Lasionycta fergusoni 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 : 18-20

Lasionycta fergusoni Crabo & Lafontaine , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6B735C88-839A-4E0A-8EF7-BEF5B00029AB

Figs 11, 142, 200. Map 3

Type material. Holotype ♁: Canada, British Columbia, Pavilion Mtn , 6860’, 50° 58' N 121° 41' W, 30 July 2000, Troubridge and Hensel. CNC . Paratypes: 41 ♁, 17 ♀. Canada, British Columbia. Same data as holotype (3 ♁, 2 ♀) ; Watch Peak , 8000[-8200]’, 2 km N Panorama, [50° 28' N 116° 18' W], 23 July 1994, L. Crabo and J. Troubridge (2 ♀), 16–17 Aug. 1996, J. Troubridge (5 ♁), 24 July 1998, J. Troubridge (1 ♀) ; Mission Ridge , 50.76-[50.7] 7° N 122.16-[122]. 20° W, 6000’, 15–16

July 1994, L. Crabo and J. Troubridge (5 ♁, 1 ♀) ; Coast Range, Gott Pk , 50.36° N 122.14° W, 7100’, L. G. Crabo (1 ♁) ; Fraser Cyn, Kirby Flat Rd , 50.596° N 121.719° W, 3700’, 19 June 1999, L. G. and A. G. Crabo (1 ♁) ; Washington. Okanogan- Whatcom County line, Slate Peak , 48.73-[48]. 74° N 120–66-[120]. 67° W, 6800– 7320’, L. G. Crabo, 8 July 1988 (1 ♁), 13 July 2005 (1 ♁) ; Pend Oreille County, Monumental Mtn , 48.67° N 117.18° W, 5700’, 23 June 2004, L. G. and E. K. Crabo (10 ♁, 5 ♀) ; Salmo Mtn , 48.86-[48]. 95° N 117.08-[117]. 10° W, 5860–6830’, 17 July 2007, L. G. Crabo (5 ♁, 1 ♀) ; Stevens County, Chewelah Mt. , 48.26-[48]. 29° N 117.56-[117]. 58° W, 4400–5100’, 22 June 2004, L. G. and E. K. Crabo (3 ♁, 3 ♀) ; Whatcom County, Harts Pass , 48.73° N 120.66° W, 1950 m., 2 Aug. 1991, L. G. Crabo (2 ♁, 2 ♀) ; Yakima County, Bethel Ridge, 46.79° N 121.09° W, 1900 m., L. G. Crabo, 18 July 1997 (2 ♁), 23 July 1997 (1 ♁). AMNH, CDFC, CNC, GBC, JSC, LGC, OSU, TMC, UASM, USNM, WSU. Th e type series is restricted to British Columbia and Washington State .

Etymology. We take pleasure in naming this species after the late Douglas C. Ferguson. Doug had a keen interest in Lasionycta and recognized that this species was distinct from L. conjugata .

Diagnosis. Lasionycta fergusoni is similar to L. conjugata and has been confused with it for years. Lasionycta fergusoni is dark blue gray with a large orbicular spot that touches the reniform spot without an intervening black bar. Differences in the male antennal segments and genitalia between these species are described under L. conjugata . Th e species can also be separated by locality since L. fergusoni occurs north of the range of L. conjugata .

Th e CO1 sequences of L. fergusoni and L. conjugata differ by at least 1.7 %.

Description. Head – Antenna of male bipectinate and fasciculate, 2× as wide as central shaft, individual segments T-shaped with narrow distal segments oriented at right angle to shaft. Antenna of female filiform and ciliate. Dorsal antenna white with a few black scales. Scape white. Eye size normal. Palpus covered with pencil-lead and a few white scales. Frons with white and black hair-like scales anteriorly, black scales superiorly, appearing gray with a transverse black bar between eyes. Top of head white anteriorly, gray superiorly. Thorax – Vestiture a mixture of gray hair-like and white-tipped black bifurcated scales, appearing gray ventrally and hoary charcoal gray dorsally. Anterior prothoracic collar with a thick black stripe. Patagium gray with faint black at medial and posterior margins. Legs gray with distal tarsal segments ringed with white. Wings – Forewing length: males 12–17 mm (expanse 32–36 mm); females 15–18 mm (expanse 32–37 mm). Forewing ground color a nearly equal mixture of pencil-lead gray and white scales, appearing dark blue gray with slightly darker medial area. Basal line black, thin, undulating. Antemedial line black, single, slightly darker than postmedial line, excurved at claviform spot and posterior margin. Postmedial line single, black, scalloped between veins, broadly convex opposite cell and concave in fold, with slightly paler gray distal to line. Subterminal line pale and inconspicuous. Reniform and orbicular spots black, thin, filled with uniform gray slightly lighter than ground color. Orbicular spot elongate, oval, touching antemedial line and closely ap- proaching or touching reniform spot without an intervening black bar. Reniform spot moderately large, weakly kidney shaped, with superior aspect extending toward apex. Claviform spot black, filled with ground color, extending from antemedial line to postmedial line without forming a black bar. Fringe gray with pale scales at veins, appearing slightly checkered. Ventral forewing nearly uniform dark gray, with diffuse dark postmedial line evident at costal margin and in cell. Fringe light gray, checkered darker gray between veins. Dorsal hindwing uniform medium-dark gray, with very faintly darker postmedial line and marginal area. Hindwing fringe two-toned with mottled gray proximal and light-gray distal components. Ventral hindwing with white scales with an even dusting of dark-gray scales, appearing hoary medium-gray, lighter than ventral forewing. A dark-gray basal dash present in some specimens. Discal spot dark gray, ovoid. Postmedial line similar to discal spot in color and intensity, gently undulating. Marginal band absent. Fringe slightly mottled light gray. Abdomen – Similar gray to dorsal hindwing. Male genitalia – (Fig. 142). Uncus flattened, ovate, with small distal hook. Valve 6× as long as wide. Sacculus 0.3× valve length, costal lobe extending above dorsal margin. Digitus heavily sclerotized, oriented perpendicular to valve, with subbasal semicircular flange with pointed projections like half a machine cog, distal portion curved distad, pointed. Cucullus 2× valve width, corona single. Aedeagus 5× as long as wide, tube shaped. Vesica 1.5× as long as aedeagus, shape as in species-group description, with 3–4 large crenulate dome-shaped cornuti with a short pointed central process, distal spines forming an irregular patch of relatively short cornuti oriented perpendicular to axis of vesica. Female genitalia – (Fig. 200). Ovipositor lobes with slight distal point, covered in long hair-like setae. Abdominal segment VIII 0.5× as long as wide, anterior apophysis 0.8× and posterior apophysis 1.2× length of abdominal segment VIII. Ductus bursae 0.7× corpus bursae length, ovoid and dorsoventrally flattened in cross-section, anterior portion rugose, slightly flattened and prominently expanded toward right adjacent to attachment to corpus bursae. Corpus bursae ovoid, bearing elongate signa on ventral, dorsal, and left surfaces. Appendix bursae shape as in species-group description, relatively bulbous.

Distribution and biology. Lasionycta fergusoni occurs from the southern Washington Cascades through British Columbia and Alberta to southern Yukon. It flies in subalpine forest and is nocturnal. Adults have been collected from late June to mid-August.