Bleptina verticalis Troubridge

Troubridge, J. T., 2020, A new genus and 37 new noctuoid species from peninsular Florida and the Keys (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea), Insecta Mundi 2020 (789), pp. 1-56 : 5-6

Bleptina verticalis Troubridge , new species

( Fig. 4a, 4b , 60 , 108 )

BIN: BOLD:ACD3830

Diagnosis. Bleptina verticalis is most closely related to B. hydrillalis . They are distinguished from each other by the forewing color, light brown in B. hydrillalis , dark gray brown with scattered chestnut scales in B. verticalis . The male genitalia are similar but the digitus of B. hydrillalis is much shorter and thicker than that of B. verticalis , and the right valve of B. hydrillalis narrows abruptly to a point at apex, whereas that of B. verticalis gradually narrows to a point in the apical ⅓.

Description. Antennae filiform, ciliate; head, vertex, thorax, and abdomen dark brown with scattered black and chestnut-brown scales; terminal segment of labial palps with tuft of black scales. Dorsal forewing (both sexes). Forewing length 10–12 mm. Ground color dark gray brown with scattered light-gray, chestnut, and black scales; thin basal line light gray, extends perpendicular to posterior margin; straight antemedial line light gray, bordered distally with black and basally with chestnut scales, extends perpendicular to posterior margin before bending basally at costa; medial line often diffuse, dark gray brown, extends perpendicular to posterior margin; postmedial line light gray, bordered distally with black and basally with chestnut scales extends perpendicular to posterior margin before bending outward around and giving wide birth to reniform spot; jagged submarginal line with light-gray and ochre scales edged distally with black scales; costa beige; tiny orbicular spot ochre, surrounded by scattered black scales; reniform spot shaped like an inverted comma, either solid black or ochre, with a black dot in center; terminal line a series of black spots between veins; fringe a series of three fine black lines separated by light gray. Dorsal hindwing. Ground color off-white to light gray brown, lightly suffused with darkbrown scales basally, becoming solid dark gray brown in postmedial area; obscure discal lunule brown; terminal line a series of dark-brown crescents between veins; fringe with scattered dark-brown and light-gray scales. Male genitalia ( Fig. 60 ). Valves asymmetrical, the left much shorter than the right, with a short terminal spine pointing backward and a sharp, curved spine pointing inward; right valve narrows to a point in distal ⅓; a long, narrow digitus arises from costal margin of each valve; uncus long, curved downward, swollen in mid section with pointed tip; aedeagus with elongate, dorsal sclerite that bends upward with scobinate tip; vesica forms an elongate tube, curving to the right with narrow terminal cornutus; a sub-basal diverticulum present on the left and a large basal diverticulum with three smaller diverticula extends to the right, terminating at ductus seminalis. Female genitalia ( Fig. 108 ). Ovipositor lobes setose, posteriorly truncated; ostium bursae scobinate; ductus bursae short, membranous, terminates at coiled diverticulum of appendix bursae that narrows to ductus seminalis on left; posterior section of corpus bursae a long tube that gradually widens to bulbous, anterior section of corpus bursae, this tube heavily sclerotized with two deep, knife-like ridges extending along the inner part of tube, terminating at anterior section; basal to the terminus of this sclerite, a ribbon-like sclerite encircles the dorsal, ventral, and left sides of corpus bursae with six sharp, flattened, knife-like blades extending into corpus bursae from this sclerite.

Type material. Holotype male: USA: Florida, Monroe Co.: Upper Key Largo , 25.179°N, 80.366°W, 10.Jul.2015, J. Troubridge in CNC . Paratypes: 41♂, 84♀: Florida: Collier Co.: Marco Island , 15.Jan.1989, D. Smith, 1♀ ( FSCA) ; Miami-Dade Co.: Card Sound Rd. , 25.341°N, 80.412°W, 10.Apr.2018, J. Troubridge, 1♀ ; Miami, Coral Gables USDA ARS Station , 17.Jul.2008, J. Brambila, 1♂ ; same data, 25.642°N, 80.295°W, 15.Oct.2015, J. Hayden, 1♀ ( FSCA) ; Monroe Co.: Crocodile Lake Wildlife Refuge, Nike Missile Site , 2.May.2009, slide MGCL 5861 , 2♂, 2♀ ( FSCA) ; Upper Key Largo , 25.179°N, 80.366°W, 10.Jul.2015, 1♂, 10♀ ; 25.287°N, 80.292°W, 10.Dec.2015, 3♂ ; 11.Mar.2015, 1♀, all J. Troubridge ; Long Key , 24.814°N, 80.822°W, 13.Mar.2015, J. Troubridge, 2♀ ; Long Point Key , 24.749°N, 80.364°W, 13.Mar.2015, J. Troubridge, 3♀ ; Islamorada , 24.963° N, 80.566°W, 21.Jun.2014, 3♂, 4♀ ; 15.Dec.2014, 5♂, 2♀ ; No Name Key , 24.695°N, 81.328°W, 15.Feb.2018, 4♂, 20♀ ; 17.Mar.2018, 1♀ ; 8.Apr.2018, 1♂, 7♀, all J. Troubridge ; Big Pine Key , 24° 40.93′N, 81° 22.06′W, 23.Feb.2011, J. Troubridge, 1♂ ; Dagny Johnson State Park , 25.184°N, 80.362°W, 20.Jun.2014, 1♂, 1♀ ; 25.181°N, 80.364°W, 3.Mar.2014, 1♀ ; 2.Apr.2014, 1♂, 1♀ ; 27.Feb.2012, 1♀, all J. Troubridge ; Bahia Honda , 24.665°N, 81.254°W, 9.Dec.2013, 5♂, 4♀ ; 20.Jun.2017 2♂ ; 12.Mar.2015, 1♀; 16.Dec.2014, 3♀; 4.Mar.2013, 2♀; 3.Mar.2016 4♂, 2♀; 8.Apr.2013, 1♀; 19.Mar.2017, 1♂, 1♀; 9.Dec.2015, 5♂, 6♀; 15.Feb.2018, 2♂, 5♀, all J. Troubridge .

Etymology. From Latin, verticalis means vertical and refers to the vertical basal and antemedial lines on the forewing of this species.

Distribution. This species is known from the Florida Keys and adjacent mainland.

Remarks. The DNA was analyzed, and the 658 COI base pairs compared with those of specimens of B. hydrillalis . The results showed a 3.04% difference between B. verticalis and B. hydrillalis , its nearest relative.

Figures

Figures 1–12. Adults. 1a) Bleptina biformata ♂, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 1b) Bleptina biformata ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 1c) Bleptina biformata ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 2a) Bleptina flavivena ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 2b) Bleptina flavivena ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 3) Bleptina caradrinalis ♂, Ocala, FL. 4a) Bleptina verticalis ♂, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 4b) Bleptina verticalis ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 5a) Bleptina extincta ♂, paratype, Monroe County, FL.5b) Bleptina extincta ♀, paratype, Monroe County, FL.6) Bleptina araealis ♂, Andros, Bahamas. 7a–c) Toxonprucha killamae ♀ variation, paratypes, Bahia Honda, FL. 8a) Lascoria coma ♂, paratype, North Port, FL. 8b) Lascoria coma ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 9) Lascoria orneodalis ♂, Key Largo, FL. 10) Metalectra dixoni ♂, paratype, Florida City, FL. 11) Metalectra nigrior ♂, paratype, North Port, FL. 12a) Janzena pyraliformis ♂, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. 12b) Janzena pyraliformis, Mayagüez, PR, showing hood.

Figures 55–60. Male genitalia. 55) Bleptina flavivena, paratype, North Port, FL. 56) Bleptina caradrinalis, North Port, FL. 57) Bleptina biformata, paratype, Bahia Honda, FL. 58) Bleptina extincta, holotype, Miami-Dade County, FL. 59) Bleptina araealis, Andros, Bahamas. 60) Bleptina verticalis, paratype, Key Largo, FL.

Figures 105–113. Female genitalia. 105) Bleptina biformata, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 106) Bleptina extincta, paratype, Miami-Dade County, FL. 107) Bleptina flavivena, paratype, Collier County, FL. 108) Bleptina verticalis, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 109) Janzena pyraliformis, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. 110) Lascoria coma, paratype, North Port, FL. 111) Lascoria orneodalis, Key Largo, FL. 112) Lascoria ambigualis, Highlands County, FL. 113) Lascoria alucitalis, Key Largo, FL.