Lasionycta subalpina 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 : 53-55

Lasionycta subalpina Crabo & Lafontaine , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:65270BB7-028C-4339-898E-AA8297244034

Figs 113–115, 160, 216. Map 11

Type material. Holotype ♁. USA, Utah, Summit County, Bald Mountain Pass, 40.686-[40].698° N 110.889-[110].906° W, 10700’, 22 July 2006, L. G. Crabo.

CNC. Paratypes 30 ♁, 1 ♀. USA. Utah. Summit County: Same data as holotype (25 ♁) ; Sanpete County, Ephraim, 8 mi. E., 39.317-[39].337° N 111.448-[111].470° W, 10700’, 22 July 2006, L. G. Crabo (2 ♁) . Wyoming. [Fremont County], Dubois, pine forest, 2600 m., 5 July 1992, ad luc., Kauri Mikkola (1 ♁), 6 July 1992 (1 ♁, 1 ♀), 9 July 1992 (1 ♁). AMNH, CDFC, CNC, GBC, LGC, MZHF, OSU, TMC, USNM, WSU .

Etymology. The name subalpina refers to the habitat where this species is most common.

Diagnosis. Lasionycta subalpina is similar to L. perplexella , which it replaces in the central Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada. Th e ventral hindwing of L. subalpina is medium brown gray similar to the ventral forewing with a relatively inconspicuous discal spot. The ventral hindwings of L. perplexa and L. perplexella are light gray, lighter than the ventral forewing, and have a darker discal spot. In practice, L. subalpina and L. perplexella are sorted most easily by locality because L. subalpina occurs south of the range of L. perplexella . Lasionycta subalpina occurs with L. perplexa . Th e antenna, biserrate in L. subalpina and bipectinate in L. perplexa , differentiates males of these two species where they occur together. Also, L. subalpina is smaller and darker than L. perplexa , but females are best sorted by the ventral appearance, given above. A few specimens of L. benjamini medaminosa resemble L. subalpina . Differences between their hindwings are described under L. b. medaminosa.

The genitalia of both sexes of L. subalpina are indistinguishable from those of L. perplexella . Differences between them and L. perplexa are described under L. perplexella .

The CO1 sequences of L. subalpina differ by over 2.6 % from those of L. perplexa and L. perplexella , a large distance for the genus Lasionycta , and form a relatively distinct segregate on the DNA tree. CO1 haplotypes of L. subalpina populations from northwestern Wyoming differ from those in the Snowy Range, southeastern Wyoming, by 0.93 %. Other L. subalpina populations from Colorado, Utah, and California have not been sequenced.

Description. Head – Antenna of male biserrate and fasciculate with triangular segments, 1.9–2.1× as wide as central shaft. Antenna of female filiform and ciliate. Dorsal segments dark gray proximally, white distally. Scape white, dorsal tuft of scales brownish gray. Eye normal size. Palpus covered with brownish gray, slate gray, and white scales. Frons with equal mixture of white and slate gray hair-like scales. Top of head of slate gray, white-tipped gray, and white scales, darker gray anteriorly and lighter posteriorly. Thorax – Vestiture white-tipped dark-gray scales, appearing nearly uniform pencil-lead gray. Legs, including tarsi, covered with slate gray and fewer white scales, distal tarsal segments ringed with white. Wings – Forewing length: male 13–15 mm (expanse 29–33 mm); female 13–16 mm (expanse 30–35 mm). Ground color of forewing a mixture of slightly brownish medium-gray, darker slate-gray scales, and fewer white and luteous scales, appearing slightly hoary mottled brownish gray. Basal, antemedial, and postmedial lines double, dark-gray with lighter gray filling. Basal and antemedial lines uneven. Medial line slightly darker gray than ground, barely evident except near costa. Postmedial line scalloped between veins, broadly convex from costa to bottom of cell, then nearly straight to posterior margin. Subterminal line pale whitish gray, irregular, preceded by darker gray shade forming chevrons between veins in some specimens, usually less dark and contrasting than in L. perplexella . Spots dark gray. Orbicular spot round or weakly ovoid, filled with pale gray similar to filling of reniform peripherally and dark gray centrally. Reniform spot weakly kidney shaped, similar in conspicuousness to orbicular spot, filled with peripheral pale gray and central dark gray. Claviform spot filled with ground color, variable in size extending ⅓ to ½ distance from antemedial line to postmedial line. Fringe weakly checkered medium and dark gray. Ventral forewing nearly uniform gray except lighter along posterior margin and costa with mixture of dark-gray and white scales. Discal spot usually absent, weakly evident in a few specimens. Postmedial line incomplete, evident only near costa. Fringe gray, weakly checkered. Dorsal hindwing uniform slightly brownish gray, unmarked or with faint discal spot and postmedial line in a few specimens. Hindwing fringe two-toned, dark gray basally and light gray distally. Ventral hindwing with nearly equal mixture of whitish gray and gray scales, appearing hoary but otherwise similar to ventral forewing color to naked eye. Discal spot round to ovoid, only slightly darker gray than postmedial line. Postmedial line gray, undulating. Marginal area similar to remainder of hindwing. Fringe similar to remainder of ventral hindwing or slightly lighter gray, weakly checkered in some specimens. Abdomen – Mixture of slightly brownish light-gray and dark-gray scales. Dorsal tuft of white-tipped dark-gray scales. Male genitalia – Male genitalia indistinguishable from those of L. perplexella . Female genitalia – Female genitalia indistinguishable from those of L. perplexella .

Distribution and biology. Lasionycta subalpina occurs from southern Idaho and the Beartooth Plateau on the Montana-Wyoming border to Colorado and central Utah as well as in the Sierra Nevada of California. It is most common in subalpine forests, on average at higher elevations than L. perplexa , but also occurs in mid-elevation pine forests with L. perplexa . Adults are nocturnal and come to light. It has been collected from mid-July through August.