Lasionycta conjugata (Smith)

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

Lasionycta conjugata (Smith)

Figs 10, 141, 199. Map 3

Scotogramma conjugata Smith, 1899: 41 .

Lasionycta conjugata ; McDunnough 1938: 71.

Type material. Lectotype ♁ [ USNM, examined]. Type locality: Garfi eld County, Colorado, [ USA]. Th e lectotype was designated by Todd (1982: 54).

Diagnosis. Lasionycta conjugata has a pale-gray forewing with jet-black lines, spots, and bars between the claviform spot and postmedial line and orbicular and reniform spots. It occurs to the south of the range of L. fergusoni . Th is species is similar but its forewing is darker blue gray and lacks the black bars. Th e antennal segments of L. conjugata are triangular whereas those of L. fergusoni are T-shaped with narrow distal segments. The flange of the digitus is less prominent in L. conjugata than in L. fergusoni . Th e female genitalia are similar.

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

Distribution and biology. Lasionycta conjugata occurs in the Rocky Mountains from central Utah and Colorado north to the Beartooth Plateau on the Montana-Wyoming border. It flies in subalpine forests and is nocturnal. Adults have been collected from early July to late August.