Schinia erosa Smith

Pogue, Michael G. & Harp, Charles E., 2004, A review of the Schinia tertia (Grote) species complex (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Heliothinae), Zootaxa 473, pp. 1-32 : 17-18

Schinia erosa Smith

( Figs. 17–18 , 23 , 31–32 , 41 , 43, 48 )

Schinia erosa Smith 1906:23 .— McDunnough 1938:105.— Todd 1982:76. — Poole 1989:894. — Poole and Gentili 1996:771.— Hardwick 1996:178.

Schinia albafascia erosa ;— Barnes and McDunnough 1917:39.— Franclemont and Todd 1983:159.

Diagnosis. Schinia erosa looks like a washed out S. brunnea . The maculation consists of a reniform spot and in some specimens a faint orbicular spot, with rufous to cream ground color. Schinia brunnea has brown to reddish­brown ground color, an antemedial line, postmedial line, and darker areas in the subterminal area of forewing. The discal spot and marginal band in the hindwing are usually less distinct in erosa than in brunnea . The second sternite in the male abdomen has a vestigial hair pencil in erosa (Fig, 23), which is well developed in brunnea ( Fig. 24 ). In the male genitalia, the most obvious difference is the much shorter uncus and valve in erosa ( Fig. 31 ) than in brunnea ( Fig. 33 ). In the female genitalia, the papillae anales are slightly larger and more slender with a shaper apex in erosa ( Fig. 43 ); in brunnea ( Fig. 44 ) they are somewhat shorter with a slightly more rounded apex.

Description. Abdomen ( Fig. 23 ): Second sternite with vestigial hair pencil (usually only a few androconia) and well­developed scent pocket. Male genitalia ( Figs. 31–32 ): Uncus short, length 0.70–0.85 mm (mean = 0.78 + 0.051; n=6); valve short, length 2.15– 2.35 mm (mean = 2.25 + 0.089; n=6), length 7.65 + 0.71 X width (n=6); saccus narrowly V­shaped; vesica with 3 coils. Female genitalia ( Figs. 41, 43 ): Papillae anales broadly triangulate, apex pointed; eighth segment with coarse scobinations; seventh segment with robust, moderate length setae in several rows along distal margin, concentrated dorsally on segment, extending to or shorter than distal margin of eighth segment.

Type material. Lectotype male, in AMNH, designated by Todd (1982). Type locality: Utah [no specific locality]. Not examined.

Larval food plant. Isocoma acradenia var. acradenia (E. Greene) E. Greene (Asteraceae) .

Biology. Hardwick (1996) gave a detailed description of the life history and larva of erosa . Larvae feed on the nominate variety of Isocoma acradenia (Greene) Greene (Asteraceae) , Desert Golden­weed or Alkali Jimmy weed. Desert Golden­weed is a low shrub of alkaline soils, growing along seeps, springs, roadsides, and disturbed areas. It is associated with Atriplex , Artemisia and Elymus ( Kartesz 1987) .

Flight period. The main flight seems to be from late summer into early November. Infrequent captures in early May probably are due to favorable weather conditions during particular years, and not evidence of a spring brood. The May specimens were collected only in 1918, the late summer and fall specimens were collected in several years ( Fig. 45 ).

Distribution ( Fig. 48 ). From desert areas east of the Peninsular Range of southern California and a single locality in south central Arizona.

Material examined. ARIZONA: MARICOPA CO., Phoenix, (1ɗ) male genitalia slide USNM 46826, 16 –23 Sep. (1ɗ), male genitalia slide USNM 46845, Barnes Coll. CALIFORNIA: RIVERSIDE CO., Chino Canyon, nr. Palm Springs (2ɗ); Coachella, 21 Aug. 1936 (1Ψ); Indio (1Ψ), 1 May 1918 (3ɗ, 5Ψ), male genitalia slide USNM 46843, J.C. Bradley, Oct. (1Ψ), female genitalia slide USNM 47161, Barnes Coll., 23 Oct. 1911 (1Ψ), 27 Oct. 1911 (1ɗ), male genitalia slide USNM 46842, 30 Oct. 1923 (1Ψ), H.G. Dyar, 1 Nov. 1911 (1Ψ). SAN BERNARDINO CO., San Bernardino, (1ɗ) male genitalia slide USNM 47160. SAN DIEGO CO., Sentenac Canyon, 22 Sep. 1935 (1ɗ, 2Ψ), female genitalia slide USNM 47162, D. Meadows; The Narrows, 22 Sep. 1935 (1ɗ, 2Ψ), D. Meadows.

Discussion. The locality label of the lectotype specimen of S. erosa designated by Todd (1982) is “Utah", but this is probably erroneous because all other records are from the Colorado and Mojave deserts of southern California and adjacent Arizona. The other 2 syntypes, 1 male in USNM and 1 female in AMNH, are from Phoenix, Arizona, which is a more logical type locality.

Barnes and McDunnough (1917) treated S. erosa as a subspecies of S. albafascia , and this decision was followed by Franclemont and Todd (1983). Poole (1989) and Poole and Gentili (1996) synonymized all subspecies, treating erosa as a synonym of albafascia . Hardwick (1996) elevated erosa to species level based on host plant and distribution, and we agree with the latter on the basis of the host plant distribution and the characters discussed above.

Figures

FIGURE 45. Flight periods of Schinia species.

FIGURES 12 – 18. Adults. 12, S. brunnea, male, lectotype, California, San Bernardino Co., Loma Linda, USNM ENT 00219116; 13, S. brunnea, female, California, Orange Co., Rancho Mission Viejo, USNM ENT 0 0 157286 (CEH); 14, S. brunnea, male, California, Orange Co., Rancho Mission Viejo, USNM ENT 00218692; 15, S. brunnea, male, California, Orange Co., Rancho Mission Viejo, USNM ENT 00218693; 16, S. brunnea, male, California, Orange Co., Rancho Mission Viejo, USNM ENT 00218694; 17, S. erosa, female, California, Riverside Co., Indio, USNM ENT 00143201; 18, S. erosa, male, California, San Diego Co., Sentenac Canyon, USNM ENT 0 0 143184.

FIGURES 19 – 24. Second sternite of male abdomen. 19, Schinia tertia, Texas, Brazos Co., College Station, USNM ENT 0 0 142720, genitalia slide USNM 46835; 20, S. tertia, Utah, Utah Co., Vineyard, USNM ENT 0 0 143238, genitalia slide USNM 46817; 21, S. albafascia, California, San Bernardino Co., Ivanpah Mts., USNM ENT 0 0 142700, genitalia slide USNM 46814; 22, S. ferrisi, Arizona, Pima Co., Redington, USNM ENT 0 0 142671, genitalia slide USNM 47328; 23, S. erosa, California, Riverside Co., Indio, USNM ENT 0 0 143200, genitalia slide USNM 46842; 24, S. brunnea, California, San Bernardino Co., San Bernardino, USNM ENT 0 0 143179, genitalia slide USNM 47156.

FIGURES 25 – 34. Male genitalia. 25, Schinia tertia, Texas, Brewster Co., Alpine, USNM ENT 0 0 142723, genitalia slide USNM 46833; 26, S. tertia, aedoeagus, Texas, Carson Co., White Deer, USNM ENT 0 0 142739, genitalia slide USNM 46836; 27, S. albafascia, Utah, Wasatch Co., Midway, USNM ENT 0 0 142986, genitalia slide USNM 46827; 28, S. albafascia, aedoeagus, same data; 29, S. ferrisi, Arizona, Pima Co., Redington, USNM ENT 0 0 142671, genitalia slide USNM 47328; 30, S. ferrisi, aedoeagus, same data.

FIGURES 41 – 44. Female genitalia. 41, S. erosa, California, San Diego Co., Sentenac Canyon, USNM ENT 0 0 143186, genitalia slide USNM 47162; 42, S. brunnea, California, San Bernardino Co., Loma Linda, USNM ENT 0 0 143167, genitalia slide USNM 46839; 43, S. erosa, papillae anales, same data as Fig. 41; 44, S. brunnea, papillae anales, same data as Fig. 42.

FIGURES 48 – 49. Collecting localities for Schinia spp. 48, S. erosa, shaded area is distribution of host plant Isocoma acradenia var. acradenia (Asteraceae); 49, S. brunnea.