Clemensia ochreata, Schmidt, B. Christian & Sullivan, J. Bolling, 2018

Schmidt, B. Christian & Sullivan, J. Bolling, 2018, Three species in one: a revision of Clemensiaalbata Packard (Erebidae, Arctiinae, Lithosiini), ZooKeys 788, pp. 39-55 : 40

Clemensia ochreata sp. n. Figs 9-12, 15, 18

Type material.

Holotype ♀ (Figure 1). Florida: Marion Co., W. Anthony Rd., 1.4 mi. WSW Anthony, 29°17'N 82°08'W, 13.Jan.2007, T.S. Dickel, DNA voucher # CNCNoctuoidea13909 [CNC]. Paratypes 49♂ 28♀ Alabama: Monroe Co., Haines Island Park, 4.Apr.1995, J. A. MacGown, 1♂; Florida: same data as holotype, 4.Jan.2007, 1♀, 15.Mar.2006, 1♂; [Pinellas Co.,], Dunedin, 22.Mar.1999, J.G. Filiatrault, CNC genitalia slide # 14774, 1♀; [Alachua Co.], Gainesville, 13.Mar.2013, C. Belanger, 2♂; Levy Co., Goethe State Forest, Cow Creek Rd., 10.Feb.2012, T.S. Dickel, 1♀; DeSoto Co., Nocatee, 27°10.07'N 81°54.63'W, 23.Feb.2014, J. Troubridge, 1♂; same locality and collector as previous, 11.Mar.2011, 9♂ 1♀; 20.Mar.2012, 1♂; 1.Apr.2012, 1♂; 3Apr.2011, 2♂; 3.Apr.2013, 6♂; 2.Apr.2010, 2♂ 1♀; 23.Apr.2011, 1♂; 14.Apr.2010, 1♀; 23.Feb.2012, 2♂; 30.Nov.2010, 1♂; 18.Jan.2012, 2♂. Monroe Co., Dagny Johnson State Park, 25.165°N 80.362°W, 22.Mar.2012, J. Troubridge, 1♀. Dixie Co., Hwy 361, 29.564°N 83.380°W, 5.Apr.2016, J. Troubridge, 1♀. Okeechobee Co., Kissimmee Prairie State Park, 27.584°N 81.044°W, 27.Mar.2013, 1♀, 5.Feb.2014, 3♂. Collier Co., Fakahatchee Strand State Park, 25.98°N 81.41°W, 4.Feb.2014, J. Troubridge, 3♀; 21.Dec.2011, 1♀; 23.Mar.2015, 1♂; 21.Feb. 2014, 2♀; 15.Jan.2012, 1♂. Sarasota Co., North Port, 27°02.5'N 82°05.0'W, 29.Nov.2012, J. Troubridge, 1♀; 2.Feb.2011, 1♂; 27.Nov.2011, 1♂; 8.Jan.2012, 1♂; 28.Mar.2012, 1♀; 24.Nov. 2014, 1♂. Georgia: Long Co., 3 mi. SW Ludowici, Griffin Ridge, 6.Mar.2008, C. Schmidt & J. Adams, 1♀. Mississippi: Stone Co., Sweetbay Bogs, T2S R13W Sec 34SW, 12.Mar.1991, D.M. Pollock, 1♀; Franklin Co., Middleton Creek, T5N R3E Sec.21E, 7.Apr.1992, J. MacGown, T. Schiefer, 1♂; Hancock Co., Stennis Space Center, 21.Mar.1994, R. Kergosien, 1♂; Harrison Co., Long Beach, 20.Mar.1995, R. Kergosien, 1♂; same data as previous, 17.Mar.1996, 1♂; Wilkinson Co., Clark Creek Nat. Area, 10.Mar.1989, T. Schiefer & J. MacGown, 1♂; Claiborne Co., 3.6 mi W Port Gibson, 12.Jul.1993, D. M. Pollock, 1♀; South Carolina: [Charleston Co.], The Wedge Plantation, McClelanville, 7.Jun.1977, E.G. & I. Munroe, CNC genitalia slide #14768, 1♂. North Carolina: Jones Co. Croatan Natl. Forest, Haywood Landing, 4.May.2008, J. Bolling Sullivan, DNA voucher # 09-NCCC-155, 1♂; Columbus Co., Lake Waccamaw St. Pk., April 16, 2010, J. Bolling Sullivan, DNA voucher # 10-NCCC-281, 1♂. [CNC, MEM, JBS, JTT]

Etymology.

The name ochreata is a noun in opposition and refers to this species’ characteristic ochre forewing tint.

Diagnosis.

Very similar to Clemensia albata , but differing from that species by the smaller mean forewing length, more extensive, and brighter ochreous scales along the forewing antemedial and postmedial lines; overall more contrasting pattern, especially the heavier costal dark spots (most pronounced on the forewing underside), and the more prominent and better-defined medial dark patch basad of the antemedial line. Internally, the basal diverticulum of the male vesica has much smaller spicules than in C. albata . The valve shape is proportionally shorter and stouter than that of C. albata . In females, the corpus bursae is more elongate than that of C. albata and with shorter spinules lining the interior; the appendix bursae is also smaller and more narrowly joined to the corpus bursae in C. ochreata . Compared to C. albata , overall shape and structure of the bursa copulatrix is very similar, but the spinules lining the inside of the bursae are smaller in C. ochreata .

Description.

Head: frons and vertex with mix of dirty-white and dull grey-brown scales; palpi grey brown, terminal (3rd) segment 0.5 × length of second segment; male antenna filiform and finely ciliate, segments approximately width 0.9 × that of length; dorsally with grey-brown scales, finely ciliate ventrally, with two mediolateral setae, these equal in length to antennal segment; female antenna similar to that of male but narrower and less ciliate. Thorax: vestiture predominantly dirty white with scattered dull grey-brown scales; pro- and mesothoracic legs appearing striped, grey brown with a ring of dirty white scales at apices of segments, in addition to a mid-tibial pale ring; metathoracic leg entirely dirty white; metepisternal tymbal unscaled, with 9-11 fine grooves. Abdomen: vestiture light grey brown dorsally and ventrally; females with apical tuft of incurved setae; males with a series of paired setal tufts ventrally on segments 7, 8 and 9, in addition to two paired lobe-like setal tufts situated within a pouch between segments 7 and 8. Forewing: ground color slightly ochre, dirty white; basal line indistinct greyish ochre; antemedial line double, often only with distal line defined; grey ochre; medial line grey ochre; postmedial line an irregular row of disconnected grey-black splotches; terminal line grey black, thin or incomplete, interrupted with white at vein termini; fringe dirty white, often interrupted with grey patch at apex and medial area; reniform spot usually very pronounced, grey black; orbicular spot small and grey black, often absent or tiny; ventrally with large dusky-grey patch medially, pattern inconspicuous, wing edges dull tan white, interrupted at costa by four costal grey-black markings; males with a brown setal (androconial?) tuft in medio-anal area; wing pattern of females similar, but usually with the dark markings reduced considerably, giving the impression of a paler moth. Hindwing: dirty white with faint, indistinctly delineated fuscous area in distal third; ventrally with slightly darker fuscous patch in anal angle and discal spot, and faint medial line. Male genitalia (Figure 15): Uncus attenuating towards base and to apex, with pronounced ventromedial bulge; apex acute, curved ventrad; long, thin setae in medial area, radiating outward; valval lobe consisting of an enlarged, flattened costa terminating in a small dorsally projecting apical spine, and a pronounced flange-like medial process, forming an evenly curved concave dorsal margin on the apical halve of the valve; valvule consisting of an indistinct, somewhat membranous lobe on the ventrodistal portion of the valve; sacullus with a flattened slightly spatulate dorsally projecting process; juxta poorly defined and not well sclerotized, shield shaped; phallus approximately 4 × longer than wide narrowing slightly subapically; vesica roughly kidney shaped with several lobe-like or globose diverticula; large cornutus situated medio-laterally on left side of vesica main chamber, approximately 2/3 length of phallus, vesica and diverticula finely spiculose. Female genitalia (Figure 18): papillae anales poorly sclerotized, relatively small, and slightly cupped; sparsely setose laterally and along caudal margin, dorsally with very fine, dense cilia-like setae caudal to opening of dorsal pheromone gland; anterior and posterior apophysis short, approximately equal in length to that of papillae; ductus bursae short and broad, about as long as wide and dorsoventrally flattened; ductus and corpus bursae joined by a smoothly sclerotized, broadly flat-conical chamber (cervix bursae); corpus bursae pear shaped but oriented laterally, i.e. narrowing into ductus seminalis to right; appendix bursae a globose bubble-like chamber situated proximally at base of corpus bursae; interior of appendix bursae and corpus bursae with dense field of spinules, in latter situated distally near juncture with cervix bursae; pleurite of A7 with shallow pockets, appearing somewhat rugose and more heavily sclerotized than surrounding integument.

Biology.

The immature stages and larval hosts are unknown, but larvae likely feed on algae or lichens growing on tree bark. There are multiple broods starting in March and continuing into September.

Distribution.

The Atlantic coastal plain from North Carolina southward into Florida and westward to eastern Texas (Figure 21).

Remarks.

The late Douglas Ferguson deemed C. ochreata to be closely related to the Mexican C. patella (Druce), and the latter name was therefore applied by him to this taxon ( Lafontaine and Schmidt 2010). Examination of Mexican specimens of C. patella does indeed show that patella belongs to the albata -group, but the genitalic structure of C. patella is more divergent from the remaining members of this North American group.