Schinia ferrisi, Pogue, Michael G. & Harp, Charles E., 2004

Pogue, Michael G. & Harp, Charles E., 2004, A review of the Schinia tertia (Grote) species complex (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Heliothinae), Zootaxa 473, pp. 1-32 : 15-17

Schinia ferrisi , new species

( Figs. 11–12 , 22 , 29–30 , 37 , 40, 47 )

Diagnosis. This species is easily confused with albafascia but can be reliably separated by the lack of a hair pencil on the second sternite of the male. The hindwing discal spot in ferrisi is smaller, less quadrate, and more crescent­shaped than the bold quadrate spot in albafascia . The marginal band in the hindwing is generally less bold and narrower in ferrisi than in albafascia . Schinia ferrisi can be separated from tertia by the shorter uncus in the male genitalia.

Description. Adult Male. ( Fig. 11 ). Head. Frons cream with closely appressed scales, ventral lip produced; vertex cream with broad flat scales, not appressed; labial palps cream; eyes large, round. Thorax. Scales cream mixed with pale rufous; foreleg cream suffused with light brown, tibia on medial margin with one elongate robust spine and 1–3 significantly smaller spines, spines on lateral margin variable with 1–2 thick ones near distal apex and 2–3 smaller ones dorsal to these; basitarsus longer than tibia, all tarsi light brown with white apical bands; middle leg cream, white apical band on tibia, tarsi cream with white apical bands; hind leg white, tarsi white. Forewing. Length 9.0–11.0 mm (n=8); basal area brown, bordered distally by a few black scales, approximately 30% of wing length; median area white, enclosing reniform spot, width at reniform from 30 to 75% of wing length, at posterior margin width from 30–70% of posterior margin length, a thin line of brown scales at border of median area as it curves around reniform spot; orbicular spot faint, pale gray; reniform spot indistinct, bordered proximally and distally by a few black scales; a pale band with a few brown scales at costa, these scales become pale gray as they over scale the reniform spot and continue to posterior margin; subterminal band dark brown, follows curve of white median area, distal margin irregular; a narrow white band distal to subterminal band; outer margin light brown; small black spots between wing veins along outer margin; fringe light brown with a few white scales; underside white with an indistinct black scale patch between veins R and Cu; orbicular spot black; reniform spot black; submarginal band black. Abdomen ( Fig. 22 ): Second sternite hair pencil absent; scent pocket present on fourth sternite and approximately same width as sternite. Male genitalia ( Figs. 29–30 ): Uncus of moderate length, length 0.70– 0.725 mm (mean = 0.708 + 0.014; n=3); valve of moderate length, length 2.05– 2.125 mm (mean = 2.08 + 0.038; n=3), length 8.69 + 0.83 X width (n=3); saccus V­shaped; vesica with 3 coils. Female genitalia ( Figs. 37, 40 ): Papillae anales broadly triangulate, apex narrowly rounded; 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 beyond distal margin of eighth segment.

Type material. HOLOTYPE: ɗ, Arizona, Pima Co., Redington, Barnes Collection, USNM ENT 0 0 142672. Deposited in USNM.

PARATYPES: Same locality as type: 3 ɗ ( ENT UNSM 142671, 142673­4), USNM genitalia slide 47328, 3 Ψ ( ENT USNM 142675­7), USNM genitalia slides 47329, 47321

( USNM). ARIZONA: PIMA CO., 32° 26.92’ N, 111° 01.33’ W, 2910 ft., 13 Sep. 2003 (1 ɗ), A.D. Zimmerman, 28 Sep. 2003 (1 ɗ), C.D. Ferris (CDF). SANTA CRUZ CO., Santa Rita Mountains, 24 Sep. 1949 (2 ɗ), genitalia slide USNM 47332, F.H. Parker ( USNM); Pena Blanca Lake Campground, 3850 ft., 13 Sep. 1994 (1 Ψ), T.E. Dimock (TED). NEW

MEXICO: GRANT CO., 32° 50.86’ N, 108° 35.55’ W, 4390–4400 ft., 5 Sep. 2002 (2 ɗ, 2 Ψ), male genitalia slide MGP 1179, C.D. Ferris (CDF).

Larval host plant: Unknown.

Etymology: Clifford D. Ferris of Laramie, Wyoming sent me (MGP) specimens that I identified as albafascia . After Dr. Ferris insisted that they looked different, I dissected a male and found that there was no hair pencil, which is prominent in albafascia . We are honored to name this species after Dr. Ferris.

Flight period. This species flies throughout September ( Fig. 45 ).

Distribution ( Fig. 47 ). Known only from southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico.

Discussion. The intensity of the hindwing marginal band is variable, ranging from well developed to faint; it may be almost absent in worn specimens. Schinia albafascia varies in the size and intensity of both the hindwing discal spot and the marginal band.

In reviewing maps (CEH) of Rabbit brush varieties; Ericameria nauseosa nauseosa var. latisquamea (A. Gray) Neesom & Baird overlaps the general distribution of ferrisi . It occurs in Santa Cruz, Pima, Cochise, Apache, and Navaho counties in Arizona; and San Juan, Rio Arriba, and McKinley counties in northwestern New Mexico.

Figures

FIGURE 45. Flight periods of Schinia species.

FIGURE 47. Collecting localities for Schinia albafascia, (closed circles) shaded area is distribution of host plant Ericameria nauseosa (Asteraceae); S. ferrisi (open circles).

FIGURES 7 – 11. Adults. 7, S. albafascia, female, Colorado, Adams Co., Bennett, Hwy. # 36 near post office, USNM ENT 00157059; 8, S. albafascia, female, Nevada, Clark Co., off Hwy. # 95 at church, USNM ENT 00157279; 9, S. albafascia, female, Nevada, Clark Co., off Hwy. # 95 at church, USNM ENT 00157280; 10, S. ferrisi, holotype, male, Arizona, Pima Co., Redington, USNM ENT 00142672; 11, S. ferrisi, female, New Mexico, Grant Co., USNM ENT 0 0 219911.

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 35 – 40. Female genitalia. 35, Schinia tertia, Kansas, Labette Co., Oswego, USNM ENT 00142861, genitalia slide USNM 46832; 36, S. albafascia, Utah, Utah Co., Orem, USNM ENT 00143001, genitalia slide USNM 46820; 37, S. ferrisi, Arizona, Pima Co., Redington, USNM ENT 0 0 142675, genitalia slide USNM 47329; 38, S. tertia, papillae anales, same data as Fig. 35; 39, S. albafascia, papillae anales, same data as Fig. 36; 40, S. ferrisi, same data as Fig. 37.