Grammia edwardsii, (STRETCH)

Schmidt, B. Christian, 2009, Taxonomic revision of the genus Grammia Rambur (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Arctiinae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156 (3), pp. 507-597 : 566-568

GRAMMIA EDWARDSII (STRETCH) ( FIGS 39, 132 )

Arctia edwardsii Stretch, 1872: 77

Apantesis ornata (= edwardsi Stretch ); Franclemont, 1983: 117. [misspelling]

Grammia edwardsi (Stretch) ; Ferguson & Opler, 2006: 10. [misspelling]

Type material: Described from a single male specimen from San Francisco, CA [lost]. A male in good condition, but with missing right legs, labelled ‘Lake Merced/ S[an]. F[rancisco]. Co[unty]., Cal[ifornia].’, ‘Collected by/ J. E. Cottle’, ‘Barnes/ Collection’, ‘ NEOTYPE / Arctia / edwardsii Stretch / B.C. Schmidt, 2009’ [ USNM] is hereby designated as neotype ( Fig. 39A) to ensure the stability of this name. The neotype designation by Smith (1938a) was not valid because it was not published.

Diagnosis: The combination of lined forewing veins, orange hindwing, small overall size, reduced eyes, and pale buff base of the antennae are unique. May be endemic to the San Francisco Bay region of CA (but see ‘Remarks’ below). The wing pattern and early flight season indicate a close relationship to G. ornata , and the two have been treated as conspecific (e.g. Franclemont, 1983). In contrast to G. ornata , this species has reduced eyes, narrower forewings, buff antennal scaling, is smaller overall, and is likely to be diurnal. There is no indication of overlap in these characters in the San Francisco Bay region where the two taxa are sympatric, and there seems little doubt that the two are distinct species.

Description: The following is based on examination of one male, and the description in Smith (1938a). Head – Vestiture of palps pale buff, lower half of frons pale buff, upper half and vertex dark brown; vertex pale buff laterally; eyes well developed, maximum diameter 4.93 ¥ 10 - 1 mm (N = 1 male); male antennae moderately bipectinate, rami averaging 3.74 ¥ 10 - 1 mm, 2.7¥ longer than intersegmental distance (N = 1); dorsal scales of antenna black, at least basal third of antenna scaled pale buff. Thorax – Vestiture of vertex, patagia, and tegulae black with broad, pale buff borders; black thorax form absent; dark brown ventrally, central tuft yellow, reduced; thorax appearing relatively smaller overall compared to G. ornata because of finer, less ‘fuzzy’ scales; tibia entirely pale buff, tarsi mostly so. Abdomen – Dorsal ground colour yellowish orange, pale buff near apex; medial and lateral markings black, medial band relatively broad; pale whitish-buff ventrally, lateral black markings well developed but not confluent in males. Forewing – Length 13.4 mm (N = 1 male), relatively narrow, more so than G. ornata ; ground colour dark brown; banding pattern yellowish buff; basal and antemedial band absent; medial and postmedial well developed, rarely extending beyond postcubital stripe; subterminal band well developed, angled at vein M 3, not curved basad near costa; vein lines well developed; fringe entirely pale buff; costa pale and dark brown, anal margin finely pale-lined; ventrally with colours paler, and more yellowish cast; sexes similar. Hindwing – Ground colour yellow-orange; markings well developed, black, not confluent; antemedial spots discrete, streaked basad; medial spot well developed; postmedial and subterminal spots prominent, not confluent. Male genitalia – Not examined, the following is based on Smith (1938a): distal portion of valve pointed and hooked, apex directed caudoventrally; clasper moderately to poorly developed, median ridge moderately developed; uncus broad-based, process evenly tapered to point; juxta two¥ wider than long ( Smith, 1938a).

Female: female similar to male, forewing basal band well-developed; hindwing maculations discrete.

Biology: Adult dates of capture are for May through to June, with a few September records possibly indicating a second generation ( Smith, 1938a). Nothing else is known of its biology or habitat. The reduced eye size suggests that this is likely to be a diurnal species.

Distribution: Known only from the San Francisco area (Lake Merced), CA and Klamath County, OR (see ‘remarks’).

Molecular variation: Not examined.

Remarks: The only known specimens of this species originated from the San Francisco area nearly a century ago, with the exception of a male specimen that appears to be this species, collected on 23 July 1966 at Skookum Meadows, 8 miles east of Chemult, Klamath County, OR. This specimen is nearly identical to topotypical G. edwardsii , except that the vein lines are lacking, the forewing fringe is brown not pale, and the medial band is reduced to a discal spot. Antennal, eye, and valve structure match that of edwardsii . Grammia edwardsii may therefore occur more widely in northern CA and southern OR, but is very rarely collected because of its diurnal, rapid flight.

GRAMMIA EUREKA FERGUSON & SCHMIDT

( FIGS 25, 59 , 118 )

Apantesis blakei? Barnes & McDunnough, 1912: 9 pl. 3, figs 1, 8.

Grammia eureka Ferguson & Schmidt, 2007: 42 .

Type material: Holotype male from Eureka , [Juab County], UT, [ USA]. [ USNM, examined]. One male and two female paratypes.

Diagnosis: The males of G. eureka resemble those of G. bowmani , G. nevadensis , and G. williamsii tooele , but have a reduced, elliptical eye and a larger, more exposed gena; the antennal branches are shorter than those of both G. bowmani and G. nevadensis , equal to those of G. w. tooele . The hindwing ground colour is a saturated orange-red, not pinkish as in other species. Grammia eureka flies in the spring, compared to late summer/early autumn like most nevadensis- group species. Internally, the spatulate apex of the male valve is unique among Grammia .

Grammia eureka is sympatric with G. n. nevadensis and G. w. tooele in the Eureka, UT area. The antennal and genitalic morphology, lack of pink hindwing colours and spring flight period suggest that this species is more closely related to G. ornata than G. nevadensis , despite similarity of wing pattern to the latter.

Description: Head – Eyes reduced (mean = 5.96 ¥ 10 - 1 mm, N = 4), roughly equal to 1/4 of a sphere in shape, about 1/2 the size of other species in the nevadensis group; gena partially exposed because of reduction of eyes; dorsal margin of eye set well apart from base of antenna, nearly touching in other species; male antennae bipectinate with relatively short branches (mean 4.63 ¥ 10 - 1 mm, N = 2), the longest 2.6¥ longer than intersegmental distance; antennal scales dark brown, a few pale buff scales; female antennae slightly biserrate, scaled dark brown. Thorax – Vestiture of thorax dorsum, patagia, and tegula dark brown bordered with white to pale buff; pale buff ventrally. Legs predominantly pale buff with dark brown patches. Abdomen – Reddish-orange with medium-width black mid-dorsal band, pale buff ventrally with row of lateral black spots, palebordered at distal margin of segments; female abdomen entirely dark brown ventrally. Forewing – Nearly complete set of pale bands, but the basal and antemedial bands tending to be fragmentary, particularly in females; medial band not strongly curved basally near costa as in G. nevadensis ; pale anal dash present; male forewing length average 16.9 mm (N = 2), female 18.3 mm (N = 2). Hindwing – Ground colour orange-red; dark pattern varying from only postmedial and subterminal elements to all spots present, but not suffused; ventral pattern similar, colours less intense; sexes similar. Male genitalia – Distal portion of valve distinctively squared off or spatulate distally, not rounded or tapered; juxta wide with broad, shallow dorsal notch; basal 1/4 of uncus with pronounced constriction, process smoothly tapering to apex with slight constriction 2/3 of distance to apex; aedeagus with strong dorsad curve at 2/3 distance beyond base; vesica apparently indistinguishable from G. nevadensis , coarsely and extensively scobinate; largest, distal chamber of vesica more elongate like G. nevadensis in comparison to the short, nearly globose vesica of G. williamsii . The genitalia of only one male were examined. Female genitalia – Not examined.

Biology: Adult collection dates range from late April to mid May, suggesting that this species flies in early spring, unusual among the nevadensis group. The reduced eyes indicate that this species is diurnal. Nothing is known of its habitat.

Distribution: Only two localities are known, at the edges of the Great Basin in central UT and southwestern ID ( Fig. 118 ).

Molecular variation: Not examined, this species is known only from historical specimens.

Remarks: No specimens of G. eureka have turned up since the type material was collected nearly a century ago, with the exception of a female from Idaho in the 1950s. This apparent rarity is likely to be a result of the early flight period and probable diurnal activity.

Figures

Figure 132. Distribution of examined specimens of Grammia edwardsii.

Figures 58–63. Genitalia of male Grammia, ventral aspect of valve and right lateral aspect of aedeagus (scale bar = 1 mm). 58, Grammia behrii (Stretch). 59, Grammia eureka Ferguson & Schmidt. 60, Grammia brillians Schmidt. 61, Grammia bowmani Ferguson & Schmidt. 62, Grammia williamsii (Dodge). 63, Grammia elongata (Stretch).

Figures 114–119. Distribution of examined specimens of Grammia.