Charadra oligarchia Dyar, 1916

Schmidt, Christian & Anweiler, Gary, 2010, The North American species of Charadra Walker, with a revision of the Charadra pata (Druce) group (Noctuidae, Pantheinae), ZooKeys 39 (39), pp. 161-181 : 166-172

Charadra oligarchia Dyar

Figs 3, 13

Charadra oligarchia Dyar, 1916: 19 .

Type material. Type locality: “ Guerrero Mill , Hidalgo, Mexico, 9000 feet ” Holotype ♁. USNM; examined.

Diagnosis. Superficially similar to C. cakulha and C. pata . Th e contrastingly pale outer third of the forewing is similar only to C. cakulha , but C. oligarchia is darker overall; internally, the male vesica has the two cornuti placed at the base of the vesica, one massive, one small, whereas C. cakulha has two lateral, symmetrical cornuti that are fused to the aedeagus. See also ‘Diagnosis” of C. pata .

Distribution and biology. Known only from Guerrero Mill, Mexico. Possibly associated with dry oak woodlands at higher elevations, as in C. tapa and C. franclemonti .

Remarks. As discussed in the diagnosis of C. pata , C. oligarchia and C. pata may be the same species, but lack of specimens of each taxon of the corresponding sex prevents further comparison; however, the pata holotype differs slightly in wing markings, and the type localities of the two species are in different mountain ranges separated by several hundred kilometers, so we treat both as distinct taxa until more study material becomes available.

Charadra franclemonti Anweiler & Schmidt , sp. n. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:96EEB202-1A0F-4474-BFB3-6DA50BDF0BAE

Figs 5, 6, 23, 30

Type material. Holotype ♁ – UNITED STATES. “ USA: Cochise Co. [County] Chirica / hua Mtns [Mountains]. Pinery Cyn [Canyon] cmpgd [campground] / 31.93N 109.27W 6500’ / 5-VIII-08 pine/oak/riparian / MV lt. C. Schmidt & B.Walsh. ” ; “ HOLOTYPE / C haradra franclemonti / Anweiler & Schmidt” [red label]. Deposited in CNC . Paratypes – 22 ♁, 5 ♀ [ CNC, CUIC, USNM, UASM]. United States : Arizona: same data as holotype (18 ♁, 3 ♀) ; Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mtns, East Turkey Creek 6400’, 7 Aug. 1967, J. G. Franclemont (1 ♀) ; Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mtns., Cave Creek Canyon , 5400’, 21 Sept. 1966, J. G. Franclemont, reared ex ova, on Quercus gambelii (1 ♁) ; Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mtns, Onion Saddle 7600’, 17 July 1966, J.G. Franclemont (1 ♁) ; Santa Cruz County, Santa Rita Mtns, Madera Canyon 5800 ’; Sierra Vista , 9 Sept.1967, R. F. Sternitzky (1 ♁), 13 Jul 1960, J. G. Franclemont (1 ♀) ; Coconino Co., 6 1/ 3 mi. ESE Flagstaff, Walnut Canyon. , 6500’, 24 July 1965, J. G. Franclemont (1 ♁) .

Etymology. We name this species after the late John G. Franclemont who collected and reared this species and recognized that there were two distinct species in southern Arizona.

Diagnosis. Superficially very similar to Charadra tapa , but can be separated by the forewing pattern and in particular by genital characters in both sexes. The outer half of the forewing in both sexes is darker and more patterned, with the outer forewing more even and paler grey in C. franclemonti than in C. tapa . Females can be separated without dissection by brushing the underside of the terminus of the abdomen and examining the sterigma and in particular the lamella antevaginalis, which extends caudally in two long prongs in C. franclemonti (often visible with the naked eye); in C. tapa these prongs are reduced to two blunt lobes. In males, the vesica of C. franclemonti , when inflated, expands into a pouch as it exits the aedeagus, and the two cornuti are on opposite sides of the vesica; in C. tapa the vesica is not significantly expanded where it exits the aedeagus and the two cornuti are together on one side. Th e valves of C. franclemonti are more truncated and squared off than those of C. tapa , which are slightly more produced and tapered. Although there is some overlap in flight periods, C. franclemonti primarily flies in July and August, whereas C. tapa flies in September and October.

Description. Sexes externally alike, except females slightly larger than males. FW length averaging 18 mm in males, 19 mm in females. Head – palps short, covered in stiff grey, black and white hair-like scales; proboscis well developed; eyes large, globular; frons with short grey and black hair; antennae broadly bipectinate, with longest rami about 7 times as long as width of shaft. Thorax – clothed in long dark-grey, black, and white scales; tegulae mostly white anteriorly, black and grey banded on posterior; Forewing dark grey with a brown-black medial band. Basal area a mix of black and white scales, appearing light grey, with white scales bleeding into medial area below orbicular producing a small pale streak. Antemedial line narrow, black, erratic and dragged outward below orbicular to meet or almost meet postmedial line midway. Orbicular spot prominent, oval, filled with dark blackish-brown scales and narrowly outlined in black. Medial band broad, brownish black, narrower on upper side and extending to upper margin above orbicular, but extending almost to wing base on lower half. Postmedial line black, narrow, erratic, pulled inward to meet or almost meet antemedial line midway. Postmedial line erratic, poorly defined, bordered outwardly with white scales that expand into a diffuse whitish-grey reniform spot. Subterminal line poorly defined by dark scales, except more prominently lined with black at lower margin of wing and where it bends basad before meeting upper margin of wing. A diffuse patch of white scales at anal angle. Terminal line narrow, black, broken at veins. Fringe dark grey and black, faintly checked with lighter grey at veins. Veins beyond medial area narrowly lined with black. Hindwing pale yellow with an orange tint on basal half, sharply divided from grey black outer half. Fringe grey on inner half, white on outer half and lightly checkered with black between veins. Abdomen – clothed in lead grey hair-like scales mixed with numerous white scales at terminus, with a series

Figures Ι–4. Adults and genitalia of Charadra type specimens. Ι C. pata , holotype, Guatemala City, Guatemala 2 C. patafex , holotype, Guerrero Mill, Hidalgo, Mexico 3 C. oligarchia , holotype, Guerrero Mill, Hidalgo, Mexico 4 C. ingenua , lectotype, Durango, Colorado.

of 3–4 small dark-grey tufts midway along dorsal centerline. Legs grey, banded with black at the joints. Male genitalia (Fig. 23) – Valves simple, subquadrate apically with a slightly pointed dorsal apex; costal process absent; clasper a simple scoop-shaped process about 1/10 length of dorsal valve margin, with broad surface directed dorso-cephalad; sacculus unmodified; uncus with a wide base and narrowest medially, apex broadly

Figures 5–22. Adult habitus of Charadra species. 5 C. franclemonti , ♁ holotype, Pinery Cyn., Chiricahua Mtns., AZ 6 C. franclemonti , ♀ paratype, Pinery Cyn., Chiricahua Mtns., AZ 7 C. cakulha , ♁ holotype, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico 8 C. tapa , ♁ paratype, Madera Cyn., Santa Rita Mtns., AZ 9 C. tapa , ♀ paratype, Madera Cyn., Santa Rita Mtns., AZ Ι0 C. coyopa , ♁ holotype, Distrito Federal, Mexico ΙΙ C. deridens , ♁, Edmunston, NB Ι2 C. deridens , ♁, Garfield Co., CO Ι3 C. oligarchia , ♁, Guerrero, Mexico Ι4 C. deridens , ♀, Morehead, KY Ι5 C. deridens , ♀, Edmunston, NB Ι6 C. dispulsa , ♁, Georgetown, TX Ι7 C. deridens , ♀, Mt. Pocono, PA Ι8 C. deridens , ♁, Morehead, KY Ι9 C. moneta , ♁ holotype, Walnut Cyn., Coconino Co., AZ 20 C. moneta , ♀ paratype, Walnut Cyn., Coconino Co., AZ 2Ι C. moneta , ♁, Big Bend National Park, Brewster Co., TX 22 C. moneta , ♀, Big Bend National Park, Brewster Co., TX.

Figures 23–25. Male genitalia of Charadra species. 23 C. franclemonti paratype, Pinery Cyn., Chiricahua Mtns., AZ 24 C. tapa paratype, Ash Cyn., Huachuca Mtns., AZ 25 C. cakulha holotype, San Cristobal de las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.

Th e North American species of Charadra Walker , with a revision of the Charadra pata (Druce) ... 171

26 27 28 29 I mm

Figures 26–29. Male genitalia of Charadra species. 26 C. coyopa holotype, Distrito Federal, Mexico 27 C. deridens, Morehead , KY 28 C. moneta paratype, Walnut Cyn., Coconino Co., AZ 29 C. dispulsa, Sinton , TX.

squared with a medial notch giving a slightly bifid appearance; tegumen greatly expanded dorsally; saccus quadrate with broad U-shaped medial dorsal notch; aedeagus 5x longer than diameter, with a very wide, dorsally directed opening to vesica, opening about 1/3 total length of aedeagus; bulbous base of vesica directed at about 90 degrees to aedeagus; vesica base with two large, equal-sized, thorn-like cornuti positioned opposite each other, one ventral and one dorsal; one medial and one distal diverticulum of similar size, oriented dorsally. Female genitalia (Fig. 30) – Papillae anales blunt with very slight medial tip; antevaginal plate (caudal extension of sternum VII) prominent, slightly longer than length of sternum VIII and with two prongs extending beyond caudal margin of sternum VIII; ductus bursae heavily sclerotized and short, slightly wider than long, flattened dorso-ventrally and asymmetrical due to a ventral twist of right lateral margin; corpus bursae asymmetrically heart-shaped, membranous, finely spiculate under high magnification; ductus seminalis exiting caudally on left chamber of corpus bursae.

Distribution and biology. Charadra franclemonti ranges from central Arizona (Coconino Co.) southward to at least Durango, Mexico. The flight period is from mid-July into August. Captive larvae were reared on Quercus gambelii Nuttal.

Remarks. One slightly larger, darker male specimen from El Salto, Durango, Mexico is provisionally treated as this species since it is indistinguishable in genital structure, but is excluded from the type series. Although this species and C. tapa have both been treated and identified as C. pata , neither C. tapa nor C. franclemonti is closely related to C. pata ; see ‘Remarks’ under C. tapa , below.

Five specimens from the type locality exhibited a single barcode haplotype that was more than 5% divergent from those of C. deridens , C. moneta , and C. dispulsa ; no barcodes for any other pata group species were available for comparison.