Sparkia immacula (Grote, 1883)

Metzler, Eric H. & Forbes, Gregory S., 2011, The Lepidoptera of White Sands National Monument, Otero County, New Mexico, USA 2. Rediscovery and description of Sparkia immacula (Grote, 1883) (Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Hadenini), ZooKeys 149, pp. 117-123 : 118-119

Sparkia immacula (Grote, 1883) Figs 1, 25, 67

Cea immacula Grote 1883b: 78

Sparkia immacula ; Nye 1975; Franclemont 1983.

Type material.

Sparkia immacula was described from “Arizona.” The male holotype is deposited in the U.S. National Museum, Washington, DC (USNM). The abdomen of the holotype is missing. Another short series of Sparkia immacula , from Arizona, in the USNM, contains one male, also missing its abdomen.

Diagnosis.

Sparkia immacula (figs 1-2) is a pale greenish-yellow noctuid moth without normal transverse markings or spots. The diagnostic features are 1) the pale yellowish-green color, and 2) lack of normal transverse markings and spots. Sparkia immacula might be mistaken for a species of Schinia Hübner, but Schinia have spines on the foretibia which are lacking in Sparkia immacula . Sparkia immacula flies with and is the same size as Trichocosmia inornata Grote 1883a (figs 3-4); Trichocosmia inornata is pale tan-ochre with faint transverse markings and a faint reniform spot. The frons is slightly rounded out.

Description.

Adult male (fig. 1). Head - front bulging, closely scaled, pale yellow and white; vertex scales narrow strap-like, erect, pale yellow and white; labial palpus white and pale yellow, erect, scales strap-like, closely scaled laterally and mesally, longer scales form longer fringe ventrally and shorter fringe dorsally. Haustellum coiled between labial palpi. Antenna filiform, dorsally pale yellow, closely scaled, ventrally setose, naked, brown. Thorax - dorsum pale yellow, scales long hair-like or strap-like; underside white, scales erect long hair-like. Legs pale yellow, closely scaled with long hair-like scales on ventral surface forming a shaggy fringe. Forewing: Length 12.5 mm (variation: 11.4-13.5 mm, mean 12.7 mm, n = 17.) Pale greenish yellow, transverse lines and spots typical of noctuines are absent; fringe pale yellow; underside pale greenish yellow; fringe pale greenish yellow. Hindwing white; fringe white; underside white; fringe white. Abdomen - dorsum closely scaled, whitish; underside whitish, closely scaled. Genitalia (fig. 5): tegumen expanded laterally with lateral lobes, uncus short, setose, spoon shaped; saccus short, U shaped, apex rounded; juxta with high ridge pointed anteriorly; valve tear drop shaped, costa sclerotized, ventral margin membranous, editum sclerotized, larger on right valve than left valve, digitus a sclerotized ridge in a thumb-like projection, sacculus sclerotized, well developed, cucullus moderately developed, corona with many mesally directed setae. Aedeagus (fig. 6) sclerotized, apex with blunt point, vesica membranous, straight, slightly shorter (.9 ×) than aedeagus, no diverticula, apex with strong cornutus.

Adult female (fig. 2): similar to male. Forewing length 12.5 - 14 mm, mean 13.1 mm, n = 9. Genitalia (fig. 7): Papilla analis not sclerotized, setose; posterior apophysis extend anteriorly to posterior margin of eighth segment; anterior apophysis length similar to posterior apophysis; ductus bursa sclerotized at posterior end, else membranous, elongate; corpus bursa oblong with four round signa.

Remarks.

Sparkia immacula is known from Arizona and New Mexico. Adult flight dates are 20 June through 25 August. The immature stages are unknown.