Sympistis ferrirena Crabo

Crabo, Lars G., Hammond, Paul C., Mustelin, Tomas & Wikle, David L., 2018, Six new species and one new subspecies of noctuid moths from western United States of America and Mexico (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), ZooKeys 788, pp. 201-239 : 217-219

Sympistis ferrirena Crabo sp. n. Figs 25, 26, 29, 31, 48

Type locality.

USA, Arizona, Cochise County, 31°55.07'N, 109°16.54'W, 2530 m.

Type specimens.

Holotype, male. [USA], Arizona, Cochise County, 31°55.07'N, 109°16.54'W, 8300' [2530 m], 18 VIII 2009, C. D. Ferris leg. / Database # CNCLEP 00080368 / Barcodes of LIFE Project Leg removed DNA extracted. CNC. Paratypes. 2 males, 3 females. USA: Arizona: Cochise County: Same data as holotype / Database # CNCLEP 00080369 / Barcodes of LIFE Project Leg removed DNA extracted. (1 m); Graham County: Pinaleno Mountains, Grant Creek, 8,800 ft (2682 m), 12 VII 2005, B. Walsh leg., UV light trap, Mountain stream (1 f); New Mexico: [Colfax County]: Sangre de Cristo Mts., Cimarron Canyon, 7900' [2408 m], 9 VII 1962, E. & I. Munroe / CNC / Genitalia slide By RS USNM 43,457 (1 m); same locality & collectors, 10 VII 1962 / Genitalia slide By RS USNM 43,458; Otero County: High Rolls, Karr Canyon, 32.898°, -105.813°, 2400 m, 9 VI 2016, L. G. Crabo leg. (1 f). CNC, LGC, TM.

Differential diagnosis.

Sympistis ferrirena (Figs 25, 26) resembles S. dunbari (Figure 27) and S. definita (Figure 28). Sympistis definita occurs predominantly in the Great Basin and Colorado but has been collected with S. ferrirena in Arizona. Sympistis dunbari occurs west of S. ferrirena near the West Coast. Sympistis ferrirena is slightly larger (forewing length greater than 14 mm in S. ferrirena , less in the other two species) and can be distinguished by its smooth thick black transverse lines and large reniform stigma with brick-red filling. The antemedial and postmedial lines of S. ferrirena are straight or curved smoothly from the cubital vein to the posterior margin and lack an outer black component. The corresponding lines of S. dunbari and S. definita are toothed on the veins and double with two black components. The reniform stigmata of these species are smaller and contain fewer reddish scales than that of S. ferrirena .

The male genitalia of S. ferrirena (Figure 29) and S. definita (Figure 30) are similar. The distal valve of S. ferrirena tapers more than that of S. definita . The sacculus of S. ferrirena is narrower relative to valve length: 0.10 × compared to 0.16 × for S. definita . The anterior (concave surface) cornuti on the vesica of S. ferrirena are longer and much stouter than those of the posterior patch; this distinction is less dramatic in S. definita .

The female corpus bursae and appendix bursae of S. ferrirena (Figure 31) are similar in size and shape. In S. dunbari and S. definita the appendix bursae is smaller and more curved than in S. ferrirena .

The DNA barcode of S. ferrirena (BOLD:AAU2696; n = 3) differs from those of S. dunbari (BOLD:AAE1138) and S. definita (BOLD:AAE5103) by at least 4.0 %.

Description.

Adults. Males and females similar in size and habitus. Head. Antenna filiform, venter densely pubescent, segments with single short anterior and posterior seta, dorsal scales sparse, gray. Scape untufted, scales even length, black or white. Eye normal, adjacent scales except near palpus long, lashlike, dark gray. Labial palpus scales mixed black and gray; flat laterally, long hair-like anteriorly; third segment length 0.3 × second segment, scales very short. Haustellum normal. Frons flat, scales short, mixed gray and off-white. Dorsal head scales narrow, bifurcate, mixed gray, white, and white tipped black; weak paramedian tufts anterior and dorsal to antenna. Thorax. Patagium scales mixed black, white, and white tipped light gray, truncate, fine toothed; dorsum appearing medium gray with black and light gray transverse stripes; tegula and dorsum scales mixed black- and white-tipped medium gray strap-like and black hair-like; appearing hoary with black-edged tegula and black weak metathoracic median tuft. Ventral thorax lighter gray, scales hairlike. Legs: Distal foretibia with claw-like seta over basitarsus; mid- and hindtibia lacking stout setae; scales spatulate, mixed gray, black, and white. Tarsal segments except distal segment with three rows of ventral spiniform setae, scales mixed black and gray, distal ring irregular, white. Wings: Forewing: Length 14.0-15.5 mm; length 2.0-2.1 × width, apex not pointed strongly, outer margin scalloped weakly, nearly straight from apex to CuA2, then curved slightly to trailing margin; dorsal scales mixed white, medium gray, dark gray, black, and dark umber, appearing hoary; basal line black, thin except tooth distad on R, curved to end at wing base on Cu; antemedial line light gray inner, thick black outer components, gull wing shape, apex basad on Cu; medial line black, thick, blurred, angled distad from mid-costa to orbicular and reniform stigmata; postmedial line components black inner, thinner than antemedial and medial lines, pale gray outer, costal ori gin near medial line, quadrate distad around reniform stigma, crossing posterior stigma, bent sharply caudad medial stigma to margin near medial line; postmedial line whitish gray irregular chevrons, preceded by long, thin dark, gray, intervenal wedges; terminal area diffuse black spots near costa and CuA2; terminal line black, thickest between veins; fringe scales mixed white and pale base dark gray; stigmata black lined with pale gray; claviform stigma reduced to curved black tip; orbicular stigma oval, moderately large, filling whitish gray, center slightly darker; reniform stigma ovoid, moderately large, weakly kidney shaped, thickest medially, filling diffuse, rust red. Hindwing: Outer margin straight from Rs to bend between M3 and CuA1, thence straight to anal angle; dorsum whitish gray, slightly opalescent, margin suffused medium gray; veins, discal spot, terminal line darker gray; fringe white, base striped yellow and gray. Abdomen. Scales flat, hair-like, medium gray; no tufts. Male with hair-like coremata from rugose patch at end of sclerotized band in membrane lateral to sternite A1. Male genitalia: Tegumen widest lateral to uncus base. Uncus thin, cross-section triangular, arced, tip acute. Juxta triangular, apex notched at phallus base, height 1 × width. Valve straplike, widest mesially, tapered slightly to both ends, length 3.6 × width, cucullus convex, lacking “neck,” corona of ~ 20 claw-like setae; sacculus 0.5 × length, 0.36 × width of valve, width nearly even except slight broadening at base and dorsal notch near clasper ampulla; clasper base weak, ampulla origin at mid-valve near ventral margin, directed dorsad and 45° distad, length 0.7 × valve width, straight, clubbed with rounded apex bearing cluster of small setae and thorn-like extension from lateral side; digitus absent. Phallus tubular, length 4.2 × width. Vesica 0.8 × phallus length, straight beyond basal 135° ventral bend; bearing stout apical cornutus 0.25 × phallus length, long broad band from dorsal distal phallus to posteroventral apex of innumerable cornuti, lengthening gradually from short, spike-like at base to quill-like distally, slightly smaller patch on rostrodorsal mid- to distal vesica of fewer, ~ 40, longer, stouter cornuti in parallel rows, and an apical tuft of thinner similar-length cornuti. Female genitalia: Papilla analis blunt tipped, trapezoidal, length 1 × basal width, covered moderately densely with fine hair-like setae, densest apically, longest basally; subapical “corona” loose double row of uneven stout, blunt spike-like setae curved slightly away from midline, longest 6 × as long as wide. Segment A8 width 1.5 × length, sparse very fine hair-like setae densest and longest at posterior and inferomedial margins. Posterior apophysis length 3.5 × segment A8; anterior apophysis length 0.7 × posterior apophysis. Ductus bursae length 2.5 × segment A8 length; ostium bursae width 0.67 × segment A8 width, ventral margin sclerotized lightly; posterior ⅓ ductus bursae triangular, tapered anteriorly, anterior segment membranous, tubular. Corpus bursae bisaccate, U-shaped, length 5 × segment A8 length, main part midline, posterior ⅓ tubular with broad attachment to appendix bursae on right, anterior ovate, length 2 × width; appendix bursae length 0.6 ×, width 1 × corpus bursae, elongate, ovate, base perpendicular to corpus bursae, distal ⅓ bent 90° ventrad, ductus seminalis slightly proximal to posterior apex.

Etymology.

The name is from the Latin ferrum, meaning iron, and renis, meaning kidney. It refers to the prominent rust-red filling of the reniform stigma of this moth.

Distribution and ecology.

Sympistis ferrirena occurs in Arizona and New Mexico (Figure 48). It has been collected at middle to high elevations within a limited range between 2400 and 2700 meters. The habitat is mixed forest.

The flight period of adults is from June to July. Like most temperate species in the genus, it is nocturnal and comes to light. The early stages are unknown.