Lasionycta macleani (McDunnough)

Crabo, Lars & Lafontaine, Donald, 2009, A Revision of Lasionycta Aurivillius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for North America and notes on Eurasian species, with descriptions of 17 new species, 6 new subspecies, a new genus, and two new species of Tricholita Grote, ZooKeys 30 (30), pp. 1-156 : 86-87

Lasionycta macleani (McDunnough)

Figs 94, 234. Map 20

Anarta macleani McDunnough, 1927: 207 .

Lasiestra macleani ; McDunnough 1938: 72.

Lasionycta macleani ; Lafontaine et al. 1986: 265.

Type material. Holotype ♀ [ CNC, examined]. Type locality: Mt. McLean , British Columbia.

Diagnosis. Lasionycta macleani is known only from the female holotype from southwest British Columbia. It has a yellow-brown forewing with dark antemedial, medial, and postmedial lines and a round orbicular spot containing a dark ocellus. The dorsal hindwing is pale buff with a chevron-shaped discal spot and sharply demarcated marginal band. The ventral surface of the fore- and hindwing is luteous off-white with a large black arrowhead-shaped discal spot and thin marginal band on each wing. The appendix bursae is relatively thin, resembling those of the L. leucocycla species-group. The male is unknown. Lasionycta macleani is most similar to L. pulverea from Alberta but has a thicker ventral hindwing discal spot. The bursa, particularly the appendix, of L. pulverea is larger and more bulbous than that of L. macleani .

Distribution and biology. Lasionycta macleani is known only from Mt. McLean where it was collected on July 11 with L. luteola , most likely during daytime at or above timberline on the east or southeast slope. Attempts by Jim Troubridge and the senior author to find it on the more accessible west side of Mt. McLean were unsuccessful.