP, 23-IX-95/ ECK. TX: Brewster Co., Big Bend NP, Dugout Wells, 8-IX-10 B/K. Shafter, Presidio County, Texas, 9.IX.69, A. & M.E. Blanchard. Sierra Diablo Wildlife Mgt. Area, 6000', Culberson Co., Tex., 12-15.VII.71. (USNM, UNMC, MSUC, EHM, TLSRC).

Etymology.

The scientific name satana comes from the Marvel comic book fictional character Satana, a child of Satan and sinister character, who taught black magic. The name refers to the black (often equated with evil) color of the adult moth. It is treated as a noun in apposition.

Diagnosis.

Ogdoconta satana is an easily recognized species within the genus Ogdoconta . Forewing is completely suffused with dark ash black, and hind wing is contrastingly pale. Most of the maculation is obscure; scalloped black postmedial line is barely visible. Both orbicular and reniform spots are present as small contrasting light spots or are obscure. Orbicular spot is small and round with an ash-black center, and the reniform spot, filled with ash black, is obscure towards costa and posterior margin. Under low magnification the medial area may appear to be darker. Hind wing is contrastingly pale. There is little or no variation in the appearance of the upperside of Ogdoconta satana ; underside, in both males and females, can vary from dirty white with scattered dark-fuscous scales to dark fuscous with scattered dirty-white scales. Orbicular and reniform spots on the underside range from prominent to obscure, and the color may be pale gray, yellow, or dirty white, filled with dark gray, or black. Under low magnification, forewings of some specimens may appear to have a dark-brown tint. No other species of Ogdoconta in North America shares these characters.

Females of Ogdoconta satana are superficially similar to very dark females of Fotella notalis Grote, 1882 ( Noctuidae , Condicinae , Leuconyctini ) (Fig. 13). The two species are sympatric in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, and they are easy to distinguish. The front of Fotella notalis has a caldera-like raised ring with a depressed center. Scales between the raised ring and the clypeus are dirty-white, and the antennal scape of Fotella notalis is white. The front of Ogdoconta satana does not have a raised ring. Scales near the clypeus and the antennal scape of Ogdoconta satana are black. Also, Ogdoconta satana has a broader forewing than does Fotella notalis .

Description.

Adult male (Fig. 11). Head: Ash black, scales spatulate white tipped, vertex scales erect, front scales smooth. Labial palpus erect, smooth ash black, scattered white scales, scales spatulate, basal segment with ventral tuft of scales, second segment apex mesially white. Haustellum coiled between labial palpi. Antenna filiform, sensory setae inconspicuous, each segment dorsally alternating gray and pale, scales appressed, ventrally naked, light brown. Thorax: Ash black, scales spatulate white tipped; underside dirty white, scales appressed, scattered long hair-like scales. Legs dorsally ash black, ventrally dirty white, smoothly scaled, sparse long hair-like white scales; tarsomeres ash black, white tipped. Forewing: length 10.0-13.0 mm, mean 11.5 mm, n = 37; dorsal surface ground color ash black with scattered gray scales. Basal line obscure, faintly darker; antemedial line obscure, faintly darker; postmedial line dirty white at posterior margin, pointed basally on veins, obscure over cell, disappearing towards costa; subterminal line obscure; terminal line obscure; orbicular spot a round dirty-white ring filled with ash black; reniform spot a kidney-shaped dirty-white ring filled with ash black, obscured towards costa and posterior margin; costa with four or five small dirty-white spots from postmedial line to apex; fringe ash black with occasional pale-gray bars; underside dark gray, whitish-gray towards posterior margin, subcostal basal whitish-gray patch on some specimens, costa ash black, four or five small dirty-white spots from postmedial line to apex; orbicular and reniform spots more or less prominent dark gray. Hind wing dirty white, contrasting with forewing, numerous gray scales, darker in costal and terminal areas, terminal line contrasting dark gray, fringe pale gray; underside pale gray contrasting with forewing, discal spot dark gray, numerous gray scales, darker in dorsal and terminal areas, terminal line contrasting dark gray, fringe pale gray. Abdomen: Dorsum dark gray, smoothly scaled; underside dark gray, numerous white-tipped scales, smoothly scaled. Genitalia (Fig. 28): Apex of each arm of tegumen produced to tab-shaped lobe, juncture of two arms Y-shaped; uncus straight, drawn out to long point, long hairs sparse, denser basally; juxta widened and rounded anteriorly, laterally thickened, center U-shaped, posteriorly narrowed, drawn out to an obscure terminus; vinculum broadly V-shaped, short; valve divided, saccular region wider for basal one third, dorsal margin bent so apical two thirds narrower, heavier sclerotization at bend, narrowed part slightly curved dorsad, margins parallel, apex rounded, narrowed region densely hairy mesially; cucullar region more than two times length of saccular region, densely hairy mesially, distinctly widened to one-half length, curved dorsad, slightly narrowing towards apex, apex broadly rounded. Aedeagus (Fig. 29) straight; vesica at 90° angle, base wide, narrowing apically, forming loop 270°-360°, apically bent 90°, minute denticules at base, median diverticulum small, thin, plate-like. Adult female (Fig. 12): Similar to male; forewing: length 10.0-14.0 mm, mean 13.0 mm, n = 20. Genitalia (Fig. 40): Papilla analis lightly sclerotized, apex rounded, setae stout, numerous, conspicuous; posterior apophysis conspicuously widened near base, extending anteriorly to just beyond posterior margin of eighth segment; anterior apophysis equal length, not widened; ostium bursae funnel shaped, trapezoid-shaped plate lightly sclerotized; ductus bursae membranous, gradually narrowing to middle, widening to juncture with corpus bursae, light rugose sclerotization near juncture with corpus bursae; corpus bursae globular, membranous, scattered denticules, narrowed at insertion of ductus bursae; signum, concave, densely covered with elongate denticules.

Remarks.

This species is placed in the genus Ogdoconta on the basis of the structure of the male and female genitalia. The postmedial line is more complete on some specimens. The loop in the vesica of most specimens examined (n=8) was 270°; how ever the loop in one specimen was nearly 360°. The type locality was selected because it will be protected by the U.S. National Park Service into perpetuity. Metzler, Knudson, and Poole are the sole authors of this species.

Distribution and biology.

This species is known from western Texas and Carlsbad Caverns National Park, Eddy County, New Mexico (Fig. 44). Its distribution into Mexico is not known. The larva and its food plant(s) are unknown. Ogdoconta satana is common in Carlsbad Caverns National Park, otherwise it is infrequently collected.