Admetovis icarus, Crabo, Lars G. & Schmidt, B. Christian, 2018

Crabo, Lars G. & Schmidt, B. Christian, 2018, A revision of Admetovis Grote, with the description of a new species from western North America (Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Hadenini), ZooKeys 788, pp. 167-181 : 172-175

Admetovis icarus sp. n. Figs 1, 2, 7, 8, 13, 16

Type locality.

USA, Colorado, Boulder County, Nederland, 2896 m.

Type material.

Holotype, male. [USA]: Colorado: [Boulder County]: Nederland, Science Lodge, 9500' [2896 m], 28 VI 1961, M. R. MacKay. CNC. Paratypes. 34 m 14 f: CANADA: British Columbia: Central Kootenay District: Sproule Cr., 49.533°, -117.417°, 2400' [732 m], [no date], J. Shepard leg. / OSAC_0001031226 (1 m); [Okanagan-Similkameen District]: Apex Mt., 7380'[2249 m.], 49°21'N, 119°54'W, 21 VII 2000, J. Troubridge Leg. (1 f); USA: Colorado: [Boulder County]: Nederland, Science Lodge, 9500' [2896 m], 26 VI 1961, M. R. MacKay (2 m); Same locality & collector, 27 VI 1961 (4 m 1 f); 28 VI 1961 (1 m 1 f); 29 VI 1961 (9 m 5 f); 30 VI 1961 (3 m 1 f); Same locality, 3 VII 1969, C. H. Mann (1 f); Gunnison County: Gothic, 29 VI 1962, Jon Shepard leg. / OSAC_0000136850 (1 m); Same locality, date, & collector / OSAC_0000136868 (1 f); Idaho: Bear Lake County: Emigration Cr. CG, 42.370°, -111.556°, 7200' [2195 m], 14 VII 1993, J. & S. Shepard leg. / OSAC_0001031225 (1 m); Oregon: Wallowa County: Wallowa Mts., Mt. Howard summit area, 8075-8176 ft [2461-2492 m], 4 VIII 2016, UVBLT, DNR Ross and GE Pearson leg. / OSAC_0000997854 (1 m); Utah: Sanpete County: Ephraim, 8 mi. [12.9 km] E, 10,000' [3048 m.], 39.317-[39].337°N, 111.448-[111].470°W, 21 VII 2008, L. G. Crabo leg. (8 m, 1 f); Same locality, date, & collector / DNA voucher # CNCLEP 00116343 (1 m); Summit County, Bald Mt. Trailhead, 14 VII 1989, R. C. Mower leg. / Database for CNC Noctuoidae [sic] 14629 [DNA voucher # NOC14629] / Barcodes of Life Project Leg removed DNA extracted (1 f); Washington: Chelan County: Junior Point Cmp. Grd., 6900' [2103 m], 6 VIII 1997, J. Troubridge leg. (1 m); Same locality, date, & collector, DNA / Database for CNC Noctuoidae [sic] 14627 [DNA voucher # NOC14627] / Barcodes of Life Project Leg removed DNA extracted (1 m); Kittitas County: Lake Kachess (NF-4828), 47°19.21'N, 121°15.4'W, 4 VIII 2011, T. Mustelin (1 f). CNC, JS, LGC, OSAC, TM. Three specimens from Sandon, British Columbia (J. W. Cockle) at the CNC were also examined, but are excluded from the type series because they are worn.

Diagnosis.

Admetovis icarus is the only species in the genus with a dusky hindwing with a straight outer margin distal to the cell between veins M1 and M3. Admetovis icarus is distinguished easily from A. similaris by the pure white hindwing of the latter species. It is only subtly different from A. oxymorus in habitus and can easily be confused with it, especially in the Pacific Northwest where both species occur. While the hindwing margin shape is the most reliable character for separating these species short of dissection, there are subtle differences in color. Admetovis icarus tends be more mottled on the forewing with a darker “flame-mark,” and its hindwing is consistently darker brownish gray than that of A. oxymorus . The forewing orbicular stigma of A. icarus is often more conspicuous than in either other species, with pale filling outlining a dark central ocellus.

Structurally, males of A. icarus differ from both other species by the presence of weak basal abdominal coremata lacking a strong core; A. oxymorus has fully developed coremata with stout rods and A. similaris lacks them altogether. Admetovis icarus and A. oxymorus both differ from A. similaris in having a median spine on the juxta. In the valves, the setose dorsal protuberance of the sacculus is triangular to anvil shaped in A. icarus , convex in A. oxymorus , the dorsal process of the clasper is short and triangular in A. icarus , longer and curved in A. oxymorus , and the cucullus is relatively small and rounded in A. icarus , larger and triangular in A. oxymorus . The relative sizes of the cuculli are apparent readily if the two species are compared after the scales are removed with a brush. The vesica of the phallus of A. icarus is the simplest in the genus, with a relatively short left limb lacking a subapical diverticulum.

Females of A. icarus , like those of A. oxymorus , differ from those of A. similaris in having three rather than four signa on the corpus bursae. They can be differentiated from those of A. oxymorus by the shape of the corpus bursae, narrow with a small bulbous anterior portion in A. icarus ; curved and broader with a bulbous anterior end in A. oxymorus . This difference is quantified in the Key as a ratio between width of the corpus bursae and the length of the appendix bursae.

The barcode of A. icarus (BOLD:AAD7456) differs from both other species by about 3.5 %. There is no intraspecific variation in three samples from Washington and Utah.

Description.

Head - Structure of male and female antennae, eye, palpus, and haustellum as for genus. Dorsal antenna tan with scattered gray scales. Scape off white. Labial palpus with nearly equal mixture of pale tan and dark gray scales. Frons tan, gray periph erally. Dorsal head scales white-tipped gray. Thorax - Dorsum as for genus; venter scales long, hair-like, white-tipped dark gray. Legs as for genus; tarsal segments dark gray banded distally with off-white. Wings: Forewing: length 16-17 mm (males), 17 mm (females), length 2.3-2.4 × width, outer margin scalloped weakly; ground lead gray, most mottled in genus due to more whitish scales, especially near base; medial area distal to reniform stigma and postmedial area whitish tan to tan, darkest distally; basal, antemedial, and medial lines as for genus; postmedial line dark gray, conspicuous for genus, double with strong inner and incomplete weak outer components, scalloped strongly with dark gray distal extensions on veins; postmedial white with preceding red-brown and black shade; terminal line black, interrupted at veins; fringe gray with light tan base, pale checkering at veins; claviform stigma dark gray, filling light gray; orbicular stigma nearly round, double, outer component darkest, filling light gray, whitish gray, or pale tan, central ocellus gray or mixed gray and brown; reniform stigma moderately large, kidney shaped with slightly larger posterior end, dark gray, incomplete at posterior end, filling of medial ⅓ light tan and distal ⅔ whitish tan or gray. Hindwing: margin straight between M1 and M3; powdery dusky gray brown with slight brassy sheen, discal spot and patchy marginal shade slightly darker with lighter patches near outer margin. Abdomen. Male coremata very weak, a few filaments arising from button-like base, lacking central stalk; pockets on ventrolateral segment III small, shallow. Female sternite VII posterior median notch 0.36 × length of the segment. Male genitalia: Uncus as for genus, wide distal portion only slightly tapered to blunt tip. Juxta height 1.5 × width, median spine present. Valve as for genus, length 5 × width, ventral mid-valve projection short, blunt; sacculus length ⅔ × valve, width 1 × valve, setose costal lobe asymmetric, anvil shaped with triangular pointed tip; clasper with short triangular dorsal and broad-based convex ventral processes of similar length, small for genus; cucullus relatively small, ~ 0.6 × valve width, rounded, corona 15-20 setae. Phallus tubular, length 6.8 × width. Vesica length 1.0 × phallus; diverticulum of right arm broad based, short; left arm tapered to straight spike-like apical cornutus, basal cornutus present or absent, diverticula absent. Female genitalia: papilla analis length 1.5 × width, longer and more pointed than in other Admetovis . Segment VIII as for genus; posterior apophysis length 0.75 × segment VIII; anterior apophysis length 2.75 × posterior apophyses. Ductus bursae relatively smooth, rugae limited to near junction with corpus bursae. Corpus bursae length 4.6 × abdominal segment VIII, elongate, narrow, curved weakly, bulbous anterior portion relatively small, diameter ~ 0.4 × total corpus bursae length; signa on dorsal, right lateral, and ventral sides; appendix bursae simple sac-like posterior extension of corpus bursae, length 0.16 × corpus bursae.

Geographic variation.

This species is fairly uniform throughout most of its range. The population on the Wasatch Plateau of central Utah is paler and more mottled than those from elsewhere.

Etymology.

The species epithet refers to Icarus, son of Daedalus in Greek mythology. Icarus used wings that his father had made to escape from the island of Crete but flew too close to the sun, thereby falling to his death in the sea. The flame marking on the distal forewing and high elevation habitat of this moth bring to mind his story. It is a noun in the genitive in apposition to the generic name.

Distribution and ecology.

Admetovis icarus occurs in the mountains of western North America, mostly in the Rocky Mountain region. Records extend from central Utah and central Colorado to the Selkirk Mountains of southeastern British Columbia, including a record from northeastern Oregon. Farther west there are scattered records from the Okanagan region of south-central British Columbia and Chelan and Kittitas counties in the northern Cascade Range, Washington. It replaces A. oxymorus in Utah and Colorado but is partially sympatric with it in the Pacific Northwest.

Admetovis icarus has been collected almost exclusively in high-elevation forests near tree line, although the habitat in Kaslo and Nelson, British Columbia is transition zone forest. Collection dates are from late June to early August.

The early stages are unknown.

Discussion.

Admetovis icarus is not rare in collections but has until now been confused with A. oxymorus .