Aleptina arenaria Metzler & Forbes,

Metzler, Eric H. & Forbes, Gregory S., 2011, The Lepidoptera of White Sands National Monument, Otero County, New Mexico, USA 3. A new species of Aleptina Dyar, 1902 (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Amphipyrinae, Psaphidini), ZooKeys 149, pp. 125-133 : 126-128

Aleptina arenaria Metzler & Forbes, sp. n. Figs 1, 211, 1213, 1417, 18

Type Material.

Holotype: male, pinned with labels as follows: "USA: NM: Otero Co. White Sands Nat[ional] Mon[ument], interdune habitat, 106°10.84'W, 32°46.64'N 4,008', 17 May 2010 WsnmF, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: WHSA - 00131" "HOLOTYPE USNM Aleptina arenaria Metzler & Forbes" [red handwritten label] (USNM). Paratypes: 5 males and 7 females: USA: NM: Otero Co. White Sands Nat[ional] Mon[ument] (hereafter WSNM), interdune habitat, 106°11.38'W, 32°46.69'N 4,000', 15 July 2009 WSNM8, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: WHSA - 00131. USA: NM: Otero Co. WSNM, interdune habitat, 106 °10.84'W, 32°46.64'N 4,008', 12 Sept. 2010 WSNMF, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: WHSA - 00131. WSNM, interdune habitat, 106°11.38'W, 32°46.69'N 4,000', 11 June 2010 WSNM8, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: WHSA - 00131. WSNM, interdune habitat, 106°11.32'W, 32°45.72'N 4,000', 22 July 2008 WSNM9, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: WHSA - 00131. WSNM, interdune habitat, 106°11.32'W, 32°45.72'N 4,000', 17 May 2010 WSNM9, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: WHSA - 00131. WSNM, interdune habitat, 106°10.84'W, 32°46.64'N 4,008', 14 Sept 2009 WsnmF, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: WHSA - 00131. WSNM, interdune habitat, 106°10.82'W, 32°46.62'N 4,008', 15 July 2009 WSNMD, Eric H. Metzler, uv tr[a]p, Accss #: WHSA - 00131. Paratypes are deposited with UNM, MSU and EHM.

Etymology.

Gypsum sand is the substrate of the white dune field at White Sands National Monument. Arena means sand in Latin. The Latin suffix -aria means connected with something. The specific epithet of this species, arenaria, a singular adjective, calls attention to the specialized sandy habitat where Aleptina arenaria was discovered.

Diagnosis.

Aleptina arenaria (Figs 1, 2) is a gray moth with normal noctuid transverse markings and spots. The diagnostic features are 1) male with gray hindwings, 2) antemedial and subterminal areas of the forewing are pale tan (chamois colored), 3) smoothly rounded apex of the male valve without process (Fig. 11), and 4) blunt posteriorly directed processes on female 8th sternite (Figs 13, 14). In White Sands National Monument Aleptina arenaria flies with and might be mistaken for a washed-out specimen of Aleptina inca Dyar, 1913 (Figs 3, 4).The male hind wing of Aleptina inca is white, the male hindwing of Aleptina arenaria is gray. The clasper of the male genitalia of Aleptina inca (Fig. 7) is half the length of the valve and slender; the clasper of Aleptina arenaria is shorter and heavier, more like that of Aleptina clinopetes (Dyar, 1920) (Figs 5, 6, 9). The costal margin at the distal end of the valve of Aleptina clinopetes (Fig. 9) has a finger-like process; the costal margin at the distal end of the valve of Aleptina arenaria is without a process. The posteriorly directed processes of the female 8th sternite of Aleptina inca (Fig. 15) are thin, long, and pointed; the processes of Aleptina arenaria are stout and short. In Aleptina clinopetes , the processes are stout and longer (Fig. 16). In the key to species in Todd et al. (1984), Aleptina arenaria keys to Aleptina inca in couplet 1 because both species have the front (frons) produced into a shelf-like prominence. The differences noted above will separate Aleptina arenaria , Aleptina inca , and Aleptina clinopetes .

Description.

Adult male (Fig. 1). Head - frons produced into a shelf, gray dorsad, pale tan (chamois colored) between the shelf and clypeus; vertex scales narrow strap-like, gray; labial palpus erect, scales spatulate, black laterally and dorsally, white ventrally, each segment pale tipped. Haustellum coiled between labial palpi. Antenna filiform, dorsally pale gray, closely scaled, ventrally naked, gray. Thorax - dorsum gray, mixture of pale and dark, scales spatulate; underside dirty white, scales erect long hair-like. Legs dark gray, closely scaled, sparse long hair-like whitish scales; tarsomeres dark gray and black, white tipped. Fore wing: Length 10 mm (no variation, n = 4). Gray with pale tan (chamois colored) in antemedial and subterminal areas. Basal line obscure, basal area pale gray; antemedial line double at costa, single at inner margin, antemedial area pale tan; postmedial line obscure, excurved beyond reniform, highlighted with dark dashes on veins, double at inner margin; subterminal line a white shade, postmedial area pale tan; terminal line black, subterminal area gray; orbicular spot a round black and white ring filled with gray; reniform spot a kidney shaped black and white ring filled with gray; costa at postmedial area pale gray; fringe gray with white bars; underside gray, darker along costal and terminal areas; fringe dark gray. Hind wing pale gray, darker in terminal areas, fringe pale gray; underside pale gray, costa darker, fringe pale gray. Abdomen - dorsum closely scaled, pale tan-gray; underside closely scaled, whitish. Genitalia (Fig. 11) - tegumen expanded laterally, bilobed, uncus nearly straight, lightly setose, terminally produced to a small bulb, three stout dorsal setae; saccus short, narrowly V-shaped; juxta with long thin spine pointed anteriorly; valve strap-like, sacculus sclerotized, well developed, costa undul ating, sclerotized basal 2/3 length, cucullus membranous, corona not developed, clasper sinuous, 1/3 length of valve, stout at base, produced to a point. Aedeagus (Fig. 12) sinuous, sclerotized, apex with thin blunt point, vesica with two patches of thin setae.

Adult female (Fig. 2): similar to male. Forewing length 10 mm, no variation, n = 7. Genitalia (Figs 13, 14): Papilla analis not sclerotized, setose; posterior apophysis extends anteriorly to mid-point of eighth segment; anterior apophysis short and stout; eighth segment anterior ventral margin with two posteriorly directed processes, broadly rounded, acute apices; ductus bursae sclerotized at extreme posterior end, else membranous, elongate directed to right; corpus bursae expanded to left, signa absent.

Remarks.

This new species is placed in the genus Aleptina Dyar (1902) based on appearance of the adult and the structure of the male and female genitalia.

Distribution and biology.

Aleptina arenaria occurs in White Sands National Monument, Otero County, New Mexico (Figs 17, 18). Adults were collected in black light traps placed within the white gypsum dunes, and interdunal areas. The immature stages and larval host plants are unknown.