Sigela lynx Troubridge

Troubridge, J. T., 2020, A new genus and 37 new noctuoid species from peninsular Florida and the Keys (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea), Insecta Mundi 2020 (789), pp. 1-56 : 12-13

Sigela lynx Troubridge , new species

( Fig. 16 , 86 , 115 )

BIN: BOLD:AAE9653

Diagnosis. See under S. rosea , above.

Description. Antennae filiform, ciliate; head, vertex, and labial palps light pink; thorax, and abdomen light pink; thorax with four black dots; first abdominal segment with one, and the third abdominal segment with two black dots. Dorsal forewing and hindwing (both sexes). Forewing length 5–7 mm. Ground color light pinkish beige; orbicular spot present as a small black dot; distinct discal dot on hindwing is lost among scattered black and gray scales that make up the ordinary lines; undulating basal, antemedial, medial, postmedial, and submarginal lines present on both forewing and hindwing as a diffuse scattering of black and dark gray scales; terminal lines a series of black dots between veins; fringe pink between veins, gray at tips of veins. Male genitalia ( Fig. 86 ). Valve long and with even sides, rounded at tip with short ventral thumb-like process arising just below apex, which makes the tip of the valve resemble the shape of a mitten, the entire valve otherwise unarmed; uncus talon-like, pointed and downturned at tip. Female genitalia ( Fig. 115 ). Ovipositor lobes short, setose, and more or less flattened at tip; ostium bursae lightly sclerotized; ductus bursae membranous, gradually widening toward appendix bursae; appendix bursae with small diverticulum on left, narrowing toward ductus seminalis; appendix bursae constricted anteriorly before widening to oval corpus bursae; ¾ of corpus bursae encircled by a row of long, talonlike cornuti point into corpus bursae.

Type material. Holotype male: USA: Florida, Sarasota Co.: North Port , 27° 02.5′N, 82° 05.0′W, 20.Dec.2014, J. Troubridge, in the CNC . Paratypes: 11♂, 104♀: Alachua Co.: Gainesville , 29.639°N, 82.410°W, reared on Sabal palmetto leaf, 3.Jun.2018, J. Hayden, 2♂ ( FSCA) ; Gainesville , FDACS-DPI, 29.635°N, 82.371°W, 23.Mar.2017, J. Hayden, 1♀ ( FSCA) ; Citrus Co.: Floral City , 9065 Bushnell Road, reared on Sabal palmetto leaf, 15.May.2018, J. Hayden, 1♂ ( FSCA) ; Levy Co.: Goethe State Forest , 29.161°N 82.598°W, 6.Aug.2011, J. Hayden, 1♂ ( FSCA) ; Marion Co.: Hopkins Prairie , 29.277°N, 81.692°W, 17.Dec.2017, J. Troubridge, 1♀ ; Ocala , 29.282°N, 82.129°W, reared on Sabal palmetto leaf, 4 Mar. 2018, J. Hayden, slide MGCL 5066m, 2♂ ; same data, 29.282°N, 82.131°W, slide MGCL 5073 ♀, 1♂, 3♀ ( FSCA) ; Miami-Dade Co.: Florida City , 25° 24.89′N, 80° 26.40′W, 25.Jan.2017, 1♀ ; 29.Jan.2015, 2♀, all J. Troubridge ; Sarasota Co.: same data as holotype, 34♀ ; North Port , 27° 02.5′N, 82° 05.0′W, 3.Dec.2013, 3♀ ; 24.Nov. 2014, 1♂, 9♀ ; 18.Nov.2013, 2♀; 8.Dec.2014, 1♀; North Port , 27.040°N, 82.069° W, 23.Nov.2017, 2♂, 23♀ ; 15.Dec.2017, 1♂, 10♀ ; 6.Dec.2017, 18♀, all J. Troubridge .

Etymology. Lynx is the genus for bobcats and lynx. The light beige wings that are heavily speckled with black are reminiscent of the coat of our native bobcats.

Distribution. Sigela lynx has been collected throughout peninsular Florida, and in Texas, usually in pine flatwoods. My specimens were collected on bait, and it is interesting that most of these are females.

Remarks. This species often emerges from Sabal palmetto (Walt.) Lodd. fronds. The leaves were cut up and the frassy parts were put in jumbo Ziploc bags and hung from twine. The larvae look like tiny geometrids, having prolegs only on A6 and A10. They probably feed on the algae, fungi and detritus on the big old leaves (Jim Hayden, pers. comm.).

Erebidae : Hypenodinae

Figures

Figures 13–25. Adults. 13a) Sigela sordes ♀, Highlands County, FL. 13b) Sigela sordes ♂, paratype, Collier County, FL. 14) Sigela rosea ♀, paratype, No Name Key, FL. 15) Sigela basipunctaria ♀, North Port, FL. 16) Sigela lynx ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 17) Sigela subincisa ♂, paratype, Miami-Dade County, FL. 18) Sigela incisa ♂, paratype, Collier County, FL. 19) Sigela minuta ♀, paratype, Okeechobee County, FL.20) Tripudia calusa♂, paratype, Bahia Honda, FL.21) Meganola georgei ♂, paratype, North Port, FL.22) Meganola phylla ♀, Lambton Shores, ON. 23) Dyspyralis ocala ♂, holotype, Marion County, FL. 24) Paectes hercules ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 25) Paectes lunodes ♂, San Cristobal, MX.

Figures 85–92. Male genitalia. 85) Sigela sordes, paratype, Highlands County, FL. 86) Sigela lynx, paratype, North Port, FL. 87) Sigela rosea, paratype, No Name Key, FL. 88) Sigela incisa, paratype, Collier County, FL. 89) Sigela subincisa, holotype, No Name Key, FL. 90) Sigela minuta, paratype, Miami-Dade County, FL. 91) Dyspyralis ocala, paratype, Gainesville, FL. 92) Meganola georgei, paratype, North Port, FL.

Figures 114–122. Female genitalia. 114) Sigela sordes, paratype, Collier County, FL. 115) Sigela lynx, paratype, North Port, FL. 116) Sigela rosea, paratype, No Name Key, FL. 117) Sigela incisa, paratype, Collier County, FL. 118) Sigela minuta, paratype, Okeechobee County, FL. 119) Dyspyralis ocala, paratype, Gainesville, FL. 120) Metalectra nigrior, paratype, North Port, FL. 121) Metalectra dixoni, paratype, Florida City, FL. 122) Melipotis florida, paratype, Florida City, FL.