Neadysgonia telma Sullivan, 2010

Sullivan, J. Bolling, 2010, A new genus and species for Dysgonia (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Erebinae) from Southeastern United States, ZooKeys 39 (39), pp. 85-97 : 93-95

Neadysgonia telma Sullivan , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:2C1288EE-74E4-45D8-BE9C-E8E4E0AD79E5

Figs 5–6, 10a, b, 14

Type material. Holotype male: USA, North Carolina: Columbus Co., Lake Waccamaw State Park, Standing water swamp forest, June 21, 2009, uv trap, J. B. Sullivan. USNM . Paratypes: 4 ♁, 5 ♀: USA, North Carolina: Cumberland Co., Ft. Bragg , McPherson Creek at FB1, May 16, 2002 , ♁; Robeson Co., Lumber River St. Pk., river bottomland, Sept. 18, 2009 , ♁; Craven Co., Croatan Natl. For. Rd. 167, July 21, 1993, ♀ ; Columbus Co., Lake Waccamaw St. Pk., Standing water swamp forest, Sept. 19, 2009, ♀, all collected by J. B. Sullivan. Louisiana: St. Tammany Parish , 4.2 mi. NE Abita prings, V. A. Brou, ♀ ( BMNH, CNC, JBS). Mississippi: Oktibbeha Co. , Doraen Lake , April 16, 1990, Pat Porter , ♁; George Co., 3 mi. N. Lucedale , March 19–31, 1996, R. Kergosien, ♀ ; Franklin Co., Porter Creek , April 8, 1992, J. MacGown, T. Schiefer, ♀ ; Washington Co., Stoneville Exp. Sta. May 18–31, 1986, R. E. Furr, Jr., ♀ ( MEM) .

Dissected or Bar Coded Specimens. Florida: Liberty Co .; Georgia: DeKalb Co .; Indiana: Posey Co .; Louisiana: Bossier, St. Tammany Counties ; Mississippi: Franklin, George, Harrison , Hinds , Oktibbeha , Pike, Tishomingo, Warren, Washington Counties ; North Carolina: Carteret , Columbus, Cumberland, Robeson Counties ; South Carolina: Charleston Co .; Texas: no location ( USNM 40345 ), Jasper Co .

Etymology. The Greek word telma refers to standing water. Specimens from North Carolina and Florida are associated with hydric forests in the Coastal Plain.

Diagnosis. Wing length 19–20 mm. Neadysgonia telma is very similar in maculation to Neadysgonia smithii . In some populations it is possible to differentiate most specimens of the two species by wing pattern but certain identification requires dissection or barcoding. The two species can be identified by DNA barcoding and by differences in the male and female genitalia. Male genitalia differ slightly if at all from those of N. smithii in many genital characters, but the valvae and the lateral process of the tegumen allow the two species to readily be distinguished. In N. telma the valva is much thinner and tapers to a sharp point. In N. smithii the valva is broad and tapers gradually to a somewhat broad point. Th e lateral process of the tegumen is less than half the length of the costal edge of the valva in N. telma , but more than half the valva length in N. smithii . Th e anal projection at the base of the valva of N. telma is shorter and more sclerotized than that of N. smithii . Both species have a medially enlarged uncus with a slightly bifurcate tip, the tegumen has a pronounced lateral projection and both species have similar coremata arising from the dorsal base of the valva. The ranges of the two species appear to overlap substantially, the exact details of which will only be determined by dissection and barcoding of additional specimens.

Description. Head – Tongue normal, palps slightly porrect, second segment 2.5 × as long as first and third segments. Palps brown scaled with cream scales interspersed throughout, inner faces cream. Frons denuded basally, scales of head projecting forward, brown with cream scales, scape cream, antenna fasciculate with encircling rows of tan with cream scales laterally. Thorax – Collar and vestiture covered with brown hairlike scales interspersed with cream-colored scales; tegulae similarly scaled but with some scales spatulate; abdomen brown with some cream scales dorsally, cream ventrally. Legs brown with cream scaling interspersed and forming cream bands at distal ends of tarsal joints. Tibial segments normal, not swollen. Two pairs of tibial spines on hind leg, single pair on middle leg twice as long as those on hind leg. Forewing pattern with ground brown with dark-purplish scaling. Apical trapezoidal spot distinct, post medial line with two major triangular points directed toward wing margin. Line light but inwardly bordered by a broad purple-brown band that fades toward medial line, which is slightly sinuous or straight, light colored but with darker scaling inward fading to wing base. Wing margin with two bands, inner one gray speckled with brown, outer band tan. Scaling distal to postmedial line gray with purple scales interspersed, becoming lighter toward margin. Hindwing fuscous with two marginal bands like those on forewing. Underside of hindwing fuscous with traces of lines visible, medial most prominent, discal spot faint. Male genitalia – (Figs 10a, b). Uncus broad at base, expanding medially and curving 180 degrees and tapering to tip, which is bifurcate. Dorsal setae shorter than medial width. Tegumen moderately broad with outward lateral triangular projection, tapering to sharp point, length less than ½ length of valva. Base of tegumen with sclerite that joins vinculum. Paired sclerites extend from junction with vinculum to base of uncus. Vinculum moderately broad, oval shaped forming a slight posterior projection where vincula arms meet anteriorly. No differentiated saccus. Juxta broad, paired plates lightly sclerotized and forming dorsal and ventral intrusions at junction. Valva triangular, extending to a point with projections dorsally and ventrally. Dorsal projection broad, finger shaped curving anteriorly and only slightly shorter than valva. Ventral projection finger shaped, straight, sclerotized and 1/4 length of valva with slightly raised ridge along ventral margin of valva. Aedeagus approximately length of valva, bulbous anteriorly and tapering toward tip. Basal third of aedeagus unsclerotized; ductus entering subterminally. Tip of aedeagus rounded, striated and continuing as a sclerotized ribbon onto vesica for half its length. Everted vesica moderately broad with numerous short, broad evaginations that are granulated toward distal end of vesica. Small patch of sclerotization on distal end of vesica. Pelt lacks distinct structures. Female genitalia – (Figs 14a, b): Anal papillae small, lightly sclerotized with setae from raised pimple-like bases. Posterior apophyses with spatulate tips, slightly longer and thinner than anterior apophyses. Genital plate trapezoidal with broad ostial opening that is lightly attached to 7 th sclerite. Plate tapers anteriorly on both lateral sides to a thread-like tip, which is broadly separated from base of plate. Medial genital plate tapers to join ductus. Distance between lateral thread-like anterior extensions and lodix will allow N. telmus to be differentiated from N. smithii . Ductus bursae sclerotized posteriorly, short and tapering slightly to corpus bursa. Posterior end of corpus bursa wrinkled, unsclerotized and expanding to granulated body of corpus bursa. Appendix bursae to right and ventral to corpus bursae and tapering to the ductus. Appendix bursae and ductus unsclerotized. Signum absent. No unusual structural features on pelt.

Distribution and biology. Neadysgonia telma occurs from North Carolina southward at least to the Florida Panhandle and westward to Texas, with one record farther north from Indiana. Th e impression from localities where it has been collected is that Neadysgonia telma occurs in swamp forests where there is standing water. In this habitat red maples tend to dominate emergent forests whereas mature forests are more mixed with cypress often the dominant large tree. Moth multiple brooded throughout its range with dates from April through September.