Lasionycta subfuscula subfuscula (Grote)

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 : 56-59

Lasionycta subfuscula subfuscula (Grote)

Figs 116–119, 161, 217. Map 12

Anarta subfuscula Grote, 1874b: 244 .

The nominate subspecies is medium gray to pale whitish gray. Th e dark medial area contrasts with the ground color in pale specimens and the pale-filled lines and spots are prominent in darker populations. Specimens from Utah are paler than those from Colorado and Wyoming with some populations being very light gray. Lasionycta s. subfuscula is less likely than L. s. livida to be confused with L. perplexa . Lasionycta s. subfuscula is found from the Wind River Mountains of Wyoming and southeastern Idaho to southern Colorado and Utah.

CO1 DNA suggests that a disjunct population on Steens Mountain in southeastern Oregon (haplotype SUB 5 in Fig. 248 ) belongs to this subspecies despite having a more uniform gray forewing than other populations. Th ree CO1 haplotypes differing by 1.3 % are in L. s. subfuscula , one in Colorado, one in Utah, and one in southeastern Oregon. Although most Utah specimens are paler than those from Colorado, there is enough overlap in phenotype that we consider these the same subspecies.

Lasionycta subfuscula livida Crabo & Lafontaine , ssp. n. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:4CC1F77E-699F-4C30-9E95-4FE56C4BB93A

Figs 120–122, 162, 218. Map 12

Type Material. Holotype ♁. USA, Washington, Kittitas Co, Quartz Mtn , 47.07° N 121.08° W, 1900 m., 25 July 2009, L. and E. Crabo. CNC . Paratypes 60 ♁, 52 ♀. USA. Washington. Same data as holotype (28 ♁, 6 ♀) ; Same locality as holotype, 14 July 1990, L. and A. Crabo (6 ♁, 11 ♀), 7 July 2005, L. G. Crabo (1 ♁, 1 ♀), 14 July 2005, L. Crabo and C. Coughlin (1 ♁, 1 ♀) ; Gnat Flat , 47.09° N 120.93° W, 1400 m., 15 July 1988, L. G. Crabo (1 ♁, 1 ♀) ; Lake Kachess , NF-4828, 47° 19.219' N 121° 15.46' W, 2700’, T. Mustelin, Blacklight trap, 1 July 2009 (2 ♀), 4 VII 2009 (1 ♁, 1 ♀), 10 July 2009 (2 ♀), 11 July 2009 (2 ♁, 2 ♀), 12 July 2009 (1 ♁), 14 July 2009 (1 ♀), 16 July 2009 (2 ♁, 1 ♀), 17–18 July, 2009 (1 ♀), 24–26 July 2009 (1 ♀) ; FR 54 near Stampede Pass , 47° 16' N 121° 19' W, 900 m., T. Mustelin, blacklight trap (1 ♀) ; Yakima Co., Bethel Ridge , 46.79° N 121.09° W, 1900 m., 29 July 1989, L. G. Crabo & J. P. Pelham (11 ♁, 14 ♀), 18 J uly 1997, L. G. Crabo (1 ♁, 2 ♀), 23 July 1997, L. G. Crabo (1 ♁), 2 Sept. 1997, L. G. Crabo (2 ♀), 5 July 2005, L. G. Crabo (2 ♁, 1 ♀), 12 July 2005, L. Crabo and C. Coughlin (2 ♁, 1 ♀). AMNH, CDFC, CNC, GBC, JSC, LGC, OSU, TMC, USNM, WSU .

Th e type series is restricted to Kittitas and Yakima Counties, Washington, USA.

Etymology. The name livida is derived from the Latin lividus meaning bluish or lead-colored and refers to the forewing color of this subspecies.

Diagnosis. Lasionycta subfuscula livida is more uniform dark gray than nominate subfuscula and has less conspicuous lines and spots. It occurs in the Pacific Northwest from southern British Columbia and Alberta to southwestern Oregon. Females of this subspecies are easily confused with those of L. perplexa and L. perplexella . Distinguishing features are given under these species.

Description. Head – Antenna of male strongly bipectinate and fasciculate, greater than 4× as wide as central shaft. Antenna of female filiform and ciliate. Dorsal segments mostly slate gray with few white scales proximally; mostly white with a few gray scales distally. Scape white, dorsal tuft brownish off-white to pale gray. Eye normal size. Palpus covered with equal mixture of gray and cream to predominantly slate-gray

scales. Frons whitish gray to gray centrally, dark gray laterally. Top of head covered with light-gray to white-tipped slate-gray hair-like scales. Thorax – Vestiture a mixture of hair-like and bifurcate white, black, and white-tipped light brownish-gray to slate-gray scales, appearing light gray to hoary dark gray. Prothoracic collar apex lightly banded with dark gray anteriorly and whitish gray posteriorly. Patagium dark gray to black peripherally. Posterior thorax with weak black-tipped tufts. Legs with mixture of brownish gray to slate gray and white scales. Tarsal segments slate gray ringed distally with white. Wings – Forewing length: male 15–17 mm (expanse 32–37 mm); female 16–18 mm (expanse 34–39 mm). Forewing ground color a mixture of leadgray, slightly brownish-gray, charcoal, white and pale-luteous scales, appearing mottled slightly bluish medium to dark gray. Basal, antemedial, and postmedial lines double, dark gray with slightly lighter gray filling, both components of each line strongest on costa. Basal line and antemedial line undulating, drawn inward on veins. Medial line dark gray, faint to moderately dark. Postmedial line scalloped between veins with prominent medial and very weak distal components, convex from costa to lower cell then oblique to posterior margin. Subterminal line pale, slightly luteous, irregular, preceded by prominent charcoal-gray shading forming chevrons between veins. Terminal line dark gray, strongest between veins. Spots dark gray to black. Orbicular spot slightly ovoid to eye shaped, filled with slightly paler gray scales and a dark central ocellus. Reniform spot moderately large, kidney or slightly figure-eight shaped with pale gray peripheral and dark-gray central filling. Claviform spot filled with ground color, variable in size, extending ½ to full distance between the antemedial and postmedial lines. Fringe with inner row of scales lighter gray medially and darker distally and outer row dark gray, weakly to strongly checkered with darker gray. Ventral forewing medium to dark gray, slightly lighter below fold, costa with mixture of white and charcoal scales, appearing hoary. Discal spot, postmedial line, and terminal line slightly darker. Fringe light gray, checkered with darker gray between veins. Dorsal hindwing fuscous gray, slightly darker distal to postmedial line and without a distinct marginal band. Discal spot faint. Postmedial line barely visible. Terminal line thin, dark gray. Fringe with proximal row of dark gray-tipped light brownish-gray scales and distal row of white scales. Ventral hindwing light fuscous gray with suffusion of medium-gray scales, appearing slightly lighter than ventral forewing. Discal spot dark gray, darker than postmedial line, variable in width, comma to semilunar in shape. Postmedial line gray, variable, incomplete, diffuse or scalloped, fainter than discal spot. Terminal line thin, dark gray. Fringe with proximal row of dark-tipped pale-gray scales and distal row of pale-gray scales. Abdomen – Covered with brownish medium-gray to mixture of dark-gray and brownish medium-gray scales. Dorsal tufts on proximal segments of white-tipped gray scales. Male genitalia – As for L. subfuscula sub-group description. Female genitalia – As for L. subfuscula sub-group description.

Distribution. Lasionycta s. livida is found in the Pacific Northwest from southwestern British Columbia and extreme southwestern Alberta to southern Oregon. It is common in transition zone conifer forest where it has been collected from mid June to early September.

Remarks. Two CO1 haplotypes differing by 0.8 % are in the southwestern British Columbia populations of L. s. livida, whereas only one of the haplotypes has been found in Washington. No consistent other differences were found to suggest that these DNA haplotypes represent separate species; however, the type series is restricted to Washington to avoid confusion.

Figures

Figure 248. Neighbor-joining CO1 tree of the North American Lasionycta leucocycla species-group. Symbols and codes are the same as in Fig. 247. No data is available for Lasionycta carolynae, L. illima, L. leucocycla hampa, L. macleani, L. mono, or L. uniformis handfieldi. The illustrated specimens demonstrate the variation in appearance of the species-group and are scaled to the same size.