Lasionycta pulverea 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 : 87-89

Lasionycta pulverea Crabo & Lafontaine , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:B97208CB-F906-49B7-9646-C1CEAEF1ADE2

Figs 90–93, 180, 235. Map 20

Type material. Holotype ♁. Canada, Alberta, Blairmore , 5 July 1918, K. Bowman. CNC . Paratypes 30 ♁, 5 ♀. Canada. Alberta. Hailstone Butte, [50° 12' N 114° 26' W, 6500’], Kananaskis Country, 13 July 1995, J. Troubridge, Databased for CNC, Noctuoidea # 10526, Barcodes of Life Project , University of Guelph , DNA # Noctuoidea 10526 (1 ♁), 14 July 1990, J. Troubridge (1 ♀), 19 July 1993, J. Troubridge (1 ♁), 19 July 1993, J. Troubridge, Databased for CNC, Noctuoidea # 10524, Barcodes of Life Project , University of Guelph , DNA # Noctuoidea 10524 (1 ♁), 24 July 1994, J. Troubridge (7 ♁), 24 July 1994, L. Crabo and J. Troubridge (5 ♁), 25 July 1998, J. Troubridge (4 ♁, 1 ♀), 25 July 1998, J. Troubridge, Databased for CNC, Noctuoidea # 10525/ Barcodes of Life Project , University of Guelph , DNA # Noctuoidea 10525 (1 ♁), 18 July 2006, L. G. Crabo (6 ♁, 2 ♀) ; Lethbridge , 20 June 1926, H. L. Seamans (1 ♀) ; Nordegg , 19 July 1917 [no collector] (1 ♁). AMNH, CNC, LGC, UASM, USNM .

Etymology. The name is derived from the Latin pulvereus meaning dusty. It refers to the powdery appearance of the wings of the moth.

Diagnosis. Lasionycta pulverea is a yellow-brown species from southwestern Alberta. It resembles L. macleani and has a similar ocellate orbicular spot and a two-toned dorsal hindwing, but the hindwing discal spots are thinner on both sides. The male genitalia are typical for the sub-group with a slender valve and small cucullus, although the vesica has only zero to one cornuti. Th e appendix bursae of L. pulverea is relatively bulbous. The male antenna is bipectinate with slender branches and is wider than those of other L. promulsa or L. phoca sub-group species (3.7× central shaft). Lasionycta pulverea occurs with L. promulsa from which it is distinguished by the longer and thinner discal spot and wider male antenna.

Th e CO1 sequence of L. pulverea is most similar to that of L. sierra sp. n.

Description. Head – Antenna of male bipectinate and fasciculate, 3.7× as wide as central shaft. Antenna of female filiform and ciliate. Dorsal segments covered with light gray-brown scales. Scape and tuft white with a few gray scales. Eye normal size. Palpus pale luteous with a few gray scales. Frons cream centrally, a few gray scales laterally. Top of head a mixture of cream and black-tipped cream scales, appearing brownish gray. Thorax – Vestiture similar to top of head. Legs covered with slategray and luteous scales. Tarsal segments slate gray, ringed distally with luteous scales. Wings – Forewing length: males 12–15 mm (expanse 29–34 mm); females 14–15 mm (expanse 32 mm). Forewing ground color a mixture of gray-brown, whitish-gray, and tan scales, appearing powdery gray brown with a slight yellow cast, slightly darker gray near costa and in terminal area. Lines gray, single, normally distinct but very faint in a few specimens. Basal and antemedial lines undulating. Medial line faint, most evident at costa, absent in cell, and barely visible below cell. Postmedial line moderately scalloped between veins, broadly convex from costa to lower end of cell then oblique to posterior margin. Subterminal line irregular, pale luteous, preceded by a uniform light-gray shade. Terminal line gray, interrupted at veins. Spots gray. Orbicular spot round, filled with ground color or whitish-gray scales and a gray central ocellus. Reniform spot prominently concave laterally, filled with ground color peripherally and gray centrally. Claviform spot absent. Fringe ground color, slightly checkered with gray between veins. Ventral forewing brownish gray off-white, palest near posterior margin, suffused with gray scales in terminal area and lightly on veins in a few specimens. Costa a mixture of pale yellow-brown and gray scales. Discal spot dark gray, comma shaped. Postmedial line faint, relatively wide and ill defined. Fringe pale yellow brown, weakly checkered with light gray between veins. Dorsal hindwing light yellow brown or gray brown. Discal spot dark gray, comma shaped. Postmedial line lighter gray than discal spot, darkest posterior to discal spot, nearly straight across wing and touching posterior discal spot. Marginal band broad with moderately well-defined inner margin, slightly lighter gray than discal spot. Fringe gray brown basally, luteous white distally. Ventral hindwing light yellow brown to gray brown, lighter than ventral forewing. Discal spot dark gray, slightly darker than forewing discal spot, asymmetrical, chevron shaped with longer posterior extension than anterior one. Postmedial line gray, faint, indistinct. Marginal band gray, suffused with ground color, ill-defined inner margin. Fringe pale luteous and light gray basally, white distally. Abdomen – Covered by a mixture of pale brownish-gray and light- to dark-gray scales. Male genitalia – (Fig. 180) Genital capsule and aedeagus generally as in the L. leucocycla species-group and L. promulsa sub-group descriptions. Valve approximately 6.5–7.5× as long as wide, with a weak neck and relatively small cucullus. Corona mainly single, partially double at apex. Vesica with 0–1 basal cornuti. Female genitalia – (Fig. 235) Ovipositor lobe, segment VIII, and bursa copulatrix as in L. leucocycla species-group and L. promulsa sub-group descriptions. Appendix bursae relatively large, expanded at base.

Distribution and biology. Lasionycta pulverea has a restricted range in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Alberta from Nordegg to Blairmore, with a single specimen in the CNC from Lethbridge. It is most common in subalpine parkland and is nocturnal. Specimens have been collected between early and mid-July.