Pselnophorus belfragei ( Fish, 1881 )

Matthews, Deborah L., Gielis, Cees & Watkins, Reed A., 2014, Three new species of Pselnophorus plume moths from southern United States (Lepidoptera: Pterophoridae), Insecta Mundi 2014 (364), pp. 1-18 : 13-16

Pselnophorus belfragei ( Fish, 1881)

( Figures 8–10 , 34 , 38 , 39)

Aciptilus belfragei Fish, Canadian Entomologist, Vol. XIII , p. 142, 1881.

Pterophorus belfragei Fitch, Fernald in Smith, List of the Lepidoptera of Boreal America, p. 88, 1891.

Alucita belfragei, Fernald , Pterophoridae of North America, Special Bulletin, Hatch Experiment Station, p. 37, 1898.

Pselnophorus belfragei Fish, Barnes and Lindsey, Contributions to the Natural History of the Lepidoptera of North America, Vol. IV, No. 4. The Pterophoridae of America North of Mexico, p. 362, 1921.

Diagnosis. This species is recognized by the attenuate, curved first lobe of the forewing in combination with the gray ground color and distinctive spot pattern arranged in a smooth arc composed of the oblique cleft spot and spots at the terminus of veins R 2, R 3, and R 5. The spot at R 3 is characteristic in appearing inset from the costal margin. This species is further distinguished from other Nearctic Pselnophorus by having uniformly colored fringes, without a contrasting patch of pale fringe scales at the terminus of vein Cu 1. The abdomen has both a subdorsal and lateral shiny white longitudinal stripe visible as opposed to only a subdorsal stripe. Male genitalia differ from other Pselnophorus in that the tegumen bears small distal socius-like lateral lobes. Female genitalia are unique in having an enlarged and spiraled ductus seminalis as opposed to a filamentous offshoot from the ductus bursae as in other Pselnophorus including the type species.

Redescription (male, female). HEAD with labial palpi slender, erect, length equal to or just exceeding eye diameter, basal segment light buff, distal segments fuscous to chestnut-brown dorsally, with thin white or light buff stripe ventrad. Front drab, vertex variable, light drab to drab, sometimes light buff, scales appressed. Occipital fringe scales, bifid, mixed, mostly light drab, elongate bifid scales laterally sometimes reaching antenna base; unmodified collar scales drab to light buff. Scales along posterior margin of eye white or light buff. Area between antennae white or light buff. This pale area sometimes extends halfway to collar. Antenna scape and pedicel with fuscous patch dorsad and anterad, bordered by narrow white or light buff bands. Flagellum dorsally drab to drab gray with a row of light buff scales along anterolateral margin, minutely ciliate ventrally. THORAX dorsum and tegula white or light buff admixed with buff or drab gray-tipped scales, metascutum warm buff with narrow shiny white subdorsal and lateral band. Foreleg light buff to white and fuscous striped: coxa fuscous with white anterolateral stripe; femur fuscous with white medial, lateral, and outer longitudinal stripes; tibia white laterally, fuscous medially, with terminal scale tuft, including buff scales laterad at epiphysis; tarsus mostly light buff, basal tarsomere (I) with fuscous stripe dorsally, tarsomeres II–V white with weak light buff scaling medially. Midleg fuscous and light buff striped including spurs: coxa light grayish drab; femur light buff medially, fuscous laterally with pair of white longitudinal stripes; tibia white with lateral fuscous stripes, spurs white dorsally, fuscous laterad and ventrally, medial spur longest. Extent of striping on tarsomeres variable. Hindleg with coxa and femur drab gray; tibia buff with light buff scaling dorsally, light drab scales mixed in distal scale tuft, ventrally with warm or ochraceousbuff stripe; medial spurs longest, proximal pair longer than distal pair, light buff or buff with drab tips, lateral spur of each pair with a fuscous strip ventrally, mesal spurs sometimes also partly striped; tarsomeres I–II light ochraceous-buff above, light buff or white below, III–V mostly white or light buff. FOREWING length, males, x= 7.79 ± 0.90 mm (n=20), females x = 7.83 ± 0.75 mm (n=20), holotype 8.3 mm (7.9 mm excluding fringe scales). Cleft origin 0.53 to 0.60× wing length from base, generally appearing deeper than in preceding species. Lobes attenuate, apices acute, without distinct termen. First lobe appearing more curved than in preceding species. Forewing ground color appearing gray, consisting of mixed white or light buff, buff, ochraceous-buff, or drab gray scales and scattered fuscous scales. Discal cell area with distinct small central fuscous spot, and subtriangular spot basad of cleft, the latter spot appearing as an irregular oblique dash. A narrow fuscous dash from wing base to near central spot irregularly present, bordered with scattered light buff or buff scales anterad. Fuscous spots marking terminus of veins R 2 –R 5. Spots at R 2 and R 3 appearing as elongate dashes, R 3 spot appears as fuscous dash off-set from costal margin, with scales directly anterad on costa forming a paler, buff or drab gray dash, yet still usually contrasting with the light buff or white scales flanking these spots along the costa. Costa mostly white distad of R 3 spot. Fuscous spot at R 4 and R 5 small, sometimes indistinct in worn specimens; R 5 spot subapical, within cleft of first lobe. Second lobe with up to 4 fuscous scales marking terminus of Cu 1, fewer at M 3 and Cu 2. Fringes of both lobes concolorous, drab gray, light buff fringe scales rarely noticeable at Cu 1 terminus. Ventral forewing uniform pale brownish gray except costa and lobes edged in light buff or white, with R 2 –R 5, M 3, and Cu 1 fuscous spots in distinct contrast and with buff scales on costa anterad of R 3 spot. HINDWING uniform drab gray except for sparse white or light buff scaling near first and second lobe apices. Fringes concolorous. Ventral hindwing drab gray, apex of first two lobes with fuscous scale spot subtended by scattered light buff scales. Third lobe also with fuscous scales forming a line at apex and scattered or forming a short thin line along anal margin midway between lobe base and apex. ABDOMEN dorsum warm buff with two thin shiny white longitudinal stripes (subdorsal and lateral) continuing from metathorax and extending to tegumen and costa of valva in males, dorsally and laterally within long posterior scale fringe of tergite VIII in females. Small irregular dashes of fuscous scales bordering first band medially near anterior part of segments II–VI, second (lateral) stipe laterally bordered by larger fuscous dashes or scale clusters posteriad on most segments. Abdomen venter warm buff with subventral and lateral shiny white band, and a second white lateral band on segments III–IV. A broken fuscous band laterad of subventral band on segments IV–VI, solid on II–III.

Male genitalia. Uncus curved, tapered, length less than one-half tegumen at midline. Tegumen slen- der; distally with rounded lateral socius-like lobes flanking uncus base; midline suture strongly marked along entire length; basal margin v-shaped. Valvae elongate with rounded tips, asymmetrical, left valva slightly longer and broader than right and with moderately sclerotized saccular process. Process stout, of nearly uniform thickness except tapered near apex and with rounded base. Base maximum width about one-fifth process length. Process length including base about one-half that of valva. Process dorsally curved at middle but with distal fourth straight or weakly curved laterad. Right valva without distinct saccular process; basal half of costal margin, saccular margin, and inner margin between sacculus and costa moderately sclerotized, the later forming flap-like transverse connection. Vinculum and saccus narrow. Juxta an elongate dextrally curved process contiguous with equally slender right anellus arm, combined length just exceeding one-half that of right valva. Left anellus arm reduced to small lobe terminating at about three-fourths combined length of juxta and left arm. Both anellus arm and lobe with minute setae at tips. Phallus just less than two-thirds right valva length, coecum short, longitudinally aligned with phallus. Cornutus a single sclerotized blade, about one-fourth length of phallus.

Female genitalia. Apophyses posteriores long, about 5× length of papillae anales, moderately sclerotized, with apex slightly expanded. Apophyses anteriores absent. Sternites VII–VIII weakly sclerotized. Ostium bursae centrally placed, wider than antrum, appearing as a curved flange. Antrum and ductus bursae undifferentiated, together forming a short truncate stalk from which the corpus bursae and ductus seminalis branch. Antrum sclerites present but obscured. Corpus bursae round, anterior twothirds densely armed with minute spinules; signa absent. Ductus seminalis as wide as antrum/ductus bursae, loosely spiraled, terminating anteriad in filamentous extension.

Type. HOLOTYPE. ♀ - with the following labels: ΄ 16/5΄ [white hand written]; ΄ Alucita │ belfragei │ Tex. Type Fish΄ [red bordered, hand written by Fernald]; ΄ Fernald │ collection΄ [yellow, typed] ( Fig. 9–10 ). The holotype is located in the USNM type collection. The original description by Fish (1881) indicates the type was collected on May 16, 1879, in Clifton , Texas [Bosque County], by G. W. Belfrage. This general area is an alluvial plain of the Bosque River , under 1000 ft. in elevation.

Additional material. This species is extremely common in the southeastern United States and we have examined more than 1,000 specimens firsthand in addition to the holotype. Specimens examined are from the authors’ collections, USNM, MGCL, FSCA, MEM, and various private collections. Data for specimens figured herein are as follows: Florida: Alachua Co. Gainesville, reared ex. ova from ♀ coll. 8.xi.1988, p. 6.xii.1988, em. 15.xii.1988, D. Matthews, reared on Dichondra caroliniensis (♀, Fig. 8 ) [ DMC] ; Texas: Uvalde Co. Garner State Park , 8 mi. N of Concan, 2–4.x.2002, 1800ft, J. B. Heppner, slide DM 1635 (♂ genitalia, Fig. 34 ) [ MGCL] ; same data as previous, slide DM 1636 [ MGCL] (♀ genitalia, Fig. 38 ). Additional specimen data for reared specimens are cited in Matthews (2006) .

Immature Stages. The larvae and pupae were first reared and described by Matthews (1989) and described and illustrated in more detail by Matthews (2006). Brief diagnostic descriptions are included here. LARVA (final instar) maximum length 9 mm, width 1.5 mm. Head light yellow, thorax and abdominal segments cream or yellowish-white with three broken thin reddish subdorsal longitudinal stripes and a contiguous bold, dark brown middorsal stripe. Sclerotized elements of the middorsal stripe persisting in preserved material. Primary and secondary setae on verruca-like tubercles (D and SD). Setae clear or brownish tinged, most simple with pointed tips. Some primary setae on dorsum very minutely spiculate, some XD, D, and SD setae with minutely tined tips. A few minute blunt-tipped setae present on prothorax, D, and SD tubercles. Dorsal (D) setae long, reaching 1.25 mm (0.84× maximum body width). Lateral fused verruca (L1+L2) with short to long setae and 2 very long setae reaching 2.3 mm (1.55× maximum body width). PUPA maximum length 8.5 mm. Dorsal and subdorsal setae long. Subdorsal setae appearing lateral and projecting slightly anteriad on A2–A4. Thorax and abdomen with numerous short spinose secondary setae, most in longitudinal rows associated with primary setae. Forewing with three main rows of short secondary setae. Hindwing with loosely organized row of short secondary setae. Antenna with row of about 14 setae at base. Legs and maxilla naked. Spiracles on A2–A7 forming conspicuously elevated rods.

Larval hostplant. Larvae feed on the leaves of a common lawn forb, Dichondra caroliniensis Michx. (pony-foot) [ Convolvulaceae ]. Most of the preserved larvae examined by Matthews (2006) were reared from eggs. These larvae were offered serveral forbs and readily fed on Dichondra . A larva was subsequently field collected on Dichondra , confirming the natural host association.

Distribution and phenology. The known distribution as reflected in the map ( Fig. 40 ) includes USA: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas. These data (combined as center of county plots) are from specimens examined firsthand as well as information associated with clearly recognizable online images (MPG 2013, Bugguide 2013). A single record for Maryland from the Bryant Mather collection [MEM], not shown on the distribution map (Washington, D.C. 9.viii.1962 B. Mather # 012616, abdomen missing), is the northernmost record for this species. The range of the larval host plant includes Pennsylvania and Ohio, so it is likely that P. belfragei may be found in additional states. Adults have been collected year-round in Florida, and all months except December in Mississippi, and December and February in Louisiana. Records for other states are scattered, ranging from April to October.

Comments. This is a very common species in the southeastern United States and is the one of the most frequently collected in terms of numbers of specimens represented in collections (MGCL, DMC, and MEM). Although extremely common, the redescription by Barnes and Lindsey (1921) emphasizes the confusion of the identity of the species for some time. Barnes and Lindsey state: “This species is so variable that no accurate description can be given…” and go on to mention both light and dark forms and mention the specimens from Shovel Mountain, Texas, which we designate above as paratypes of P. kutisi . Barnes and Lindsey also include a line drawing of male genitalia (Plate XLIX, figure 19) noting “The male genitalia are somewhat variable, and an average form is figured.” In their figure, the left saccular process is curved laterad and it appears that this stylized drawing is either P. kutisi or P. chihuahuaensis , perhaps a composite of two slides or if the latter species, drawn with the right saccular process separated from the valva.

Figures

Figure 34. Male genitalia of Pselnophorus belfragei. Phallus (right) removed.

Figure 40. Distribution of Pselnophorus in the Nearctic region. Locality data beyond state is not included in label data on Arizona specimens of P. chihuahuaensis and are thus marked with a question mark in the southeastern corner of the state.

Figures 1-10. Nearctic Pselnophorus. 1) P. chihuahuaensis holotype ♂, Sutton Co.,Texas [FSCA]. 2) P. chihuahuaensis paratype ♂, Arizona [USNM]. 3) forewing of P. chihuahuaensis paratype ♂, Jeff Davis Co.,Texas [FSCA]. 4) P. hodgesi holotype ♂, Madera Canyon, Arizona [USNM]. 5) P. hodgesi, paratype ♀, Madera Canyon, Arizona [USNM]. 6) P. kutisi paratype ♂, Marion Co., Florida [MGCL]. 7) P. kutisi holotype ♂, Collier Co., Florida [MGCL]. 8) P. belfragei ♀, Alachua Co., Florida [DMC] (images by D. Matthews). 9) P. belfragei holotype labels (image by Mark Metz. 10) P. belfragei holotype ♀, Bosque, Co., Texas[USNM] (image by Mark Metz).

Figures 35-38. Female genitalia of Nearctic Pselnophorus. 35) P. chihuahuaensis, slide DM 1634. 36) P. hodgesi, slide DM 1469. 37) P. sp., possibly kutisi, slide DM 1642. 38) P. belfragei, slide DM 1636.