Leucosigma viridipicta (Dognin, 1910) Dognin, 1910

Goldstein, Paul Z., Janzen, Daniel H., Proshek, Benjamin, Dapkey, Tanya & Hallwachs, Winnie, 2018, A review of Leucosigma Druce, 1908: a newly discovered case of fern-feeding and descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), ZooKeys 788, pp. 87-133 : 100

Leucosigma viridipicta (Dognin, 1910) comb. n. Figs 41, 42, 51, 52; Male genitalia: Figs 65, 88, 113, 114) 127, 128

Gonodes viridipicta Dognin, 1910: 13. Type locality: French Guiana: St. Laurent du Maroni.

Material examined.

Type material. FRENCH GUIANA: HOLOTYPE ♂; S. -Laurent de Maroni Guy Franc; Dognin collection, Gonodes viridipicta 1/10 Type ♂ Dognin not in USNM [illeg.], Type No. 32413 U.S.N.M., ♂ USNM Dissection 148176, USNMENT00973419. Type at USNM.

Other material examined.

(1♂). PERU: Huacamayo, Carabaya, dry seas., 3100 ft, June 04. (G. Ockenden), Rothschild Bequest B.M. 1939-1, NHMUK01606202.

Diagnosis.

Smaller than L. albimixta , with fused orbicular and reniform spots similarly swollen, but with the basal, antemedial, and postmedial lines less conspicuously highlighted in black and white. Cucullus with medial flange directed basad, its ventral edge precisely complementing the dorsal edge of clasper from which it appears to have been separated during development; apices of the costal lobes swollen.

Re-description.

Head. Antennae setose-ciliate, bifasciculate in males, scaling above uniformly grayish brown. Vertex and labial palpi with scales predominantly grayish brown; frons and inner face of palpus with paler scaling. Eyes smooth.

Thorax. Prothoracic scales grayish brown, concolorous with vertex. Wings. Forewing length 10.9 mm (holotype, male), average 10.8 mm (males, n = 2). Apical patch dominantly green on forewing upperside and underside, and on underside of hind wing. Legs– Scaling predominantly tannish brown, more or less concolorous with thoracic vestiture; a single pair of striped mid-tibial spurs, two pairs on hind-tibiae; three rows of tibial spines on all legs.

Abdomen. Dorsum covered in uniformly tannish-brown scales and hairs; ventral side more darkly scaled, especially at terminal tuft; some pinkish scaling ventrally.

Male genitalia. Uncus robust and densely setose, almost bottlebrush-like for distal 3/4, the setae blonde, concolorous with neighboring setal tufts, and arranged in clusters sharing a single socket and shingled, appearing scale-like in situ. Tegumen raised at base of uncus. Vinculum laterally concave. Saccus blunt. Juxta rhomboid, without a dorsal projection. Sacculus (1) wide, barely tapered. Cucullus (2) bent backward (ventro-cephalad) and bears basally directed flange marking separation from dorsal edge of clasper, evidently ruptured during development of especially robust dorsal processes (3); each dorsal process swollen apically, resembling a ball-headed Native American war club, heavily setose, and with a conspicuous tuft of ventro-medially directed spine-like setae. Clasper (4) anvil shaped, its dorsal edge complementing the ventral edge of the cucullar flange. Aedeagus weakly sclerotized, granular appearance continuing to base of vesica; subbasal diverticulum asymmetrically bulbous, dumbbell-shaped.

Female genitalia. Unknown.

Immature stages. Unknown.

Biology.

Unknown.

Distribution.

French Guiana, Peru.

Remarks.

Female specimens at MNHN (Paris) were not available for study. This species is noteworthy in that the uncus is covered in shingled, scale-like clusters of setae (Figs 65, 127, 128), reminiscent of other fern-feeding species in the genus Lophomyra . The relationship between these genera requires more thorough sampling and analysis of both taxa and genes.