Cherokeea attakullakulla Sullivan & Quinter

Quinter, Eric L. & Sullivan, J. Bolling, 2014, A new apameine genus and species from the southern Appalachian Mountains, USA (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae), ZooKeys 421, pp. 181-191 : 185-188

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Noctuidae

Cherokeea attakullakulla Sullivan & Quinter sp. n. Figs 1-7

Type locality.

Fontana View Estates on Lake Fontana, Swain County, North Carolina.

Type material.

Holotype male: USA, North Carolina: Swain County, 2000', Fontana Lake Estates (35°38.44'N, 83°55.79'W), mesic mixed pine/hardwoods June 10, 2002. J. Bolling Sullivan (USNM). Paratypes: (9♂ 12♀) same data as holotype, 8 and 10 June, 2002 (BMNH, USNM, CNC, ELQ, JBS). Other material examined: over 100 of both sexes collected from June 8-24 from: Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Swain County, North Carolina (Wiggins-Watson Cemetery, Deep Creek, 2215' (35°28.0'N; 8326.2'W); Forney Creek, 1840' (35°28.1'N, 83°34.0'W.); Big Cove Road, 2054' (35°51.6'N, 83°29.4'W); Welch Ridge, 1840' (35°26.9'N, 83°44.6'W); Rutherford County, North Carolina, Box Creek Preserve, 1100 –1500’ (35°54.8'N; 81°93.9'W).

Etymology.

The name Attakullakulla, herein treated as a noun in apposition, refers to the Supreme Cherokee Leader (from 1761-1775) who represented his people in London in 1730 and at home in the Carolinas while negotiating various peace treaties.

Diagnosis.

The very limited distribution of this species to moderate altitudes in the southern Appalachian Mountains and foothills is unlikely to coincide with any species of Neoligia . It is possible the moth might be confused with worn specimens of the common, widely distributed eustrotiine moth Protodeltote muscosula ( Guenée), but adults of that species are slightly larger, with an olivaceous cast to the forewings, a prominent, subquadrate dark patch between the orbicular and reniform spots, and lack the characteristic genitalic features of Apameini . Otherwise, the genitalic characters described under the genus will serve to distinguish this species from anything of similar appearance occurring in North America.

Description.

Head. Dorsum of antenna with alternating brown and gray rings of scales, underside tan; scape white. Labial palpus with gray and brown rough scaling. Frons with a mixture of white and brown erect scales, vertex and collar similar but with more dominant brown scaling. Thorax. Vestiture a mixture of coarse, brownish, spatulate scales, spatulate hairs and simple hairs; mesoscutellar crest prominent, metascutellar tuft, less so. Legs. As detailed in generic description. Wings (Figs 1-4). Forewings elongated and acutely rounded at apex. Forewing base to wing tip, 10.7 mm; N=20, (9.8-11.7 mm). Appearance variable, ranging from nearly uniform dull gray to much more contrasting and mottled, especially in females. Both phenotypes occur in both sexes, however. Antemedial line excurved, doubled, with pale gray to nearly white filling; slightly scalloped and comprised of black scales. Medial line or shade obscure. Postmedial line sinuous, excurved around reniform, most distinct at posterior margin, becoming obscure toward costa; slightly scalloped and doubled, with pale gray to nearly white filling; inner element of pm line much darker than the outer, which is defined by black points on veins. Subterminal line a merged series of brownish-black indistinct chevrons. Terminal line a series of sharp, tiny black chevrons between veins. Fringe pale gray, with unbroken dark gray basal line. Basal, medial and terminal areas predominantly uniform gray, but with some reddish-brown scaling in the medial and basal areas in some individuals, especially toward posterior margin. Subterminal area usually paler gray, with quadrate, subapical dark patch on costa. Basal dash usually clearly visible, black, often highlighted below with whitish scales; medial dash variable, from completely obscure to a prominent bar, which may be the most distinct marking of the forewing; anal dash obscure or, at most, represented by an indistinct, dark, triangular patch of scales. Reniform spot auriculate, pale gray, of same shade as subterminal area. Orbicular spot similarly colored, ovoid, with an outline of black scales. Suborbicular and claviform spots not visible on worn material studied. Dorsal hindwing pale gray, plain, unmarked except for faint discal spot; fringe pale gray with darker gray basal line. Abdomen. Dorsal abdominal scaling white basally then brownish to tip; a prominent mid-dorsal tuft on first segment; ventral abdominal scaling brownish, becoming more yellow on ventral brush on eighth segment. Genitalia. As detailed for both sexes in generic description.

Molecular results.

Barcodes were obtained for seven specimens from both Swain and Rutherford Counties. There were five haplotypes which differed by as much as 0.6%. The most common haplotype was:

AACATTATATTTTATTTTTGGAATTTGAGCAGGTATAGTTGGAACCTCTTTAAGATTACTAATTCGAGCTGAATTAGGAAACCCCGGATCTTTAATTGGTGACGATCAAATTTATAATACTATTGTTACAGCTCATGCTTTTATTATAATTTTTTTTATAGTTATACCTATTATAATTGGAGGATTTGGAAATTGACTTGTACCTTTAATATTAGGAGCTCCAGATATAGCATTTCCACGAATAAATAATATAAGTTTTTGGTTACTTCCCCCATCTTTAACTTTATTAATTTCAAGAAGAATTGTAGAAAATGGAGCTGGAACAGGATGAACAGTGTACCCCCCACTTTCATCTAATATTGCTCACGGAGGAAGTTCTGTAGATTTAGCCATTTTTTCTCTTCATTTAGCTGGTATTTCTTCTATTTTAGGAGCTATTAATTTTATTACTACAATTATTAATATACGATTAAATAATTTATCTTTTGATCAAATACCTTTATTTATTTGAGCGGTAGGAATTACTGCATTTTTATTATTATTATCACTACCCGTTTTAGCGGGAGCTATCACAATATTATTAACAGATCGAAATTTAAATACATCTTTTTTTGATCCTGCAGGAGGAGGAGATCCAATTTTATATCAACATTTATTT

Barcode sequences for Cherokeea attakullakulla did not associate with Neoligia or other related genera when nearest neighbor similarity searches were conducted.

Two patterns of maculation are seen (Figs 1-4), which we are calling mottled and plain. Intermediates are seen as well. These phenotypes did not segregate by location or by barcodes. Females are usually more heavily marked than males.