Lyces enoides (Boisduval) Miller, James S, 2009

Miller, James S, 2009, Generic Revision Of The Dioptinae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea: Notodontidae) Part 2: Josiini, Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 2009 (321), pp. 675-1022 : 768

Lyces enoides (Boisduval) , new combination Plate 29

Retila enoides Boisduval, 1870: 94 .

TYPE LOCALITY: ‘‘ Honduras and Mexico’’.

TYPE LOCALITY: Syntype ³ ( BMNH).

DISCUSSION: The type of L. enoides (pl. 29), which I did not dissect, is similar to L. ena except that the FW cross-band is lighter yellow. The L. enoides type may have simply faded with time. Based on wing pattern, the only other species with which it might be associated is Proutiella infans (pl. 26). However, the wing of L. enoides shows vein M 1 arising at the base of Rs 1 –Rs 4, thus excluding it from Proutiella .

Boisduval, in his original description, listed Honduras and Mexico as localities for this taxon. My search of museum collections produced no specimens similar in appearance to either L. enoides or L. ena from Honduras or Mexico — Panama is the furthest north that L. ena has been recorded. According to many Lepidopterists, the provenance of Boisduval types is often questionable. These observations place the status of enoides in doubt. In all probability, L. enoides and L. ena , described by Boisduval in the same publication, are conspecific. Both Boisduval types should be dissected to resolve the issue.

DISTRIBUTION: Mexico (BMNH).

DISSECTED: None.