Sympistis, Hubner. The, 1823

Troubridge, J. T., 2008, A generic realignment of the Oncocnemidini sensu Hodges (1983) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Oncocnemidinae), with description of a new genus and 50 new species, Zootaxa 1903 (1), pp. 1-95 : 8-9

Sympistis

The genus Sympistis sensu Franclemont and Todd (1983) (type species: Sympistis heliophila (Paykull) (= Noctua melaleuca Thunberg ) (Figs. G-10, I-6, J-1)) is one of the autapomorphic groups near the top of the Oncocnemidine phylogeny. It is a polyphyletic assemblage of species associated by characters such as small ellipsoidal eyes and lack of a stout foretibial seta. By transferring Sympistis funebris Hübner to Phornacisa , this restricted concept of Sympistis would become monophyletic; however, to retain this narrow concept and maintain monophyly throughout the subfamily, it would be necessary to elevate several genera from the synonymy and describe many new genera for the various species groups. The authors of the species and genera, and new combinations and statuses are given in the species accounts and check list and are not repeated here.

The Sympistis perscripta species group (the type species of Lepipolys (Figs. A-11, I-4, J-2)) includes S. perscripta , S. behrensi , and S. sorapis . It is a lineage near the root of Sympistis and is the sister group to the Sympistis terminalis species group, which includes S. terminalis , S. coprocolor , S, melalutea , S. laticosta , and S. corusca . The only consistent structural character which separated Lepipolys from other more basal lineages is the absence of the female corona in S. perscripta and S. behrensi , (the only species formerly assigned to this genus). However, the sister species to S. perscripta is S. sorapis , in which this corona is weak but present, showing that the absence of the female corona in S. perscripta and S. behrensi is a secondary loss. Because the female corona is present in this lineage and because it forms the sister group to the S. terminalis group, I synonymize Lepipolys under Sympistis .

The former genus Oncocnemis , here synonymized with Sympistis , is a diverse, paraphyletic assemblage of Oncocnemidine species with a stout foretibial seta. The type species, Oncocnemis confusa Freyer (see Ronkay and Ronkay, 1995, Figs. 37, 38, 145), is Eurasian and belongs to the holarctic Sympistis hayesi group of species. In order to rearrange the classification into monophyletic genera, several options are available. To retain Oncocnemis as a genus and maintain monophyly, Copihadena , Homohadena , Lepipolys , and Phornacisa would have to be retained or raised from the synonymy, species re-shuffled, and several new genera described. I prefer the less disruptive approach and place Oncocnemis as a synonym of Sympistis .

The Sympistis piffardi and Sympistis denata species groups form a highly derived group of species near the top of the Oncocnemidine phylogeny. The S. piffardi species group includes S. piffardi (the type species of Phornacisa and Metahadena (Figs. F-6, I-9, J-7) ( Metahadena atrifasciata is a junior subjective synonym of Sympistis piffard )), S. barnesii , and S. chalybdis . Species of the S. piffardi group have a short (shorter than the shaft of the aedeagus) vesica with a large terminal spine (Fig. I-9) and a thick-walled appendix bursae widely attached to the posterior corpus bursae (Fig. J-7). The shape of the vesica and female genitalia are similar to those of the S. dentata group. The S. dentata species group and includes S. dentata (the type species of Apharetra (Figs. F-9, F-10, I-3, J-9)), S. anweileri , and S. californiae . The larvae of the S. dentata group species are associated with Vaccinium L. ( Ericaceae ), those of the S. piffardi group species are associated with Spiraea L. ( Rosaceae ). The female genitalia are similar between the two groups but small differences occur in the male genitalia, notably the absence of the terminal spine on the vesica and the presence of a digitus on the valve of the S. dentata group species (absent in species of the S. piffardi group). These characters may indicate that the groups should be separated; however, Sympistis funebris (the type species of Funepistis ) was formerly placed in Sympistis s.s. due to its diurnal flight and lack of foretibial seta. It has facies and male genitalia similar to the S. piffardi group species but feeds on Vaccinium and lacks the foretibial seta like the Apharetra species. Analysis of the 658 mitochondrial DNA COI base pairs puts S. funebris more closely related to S. dentata than S. piffardi , linking the two groups. The species associated with Apharetra , Funepistis , and Phornacisa , form a closely related monophyletic group but all three genera are here synonymized with Sympistis .

The former genus Homohadena , here synonymized with Sympistis , is a polyphyletic assemblage that included unrelated species groups that were associated with Homohadena by the loss of the foretibial seta. The Sympistis badistriga species group includes species in which the stout foretibial seta has been lost and a second group in which this seta is retained. Species that have lost the foretibial seta include S. badistriga (the type species of Homohadena (Figs. B-3, I-5, J-3)), S. rayata , S. stabilis , S. induta , and S. apposita (the type species of Hemistilbia , here synonymized with Sympistis (Figs. A-30, I-8, J-4)). Species which have retained the foretibial seta include S. subsimplex , S. min , S. viriditincta , S. balteata , S. knudsoni , S. tenuifascia , S. aterrima , S. parvanigra , and S. parvacana . The S. badistriga group is characterized by the vestigial corpus bursae, which is either present as a minute polyp on the side of the appendix bursae (Fig. J-4 inset) or totally lost, and with the ductus seminalis arising from the anterior end of the appendix bursae. The corpus bursae of S. satanella is small but functional and is probably a character state reversal; therefore, S. satanella probably belongs to this group. Closely related is the large Sympistis levis species group, with male and female genitalia similar to the S. badistriga species group but with the corpus bursae totally lost, and the Sympistis infixa species group, which includes S. infixa , S. dinalda , S. kappa , and S. fifia . The S. infixa species group is distinguished from the S. badistriga species group by the extreme narrowing of the apical portion of the valve. Less closely related is the Sympistis rustica species group, which includes S. rustica , S. inconstans , and S. incomitata . In this group the foretibial seta is lost, the corpus bursae is present as a bulbous anterior sac, and the appendix bursae is posterior. The corona of stout setae on the ovipositor lobes and characters of the vesica place each of these species groups firmly within the genus Sympistis .

The Sympistis fortis species group includes S. fortis (the type species of Homoncocnemis (Figs. F-1, I-1, J- 8)) and S. picina , which, along with Sympistis chionanthi (the type species of Adita (Figs. F-3, I-2, J-5)) are highly derived groups related to the S. dentata species group. Both have lost the corona of stout setae on the ovipositor lobes, retain foretibial setae and have a well developed digitus on the male valve. The female genitalia of S. chionanthi (Fig. J-5) are closely similar to those of the S. piffardi and S. nigrita ( Sympistis s. s.) species groups, and the broad apical portion of the valve (Fig. I-2) is similar to that of the S. piffardi species group. The male antenna is bipectinate and the elongate vesica is similar to species in many of the more basal lineages. I believe that the S. fortis and S. chionanthi species groups are basal lineages to Phornacisa .

The Sympistis atricollaris species group is a highly derived group of species near the top of the Oncocnemidine phylogeny. Included here are S. atricollaris (the type species of Copihadena , here synonymized with Sympistis , (Figs. G-25, I-7, J-6)), S. cottami , S. figurata , S. greyi , S. minor , S. ragani , S. pallidior , S. semicollaris , S. collaris , and S. disfigurata . Species included here have lost the female corona, have a distinctive gray forewing with thin black antemedial and postmedial lines, and the appendix bursae is well separated from the corpus bursae, often forming a spiral around the ductus bursae and often appearing to arise from the middle of the ductus bursae (Fig. J-6). The group is closely related to the S. griseicollis species group.