Ufeus satyricus Grote, 1873

Lafontaine, J. Donald & Walsh, J. Bruce, 2013, A revision of the genus Ufeus Grote with the description of a new species from Arizona (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Xylenini, Ufeina), ZooKeys 264, pp. 193-207 : 196

Ufeus satyricus Grote, 1873 Figs 1-61520

Ufeus satyricus Grote, 1873: 101.

Asterocampus barometricus Goossens, 1881: 380.

Ufeus sagittarius Grote, 1883: 31.

Ufeus electra Smith, 1908: 99.

Ufeus unicolor ab. coloradica Strand, [1916]: 146. Unavailable infrasubspecific name.

Ufeus unicolor ssp. coloradica McDunnough, 1938: 68. Validation of coloradica.

Type material.

Ufeus satyricus : syntypes 2 ♀. [London], Ontario, Canada [lost]; Albany New York, NYSM. Asterocampus barometricus : Canada [type lost]; original description diagnostic for synonym of Ufeus satyricus . Ufeus sagittarius : holotype ♀. California, USNM. Ufeus electra : lectotype ♀, Oregon, AMNH, designated by Todd (1982). Ufeus unicolor ssp. coloradica: syntype ♂. Colorado, BMNH.

Other material examined and distribution.

Canada: Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario, Quebec, Saskatchewan. USA: Arizona, California, Colorado, Montana, New York, Oregon, Utah, Washington.

Diagnosis.

Ufeus satyricus is abundantly distinct structurally from all other species in the genus. Superficially, adults in eastern North America can be distinguished from the largely sympatric Ufeus plicatus by the pale-brown forewings, extensively dusted with black scales, and the prominent black shading on the veins, discal spot, and postmedial line on the hindwing. Males are smaller and darker than females (forewing length 15-22 mm in males, 19-24 mm in females). Adults from western North America differ from those from the East in having darker reddish-brown forewings with the postmedial line less prominent, and the hind wing in the male is dark fuscous, obscuring the postmedial line on the upper surface of the wing. Western specimens are easily confused with those of Ufeus hulstii , which have similar reddish-brown forewings. The black streaks in the subterminal area and the less prominent postmedial line on the forewing, and the postmedial line on the hindwing, at least on the underside of the wing, allow specimens of Ufeus satyricus to be distinguished from those of Ufeus hulstii without dissection. Western populations of Ufeus satyricus are segregated as Ufeus satyricus ssp. sagittarius. Intermediate populations are in Wyoming and Colorado. The male genitalia of Ufeus satyricus are characterized by the dorsal clasper and the long slender aedeagus and vesica. In the female genitalia the corpus bursae is rounded and extends directly into the long sclerotized ductus bursae. The anterior and posterior apophyses are relatively short (as described in the generic diagnosis), so the ovipositor is not telescoping.

Distribution and biology.

Ufeus satyricus occurs across central and southern Canada from the Atlantic to the Pacific where large poplar trees occur and as far south in the east as Pennsylvania and Illinois. In the west it occurs as far south as southern Arizona and California. Adults emerge from the pupae in the summer and overwinter as adults, but they are mostly collected between late August and early May, even during mild spells in mid-winter. Most records are in October and November in the fall and March and April in the spring. Crumb 1956 reports finding and rearing larvae on cottonwood in western United States. The species is arranged in two subspecies.