A generic realignment of the Oncocnemidini sensu Hodges (1983) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Oncocnemidinae), with description of a new genus and 50 new species Troubridge, J. T. Zootaxa 2008 2008-10-15 1903 1 1 95 92NKW Hubner. The 1823 [151,265,151,177] Insecta Noctuidae Sympistis Animalia Lepidoptera 7 8 Arthropoda genus  The  Sympistis perscriptaspecies group (the typespecies of  Lepipolys(Figs. A-11, I-4, J-2)) includes  S. perscripta, S. behrensi,and  S. sorapis. It is a lineage near the root of  Sympistisand is the sister group to the  Sympistis terminalisspecies group, which includes  S. terminalis,  S. coprocolor, S, melalutea,  S. laticosta, and  S. corusca. The only consistent structural character which separated  Lepipolysfrom other more basal lineages is the absence of the female corona in  S. perscriptaand  S. behrensi, (the only species formerly assigned to this genus). However, the sister species to  S. perscriptais  S. sorapis, in which this corona is weak but present, showing that the absence of the female corona in  S. perscriptaand  S. behrensiis a secondary loss. Because the female corona is present in this lineage and because it forms the sister group to the  S. terminalisgroup, I synonymize  Lepipolysunder  Sympistis. The former genus  Oncocnemis, here synonymized with  Sympistis, is a diverse, paraphyletic assemblage of Oncocnemidine species with a stout foretibial seta. The typespecies,  Oncocnemis confusaFreyer(see Ronkay and Ronkay, 1995, Figs. 37, 38, 145), is Eurasian and belongs to the holarctic  Sympistis hayesigroup of species. In order to rearrange the classification into monophyletic genera, several options are available. To retain  Oncocnemisas a genus and maintain monophyly,  Copihadena,  Homohadena,  Lepipolys, and  Phornacisawould have to be retained or raised from the synonymy, species re-shuffled, and several new genera described. I prefer the less disruptive approach and place  Oncocnemisas a synonym of  Sympistis. The  Sympistis piffardiand  Sympistis denataspecies groups form a highly derived group of species near the top of the Oncocnemidine phylogeny. The  S. piffardispecies group includes  S. piffardi(the typespecies of  Phornacisaand  Metahadena(Figs. F-6, I-9, J-7) (  Metahadena atrifasciatais a junior subjective synonym of  Sympistis piffard)),  S. barnesii, and  S. chalybdis. Species of the  S. piffardigroup have a short (shorter than the shaft of the aedeagus) vesica with a large terminal spine (Fig. I-9) and a thick-walled appendix bursae widely attached to the posterior corpus bursae (Fig. J-7). The shape of the vesica and female genitalia are similar to those of the  S. dentatagroup. The  S. dentataspecies group and includes  S. dentata(the typespecies of  Apharetra(Figs. F-9, F-10, I-3, J-9)),  S. anweileri, and  S. californiae.The larvae of the  S. dentatagroup species are associated with  VacciniumL. ( Ericaceae), those of the  S. piffardigroup species are associated with  SpiraeaL. ( Rosaceae). The female genitalia are similar between the two groups but small differences occur in the male genitalia, notably the absence of the terminal spine on the vesica and the presence of a digitus on the valve of the  S. dentatagroup species (absent in species of the  S. piffardigroup). These characters may indicate that the groups should be separated; however,  Sympistis funebris(the typespecies of  Funepistis) was formerly placed in  Sympistis s.s.due to its diurnal flight and lack of foretibial seta. It has facies and male genitalia similar to the  S. piffardigroup species but feeds on  Vacciniumand lacks the foretibial seta like the  Apharetraspecies.Analysis of the 658 mitochondrial DNA COI base pairs puts  S. funebrismore closely related to  S. dentatathan  S. piffardi, linking the two groups. The species associated with  Apharetra, Funepistis,and  Phornacisa,form a closely related monophyletic group but all three genera are here synonymized with  Sympistis. The former genus  Homohadena, here synonymized with  Sympistis, is a polyphyletic assemblage that included unrelated species groups that were associated with  Homohadenaby the loss of the foretibial seta. The  Sympistis badistrigaspecies group includes species in which the stout foretibial seta has been lost and a second group in which this seta is retained. Species that have lost the foretibial seta include  S. badistriga(the typespecies of  Homohadena(Figs. B-3, I-5, J-3)),  S. rayata,  S. stabilis,  S. induta, and  S. apposita(the typespecies of  Hemistilbia,here synonymized with  Sympistis(Figs. A-30, I-8, J-4)). Species which have retained the foretibial seta include  S. subsimplex,  S. min, S. viriditincta,  S. balteata,  S. knudsoni, S. tenuifascia,  S. aterrima,  S. parvanigra, and  S. parvacana. The  S. badistrigagroup is characterized by the vestigial corpus bursae, which is either present as a minute polyp on the side of the appendix bursae (Fig. J-4 inset) or totally lost, and with the ductus seminalis arising from the anterior end of the appendix bursae. The corpus bursae of  S. satanellais small but functional and is probably a character state reversal; therefore,  S. satanellaprobably belongs to this group. Closely related is the large  Sympistis levisspecies group, with male and female genitalia similar to the  S. badistrigaspecies group but with the corpus bursae totally lost, and the  Sympistis infixaspecies group, which includes  S. infixa,  S. dinalda,  S. kappa, and  S. fifia. The  S. infixaspecies group is distinguished from the  S. badistrigaspecies group by the extreme narrowing of the apical portion of the valve. Less closely related is the  Sympistis rusticaspecies group, which includes  S. rustica,  S. inconstans, and  S. incomitata.In this group the foretibial seta is lost, the corpus bursae is present as a bulbous anterior sac, and the appendix bursae is posterior. The corona of stout setae on the ovipositor lobes and characters of the vesica place each of these species groups firmly within the genus  Sympistis. The  Sympistis fortisspecies group includes  S. fortis(the typespecies of  Homoncocnemis(Figs. F-1, I-1, J- 8)) and  S. picina, which, along with  Sympistis chionanthi(the typespecies of  Adita(Figs. F-3, I-2, J-5)) are highly derived groups related to the  S. dentataspecies group. Both have lost the corona of stout setae on the ovipositor lobes, retain foretibial setae and have a well developed digitus on the male valve. The female genitalia of  S. chionanthi(Fig. J-5) are closely similar to those of the  S. piffardiand  S. nigrita(  Sympistis  s. s.) species groups, and the broad apical portion of the valve (Fig. I-2) is similar to that of the  S. piffardispecies group. The male antenna is bipectinate and the elongate vesica is similar to species in many of the more basal lineages. I believe that the  S. fortisand  S. chionanthispecies groups are basal lineages to  Phornacisa. The  Sympistis atricollarisspecies group is a highly derived group of species near the top of the Oncocnemidine phylogeny. Included here are  S. atricollaris(the typespecies of  Copihadena,here synonymized with  Sympistis, (Figs. G-25, I-7, J-6)),  S. cottami, S. figurata,  S. greyi,  S. minor,  S. ragani,  S. pallidior, S. semicollaris, S. collaris, and  S. disfigurata. Species included here have lost the female corona, have a distinctive gray forewing with thin black antemedial and postmedial lines, and the appendix bursae is well separated from the corpus bursae, often forming a spiral around the ductus bursae and often appearing to arise from the middle of the ductus bursae (Fig. J-6). The group is closely related to the  S. griseicollisspecies group.