Lacinipolia vicina (Grote, 1874)

Schmidt, B. Christian, 2015, Revision of the Lacinipoliavicina (Grote) complex (Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Eriopygini), ZooKeys 527, pp. 103-126 : 107

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Noctuidae

Lacinipolia vicina (Grote, 1874) Figs 1-3, 55, 69

Mamestra vicina Grote, 1874a: 156.

Mamestra imbuna Smith, 1905a: 201, syn. rev.

Type material.

Mamestra vicina : The type material of Lacinipolia vicina almost certainly consisted of two species, the eastern species known previously as Lacinipolia imbuna or Lacinipolia teligera ( Franclemont and Todd 1983) and represented by a female syntype from Massachusetts (BMNH; examined), in addition to the widespread species previously called Lacinipolia vicina , represented by at least one syntype from St. Catherines, Ontario (lost). I was unable to locate any St. Catherines specimens, stated by Grote to have come from George Norman. Other syntypes from the Norman collection ( Crocigrapha normani (Grote) and Xestia normanianus (Grote)) are also considered to be lost (D. Lafontaine pers. comm.). This is unfortunate since it would have been preferable to fix the name vicina as the widespread, well-known species here treated as Lacinipolia sareta , but as the only extant primary type, the following female specimen [BMNH] must be designated as lectotype: " Mamestra / vicina / Type Grote" [red-bordered label]; “Type” [round red-bordered label]; " vicina / TYPE" [small handwritten label]; Grote Coll. / 81-116." [type-written label]; “U.S.America.” [type-written label]; " Noctuidae / Brit. Mus. slide / No. 8237" [blue type-written label]. Type locality: “Massachusetts”.

Mamestra imbuna : Male lectotype (AMNH; examined), designated by Todd (1982). Type locality: Luzerne Co., Pennsylvania. The original type series of Mamestra imbuna probably also included Lacinipolia sareta from the southern Lake Michigan region, as Smith (1905a) mentions an August specimen from Hessville, Indiana (a suburb of Chicago), but Todd’s lectotype designation fortunately restricts the concept of the name.

Diagnosis.

Within the eastern North American range of Lacinipolia vicina , Lacinipolia sareta is most similar but the two can usually be separated without dissection by the more southern distribution, larger size and bivoltine spring / fall flight (April-May and September - October) of Lacinipolia vicina (univoltine from late June to early August for Lacinipolia sareta ). In the male genitalia, Lacinipolia vicina differs most obviously in the arrangement of the spines above the juxta, consisting of two lateral and one medial field of ventrally projecting spines, whereas in Lacinipolia sareta the spines are directed dorsally and are on the inside of a large, rhomboid plate. Females of Lacinipolia vicina have an asymmetrical, invaginated ostium, like the opening of a conch, compared to a simpler ostium with a convex prevaginal plate margin in Lacinipolia sareta .

Although Lacinipolia vicina is most closely related to Lacinipolia teligera , Lacinipolia vicina and Lacinipolia teligera are not likely to be confused given the range disjunction and more extensive dark fuscous shading of the hindwing in Lacinipolia vicina . The male genitalia differ in the shape of the clasper, with the apical lobe narrower and more pointed in Lacinipolia vicina , and the thumb-like lobe situated one third the distance from the base, compared to halfway in Lacinipolia teligera .

Distribution and biology.

Specimens of Lacinipolia vicina were examined from Massachusetts, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia and North Carolina (Fig. 69); Forbes (1954) also cites New Jersey (Lakehurst) and Indiana records. The Indiana record ( Smith 1905a) may be erroneous given the long-standing confusion with Lacinipolia sareta , as discussed in the "Type material" section above. Eastern Ohio records of Lacinipolia teligera from May and September given by Rings et al. (1992) are most likely Lacinipolia vicina . Moore’s (1955) records for Michigan probably all apply to Lacinipolia sareta based on flight dates and the widespread distribution of Lacinipolia sareta in the Great Lakes region. There is no clear indication of habitat preference; in North Carolina Lacinipolia vicina occurs in open oak-hickory forest (B. Sullivan pers. comm.). Despite the relatively broad distribution and apparent lack of specialized habitat requirements, Lacinipolia vicina records are few. Lacinipolia vicina is apparently bivoltine, flying in spring ( April–May) and in late summer to early fall (late August to early October), with later dates farther south. The larvae were described and illustrated by Godfrey (1972) (reared vouchers examined; CUIC), and are probably polyphagous ground dwellers like other Lacinipolia ( Wagner et al. 2011).

Remarks.

As defined here, Lacinipolia vicina is the same species later described by Smith (1905a) as Mamestra imbuna , differing considerably in morphology from both Lacinipolia sareta (= vicina of authors) and Lacinipolia pensilis , although more closely related to the latter. Lacinipolia imbuna was previously treated as a junior synonym of Lacinipolia teligera ( Franclemont and Todd 1983).