Neadysgonia smithii (Guenée) 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 : 91-92

Neadysgonia smithii (Guenée) , comb. n.

Figs 4, 9a, b, 13

Ophiusa smithii Guenée in Boisduval and Guenée, 1852: 266 , pl. 22, fig. 4.

Type material. Neadysgonia smithii was either described from an unknown number of specimens from an unknown locality, or it may have been described from a painting by John Abbot and sent to his colleague at the British Museum, J. E. Smith who in turn sent it to Guenée. As stated above, the type locality was probably near Savannah, Georgia. Th e location of any type material is unknown. Th e identity of Ophiusa smithii Guenée can not be determined from the published illustration, or from the original description, so a neotype is hereby designated: male, “ April 24, 1974, Wedge Plantation, McClellensville, S. C., D. C. Ferguson,” so labeled and located in USNM. I have dissected it and the slide number is USNM 50786.

Material dissected and/or barcoded. USA. Alabama: Munroe Co .; Georgia: no location ( USNM 50787 ) ; Mississippi: Forest, Franklin, Grenada , Hinds, Rankin, Tishomingo, and Warren Counties ; Missouri: Greene Co .; North Carolina: Brunswick , Carteret, Craven, Jones Counties ; South Carolina: Charleston Co .; Texas: Jasper Co .

Note. This species as well as N. similis and N. consobrina were all described by Guenée at the same time in the genus Ophiusa and probably from specimens or paintings he received from Abbot via Smith. Th ey probably originated from eastern Georgia or South Carolina in the vicinity of Savannah, where Abbot lived. Th e brief description of N. smithii by Guenée and accompanying painting could refer to one of two externally similar species, one of which is described as new below. Neither the description nor the painting of the species that served as a model for the description can be identified as to species. However, Abbot also painted the caterpillar and Guenée included a brief description of it as well. Most importantly, the food plant was identified as Fagus ferruginea Aiton (now Fagus grandifolia Ehrhart ) and the pupae was said to be covered with a thick effl orescence of white purple. A white, waxy bloom on the pupa is characteristic of N. similis as well as species of Argyrostrotis Hübner and Catocala Schrank. Apparently N. smithii has not been reared again but beech trees are characteristic of mesic forests in the coastal plain and do not occur in the swamp forests where the new species N. telma has been collected.

Diagnosis. Adults of N. smithii are readily distinguished from N. consobrina and N. similis by the two triangular outward projections of the PM line. However, there is no reliable external character to distinguish it from the newly described species, N. telma . Upon dissection of the male genitalia N. smithii has a shorter and broader valva and the medial projection on the tegumen is more than half the length of the valva. In N. telma the valva is much narrower and longer and the medial projection of the tegumen is rarely as long as half the length of the valva. In females of N. smithii the distance between the lateral edges of the lodix and the main plate is less than the thickness of the lateral edge at its base. In N. telma this distance is much greater than the width of the base of the lateral edge.

Figures ΙΙ–Ι4. Neadysgonia female genitalia. ΙΙ Neadysgonia similis (Gn.) . Craven Co., North Carolina (JBS 2863) Ι2 Neadysgonia consobrina (Gn.) . St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana (JBS 2755) Ι3 Neadysgonia smithii (Gn.) . Brunswick Co., North Carolina (JBS 2756) Ι4 Neadysgonia telma Sullivan. St. Tammany Parish , Louisiana (JBS 2784).

Distribution and biology. Neadysgonia smithii occurs throughout North Carolina and southward to Georgia and westward to Texas northward in the Mississippi Valley to Missouri. It is not yet recorded from Virginia, Florida, Louisiana or Arkansas, although it does occur close by and would be expected in those states as well. Neadysgonia smithii occurs in open savanna and mesic woodland habitats. Th e adults are multiple brooded.