Lasionycta gelida Crabo & Lafontaine, 2009

Crabo, Lars & Lafontaine, Donald, 2009, A Revision of Lasionycta Aurivillius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for North America and notes on Eurasian species, with descriptions of 17 new species, 6 new subspecies, a new genus, and two new species of Tricholita Grote, ZooKeys 30 (30), pp. 1-156 : 81-83

Lasionycta gelida Crabo & Lafontaine , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:F55AC251-5828-48FB-BEDE-B186CD800442

Figs 65–67, 176, 232. Map 15

Type material. Holotype ♀. Canada , British Columbia, [Mt. Waddington, ca. 7000’, 16 Aug. 1982, Craig Andrews. CNC. Paratypes 2 ♁. Canada. British Columbia. Gott Peak, 7100’, 50° 21' N 122° 08' W, 29 July 2000, Troubridge and Hensel (1 ♁); Same locality, 26 July 2006, L. G. Crabo (1 ♁). CNC, LGC.

Etymology. Gelida is derived from the Latin gelidus meaning cold, frosty and icy, a reference to the rocky glacial locale where the holotype was collected.

Diagnosis. Lasionycta gelida is a rare species from southwestern British Columbia. Its forewing is mottled dark gray with scattered pale blue-gray scales, most prominently basal to the antemedial line, distal to the postmedial line, and distal to the reniform spot. The dorsal hindwing is pale gray with a faint discal spot, faint postmedial line, and darker marginal band. The ventral hindwing is whitish gray with a chevron-shaped discal spot, variably dark postmedial line (dark only on the veins in the female holotype), homogeneously dark marginal band, and absence of dark scales on the veins between the postmedial line and marginal band. Structurally, the corona of the male valve is similar to that of L. caesia with several rows of setae and the cucullus of L. gelida is slightly smaller. Th e female has a unique large rounded ovipositor lobe and a relatively short ductus bursae. Lasionycta gelida occurs with L. u. multicolor and L. caesia . Differences between L. gelida and these taxa are given under each of these species.

The CO1 sequences of the two males are identical. Th is haplotype differs by over 0.9 % from that of L. u. multicolor and by 1.8 % from that of L. caesia .

Description. Head – Antenna of male biserrate and fasciculate, 1.8–1.9× as wide as central shaft, individual segments triangular. Antenna of female filiform and ciliate. Dorsal antenna mostly charcoal gray, distal end of segments proximal part of antenna partially covered with yellow scales. Scape white. Eye normal size. Palpus covered with mostly cream and fewer gray scales. Frons cream hair-like scales centrally, gray laterally. Top of head a mixture of cream and gray hair-like scales, mostly cream in lighter specimens and gray in dark female holotype. Thorax – Vestiture cream and gray hair-like scales, proportion varying with darkness of specimen. Prothoracic collar gray anteriorly, cream apically. Legs light fuscous gray. Tarsal segments charcoal gray, ringed distally with white. Wings – Forewing length: male 14 mm (expanse 31 mm); female 16 mm (expanse 36 mm). Forewing ground color a mixture of slate- and charcoal-gray, pale bluish-white, and few luteous scales, appearing dark gray. Area proximal to antemedial line and distal to postmedial line heavily suffused with bluish-white scales, appearing powdery blue gray, less prominently than in L. caesia . Postmedial area distal to reniform spot and subterminal area adjacent to postmedial line lighter whitish gray. Basal, antemedial, medial, and postmedial lines dark gray. Basal and antemedial lines slightly irregular. Medial line faint, most evident near costa. Postmedial line scalloped between veins, gently excurved from costa to lower cell then oblique to posterior margin. Subterminal line pale, irregular, preceded by a patchy dark-gray shade. Terminal line charcoal gray, interrupted between veins. Spots dark gray. Orbicular spot variable, small, oval, filled with ground color in two specimens and evident as a pale streak in one. Reniform spot relatively small and thin, half-moon shaped, filled with gray similar to postmedial area. Claviform spot absent. Fringe luteous off-white, checkered with dark gray between veins. Ventral forewing uniform medium to dark gray, whitish gray from fold to posterior margin, suffused with light yellow along costa, near discal spot and in subterminal area. Discal spot chevron shaped, similar gray to central wing. Postmedial line similar gray, variable in prominence, evident near costa in female holotype and across entire wing in male paratypes. Marginal band slightly darker uniform gray, relatively sharply defined medially. Fringe luteous off-white, checkered with gray between veins. Dorsal hindwing ground whitish gray with slight dusting of gray scales, appearing much whiter than those of L. uniformis multicolor and L. caesia . Discal spot light gray, thin. Postmedial line variable, gray, evident only on veins in two specimens and as a wide ill defined line in one. Marginal band uniform dark gray with diffuse inner margin. Fringe uniform pale luteous off-white. Ventral hindwing pale luteous white with basal dusting of gray scales, appearing much paler than those of L. uniformis multicolor and L. caesia . Discal spot dark gray similar to central ventral forewing discal spot, chevron shaped. Postmedial line similar gray, variable in prominence, evident mostly on veins in female holotype and one male paratype and across wing as an ill defined wide line in third specimen. Marginal band relatively thin with distinct inner margin, uniform darker gray than discal spot and postmedial line. Fringe pale luteous off-white. Abdomen – Covered in uniform fuscous gray scales. Longer scales covering male genitalia slightly luteous gray. Male genitalia – (Fig. 176) Genital capsule and aedeagus as in L. leucocycla species-group and L. phoca sub-group descriptions. Valve approximately 6.5× as long as wide, with moderately constricted neck. Cucullus relatively small, with compound corona comprised of three irregular rows of setae at apex tapering to two rows toward ventral margin. Vesica with 3 basal cornuti (N = 2). Female genitalia – (Fig. 232) Abdominal segment VIII and bursa copulatrix generally as in L. leucocycla species-group and L. phoca sub-group descriptions. Ovipositor lobes large for genus and apically rounded. Ductus bursae relatively short. Bursa typical for species sub-group, slightly larger than that of L. caesia .

Distribution and biology. This species is known from three specimens from the British Columbia Coast Range. Craig Andrews collected the female holotype during the day while mountain climbing. Th e two males were taken at light in rocky tundra slightly above timberline. Collection dates are from late July to mid-August.