Lasionycta leucocycla

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 : 32-33

Lasionycta leucocycla sub-group

Most of the ten species in this sub-group are small (forewing length typically 12–13 mm with expanse <30 mm). Th e forewings are dark gray to brown gray with distinct lines and a full complement of spots. Th e hindwing color is often whitish or pale yellow, though in a few species it is entirely dark, and the ventral postmedial line is closer to the marginal band than the discal spot. Many specimens have a black dash between the wing base and discal spot on the ventral hindwing. Th e male valve is 5.5–7.8× as long as wide. Th e costal lobe of the sacculus ends near the dorsal margin of the valve. Most species have a cucullus that is similar to the valve width in size with a weak neck and a corona comprised predominantly of a single row of setae, partially double near the apex. The digitus is cylindrical beyond a triangular base, rarely (in small species) entirely triangular like those of the L. staudingeri sub-group. Th e vesica is typical for the species-group with 0–3 basal cornuti. Female genitalia are typical for the speciesgroup with small species having a smaller bursa.

Several of the species appear similar and the genitalia are indistinguishable in both sexes. Th ey are best identified by combination of male antennal structure, eye size, wing color and pattern, and locality. Th e species in the sub-group are arranged in two groups by male antenna structure. Four species ( L. leucocycla , L. flanda , L. anthracina sp. n., and L. coracina ) have narrow biserrate antennae with triangular segments with a width to shaft ratio of less than 2.1. The six other species have a wider bipectinate antenna ( L. poca , L. coloradensis (Richards) , L. illima , L. sasquatch sp. n., L. frigida , and L. benjamini Hill ) with narrowed, elongated distal segments, width to shaft greater than 2.1.

Th e following list groups species by male antennal width and eye size:

Antenna narrow; eye normal: L. anthracina , L. flanda

Antenna narrow; eye ellipsoid: L. leucocycla , L. coracina

Antenna wide; eye normal: L. poca , L. coloradensis , L. sasquatch , L. frigida , L. benjamini Antenna wide; eye ellipsoid: L. illima .