Nudorthodes Lafontaine, Walsh & Ferris

Lafontaine, J. Donald, Walsh, J. Bruce & Ferris, Clifford D., 2014, A revision of the genus Protorthodes McDunnough with descriptions of a new genus and four new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Eriopygini), ZooKeys 421, pp. 139-179 : 157-159

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Noctuidae

Nudorthodes Lafontaine, Walsh & Ferris gen. n.

Type species.

Perigea texana Smith, 1900: 476.

Etymology.

The generic name Nudorthodes is a reference to this species being removed from the other members of the Orthodes group of genera by the lack of hairs on the surface of the eye. From the Latin Nudus [bare] + Orthodes.

Diagnosis.

The genus Nudorthodes differs from other genera in the Hadenini : Eriopygina in lacking visible hair-like setae on the surface of the eye, and by the very long vesica in males and appendix bursae in females. Males can be distinguished from those of most other eriopygine genera by the filiform antennae. The genus includes three species: Nudorthodes texana (Smith, 1900), Nudorthodes variabilis (Barnes & McDunnough, 1912), and Nudorthodes molino Lafontaine, Walsh, & Ferris, sp. n.

Description.

Adult: Head - Frons rounded; labial with apical segment about 1/4 as long as second segment; male antenna filiform, or very slightly constricted between segments ( Nudorthodes variabilis ), setose ventrally; female antenna filiform, setose ventrally; eye rounded, without surface hairs; ocellus present. Thorax - Thorax clothed with narrow, spatulate, apically serrated scales that form a slightly raised tuft on the prothorax, and a partially divided tuft on the metathorax. Legs: middle and hind tibiae without spiniform setae and with three ventral rows of spiniform setae on tarsi. Wings: forewing venation typically quadrifine, cubital vein appearing four branched; hindwing with typical trifine venation (i.e., M2 reduced, about 2/3 down cell and parallel to M3. Abdomen - basal abdominal brushes and pockets absent; eighth abdominal sternite of male with a slightly eversible coremata with a transverse tuft of long setae. Male genitalia - Valva: symmetrical, basal ¾ of valve mainly parallel-sided except for dorsal lobe of sacculus (basal half of valve, mainly sacculus, massive compared to narrow apical half in Nudorthodes molino ); valve slightly constricted at ¾ from base to define a tapered densely setose cucullus with much stouter setae on apical and ventro-apical part of cucullus forming an irregular corona; digitus projecting posteriorly along middle of valve, bending ventro-posteriorly near base of cucullus and flattened into elongated plate extending beyond ventral margin of valve (apical part of digitus slightly s-curved and flattened into a foot-shaped structure in Nudorthodes molino ); clasper arising as a sclerotized rod at apex of sacculus projecting posteriorly with ampulla bending abruptly through 45°angle to project posterodorsally beyond costal margin of valve; sacculus heavily sclerotized, with a large dorsal process (lobe somewhat quadrangular in two species, and produced posteriorly in Nudorthodes molino ), without membranous flap; Uncus: decurved, cylindrical, tapered apically to a down-curved sharply pointed apex. Aedeagus: long and slender, about 7 × as long as wide, dorsal surface mostly membranous, lateral margins extended on to base of vesica; everted vesica tubular, about 4-5 × as long as aedeagus, basal area angled and with several diverticula, main part gently curved through 5 or 6 coils, vesica expanded and covered with short sclerotized spine-tipped granules toward apex. Female genitalia - Corpus bursae rounded, membranous, without signa and with inner surface covered with minute spicules. Appendix bursae arising from left posterior part of corpus bursae and extending anteriorly through several open coils; appendix bursae about 2 × as long as corpus bursae. Ductus bursae about at long as corpus bursae, mainly membranous, with a sclerotized collar-like ring at posterior end forming a slightly wider ostium bursae. Abdominal segment eight sclerotized, covered posteriorly with numerous long, heavily-sclerotized setae, many half as long as segment. Anterior apophyses rod-like, 1.2-1.4 × as long as abdominal segment eight. Posterior apophyses 1.6-1.9 × longer than anterior apophyses. Anal papillae lightly sclerotized, bullet shaped, gradually tapered to rounded apex; surface covered with long hair-like setae, especially toward apex.

Larva and habits.

The only species of Nudorthodes known as a larva is Nudorthodes texana . Like Protorthodes the species are generally associated with xeric habitats. The larvae were described by Crumb (1956) and Godfrey (1972), and were separated from Protorthodes by both authors and described as being more similar to larvae of Homothodes McDunnough. The larva of Nudorthodes texana differs from those of Protorthodes species in that the larval skin is smooth, not granulose, the setae arise from sclerotized rings, not pinacula, the posterior part of the prothoracic shield is not contrastingly pale, sclerotized plates between the bases of the abdominal prolegs are lacking, and the apical seta of the labial palpus (Lp-2) is similar in length to the basal segment of the palpus (Lps-1).

Distribution.

USA (Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah, Washington).