Psectrotarsia flava Dognin

Pogue, Michael G., 2007, Revision of the Genus Psectrotarsia Dognin, 1907 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Heliothinae), Zootaxa 1637, pp. 1-19 : 3-4

Psectrotarsia flava Dognin

( Figs. 1 , 6–7 , 16–17 , 26 , 31 )

Psectrotarsia flava Dognin, 1907: 240 .— Hampson, 1910: 233.— Poole, 1989: 842.— Matthews, 1991: 20.

Diagnosis. Psectrotarsia flava can be distinguished from all other species in the genus by the lack of pink coloring in the forewings.

Redescription. Male. Head: Frons with frontal tubercle cylindrical, protruding, with a distinct ridge around circumference and oblong median protuberance ( Fig. 1 ), scales hairlike, pale yellowish-white; labial palp porrect, scales pale yellowish-white, some tipped with brown; antenna white; scape white; eyes large, globular. Thorax: Narrow scales pale yellowish-white mixed with others speckled pale brown and gray, wide flat white scales under narrow scales; foreleg pale rufous speckled with gray, fringe buff-colored, foretibia lacks spines, tarsi bearing a few white scales along apical margins; middle leg with femur white, tibia buffcolored, tarsi pale rufous with cream-colored apical margins; hind leg with femur white, tibia mostly white with pale rufous shading, tarsi buff-colored with hint of white on apical margins; underside with some wide flat scales and fine hairlike scales white. Forewing length 12.9–13.3 mm (n = 2); ground color pale yellow; obscure basal patch gray; antemedial line forms acute angle with costal margin extending to posterior margin, gray; median line from costal margin along proximal margin of reniform spot, angled from ventro-proximal corner of reniform spot to posterior margin; reniform spot at end of discal cell gray; veins radiating from discal cell highlighted gray; postmedial line scalloped, gray; subterminal area with gray band extending from costal margin, becoming fainter toward posterior margin; fringe white basally, rufous apically. Hindwing ground color shiny white, with wide gray marginal band varying in intensity; veins highlighted gray in some specimens; yellow along margin between gray band and fringe; fringe white. Abdomen: Dorsal surface gray with white scales apically, genital tuft pale yellowish-white; ventral surface pale yellowish-white, speckled with pale gray. Genitalia ( Figs. 16–17 ) with uncus elongate, approximately 0.37X length of valve; apex pointed; valve broad, length 5X width, costal margin slightly angulate at 0.80X length, posterior margin gently curved to costal margin; ampulla elongate, 0.25X length of valve; corona with more than 10 setae; sacculus with ventral margin produced; juxta ovate with dorsal and ventral margins excavated; saccus V-shaped; aedoeagus slightly bent at middle, apex pointed; vesica with four diverticula ( Fig. 17 ), left diverticulum lacking a cornutus, middle diverticulum with a short apical cornutus, longer right diverticulum lacking a cornutus, base of right diverticulum with uninflated, scobinate diverticulum bearing an elongate cornutus.

Female. Head, Thorax: As in male, except forewing length 13.6–14.9 mm (n = 2). Abdomen: Genitalia ( Figs. 26 , 31 ) with papilla analis fleshy, apex truncate; posterior apophysis 0.95X anterior apophysis, narrow; ductus bursae sclerotized and heavily striated in distal 0.67 with striations extending onto corpus bursae; appendix bursae present as undifferentiated cephalad extension of corpus bursae, approximately same size as corpus bursae; corpus bursae round; signa absent.

Holotype. Female, Peru, Trujillo. Dognin Collection. Psectrotarsia flava type f, Dogn. [hand written label]. USNM Type No. 31784 [red label]. Genitalia slide USNM 49761 [green label]. USNM ENT 0 0 147710 [bar-code label]. Deposited in USNM.

Distribution and Biology. Distributed in Peru, west of the Andes ( Fig. 36 ). Larval host is unknown.

Material Examined. 2m, 1f. PERU: LIMA: Verrugas, 14 Apr. 1928 (1f), genitalia slide USNM 41174, R. C. Shannon, USNM ENT 0 0 147641. PIRUA: La Beatita, 18 Apr. 1969 (1m), genitalia slide USNM 41173, Ch. Korytkowski, USNM ENT 00147712; 18 Apr. 1969 (1m), genitalia slide USNM 49760, A. Castro, USNM ENT 0 0 147711.

Discussion. Psectrotarsia flava is known only from four specimens. The female genitalia differ from all other species in Psectrotarsia in that the ductus bursae bisects the corpus bursae into two subequal parts. If the portion dorsal to the ductus bursae is considered the appendix bursae, it is much larger than in any other species of Psectrotarsia .

Figures

FIGURE 36. Collecting localities. Psectrotarsia flava, closed squares; P. s u a v i s, closed circles; P. hebardi, closed triangles; P. euposis, closed triangles; P. rhodophora, open circle.

FIGURES 1 – 5. Heads. 1, Psectrotarsia flava, female, Peru, Lima, USNMENT 14764; 2, P. s u a v i s Nebraska, Platte Co., Columbus, USNMENT 147638; 3, P. hebardi New Jersey, Morris Co., Lake Hoptacong, USNMENT 147639; 4, P. euposis Mexico, Cuernavaca, USNMENT 147705; 5, P. rhodophora, Volcan Guatemala, Volcan Santa Maria, USNMENT 220365.

FIGURES 6 – 11. Adults. 6, Psectrotarsia flava, female holotype, Peru, La Libertad, Trujillo, USNMENT 147710; 7, P. flava, female, Peru, Pirua, La Beatita, USNMENT 147712; 8, P. suavis, male, Texas, Brewster Co., Alpine, USNMENT 147692; 9, P. s u a v i s, male, Texas, Jeff Davis Co., Mount Locke, Davis Mountains, USNMENT 147693; 10, P. suavis, female, Oklahoma, Cimarron Co., Black Mesa State Park, east end of primitive area, 24 Aug. 2004, 4312 ft., USNMENT 221608; 11, P. hebardi, male, Ohio, Scioto Co., Shawnee State Forest, clearcut 1 mi s of Pond Run Tower, USNMENT 147694.

FIGURES 16 – 21. Male Genitalia. 16, Psectrotarsia flava, Peru, La Beatita, USNMENT 147711, genitalia slide USNM 49760; 17, P. flava, aedoeagus, same data; 18, P. su avi s, New Mexico, Luna Co., Deming, USNMENT 147672, genitalia slide USNM 49744; 19, P. s u a v i s, aedoeagus, same data; 20, P. hebardi, Ohio, Sciota Co., Shawnee State Forest, in a clear cut, USNMENT 144030, genitalia slide MGP 1208; 21, P. hebardi, Ohio, Sciota Co., Shawnee State Forest, 0.5 mi E Pond Run Tower, USNMENT 144038, aedoeagus, genitalia slide MGP 1219.

FIGURES 26 – 28. Female Genitalia. 26, Psectrotarsia flava, Peru, Trujillo, USNMENT 147709, genitalia slide USNM 49761; 27, P. s u a v i s, Texas, Brewster Co., Alpine, USNMENT 147676, genitalia slide USNM 49743; 28, P. hebardi, Ohio, Sciota Co., Shawnee State Forest, in a clear cut, USNMENT 144036, genitalia slide MGP 1209.

FIGURES 31 – 35. Papillae anales of female Genitalia. 31, Psectrotarsia flava, same data as Fig. 26; 32, P. s u a v i s, same data as Fig. 27; 33, P. h e b a rd i, same data as Fig. 28; 34, P. euposis, same data as Fig. 29; 35, P. rhodophora, same data as Fig. 30.