Lasionycta staudingeri

Crabo, Lars & Lafontaine, Donald, 2009, A Revision of Lasionycta Aurivillius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for North America and notes on Eurasian species, with descriptions of 17 new species, 6 new subspecies, a new genus, and two new species of Tricholita Grote, ZooKeys 30 (30), pp. 1-156 : 59

Lasionycta staudingeri sub-group

The L. staudingeri sub-group contains six diurnal species in North America. All except L. carolynae are small (expanse <30 mm). Th e hindwings are white with black or gray marginal bands and discal spots on both sides and usually lack postmedial lines. The forewings are light to dark gray and have indistinct markings in several species. Males have a broad digitus, triangular in shape in all species except L. carolynae , and lack basal cornuti on the vesica. Th e valves are weakly to moderately constricted at the base of the cucullus, and the cucullus varies from small to large for the genus. Th e corona is compound with at least two complete rows of setae in all species except L. carolynae which has a single row of setae. Th e female bursa is weakly constricted less than one-fourth its width with a small appendix bursae, appearing unisaccate. Th e ductus bursae is weakly sclerotized.

Species in the L. staudingeri sub-group are dispersed throughout the L. leucocycla species-group without clustering on CO1 distance analysis. Th is suggests that the L. staudingeri sub-group might be polyphyletic, although superficial and structural similarity suggests otherwise.

Lafontaine et al. (1986) grouped the species in this species-group with L. leucocycla based on similar appearance, diurnal habits, and ellipsoid eyes.