Bleptina flavivena Troubridge

Troubridge, J. T., 2020, A new genus and 37 new noctuoid species from peninsular Florida and the Keys (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea), Insecta Mundi 2020 (789), pp. 1-56 : 4-5

Bleptina flavivena Troubridge , new species

( Fig. 2a, 2b , 55 , 107 )

BIN: BOLD:AAI8821

Diagnosis. Bleptina flavivena is most closely related to Bleptina verticalis , described below, and is distinguished from it by the dark gray-brown wing color of B. verticalis , versus the light brown color of B. flavivena . Externally, B. flavivena , and B. hydrillalis Guenée , (described from Haiti and extralimital to the US) look almost identical. Among other differences in male and female genitalia, B. flavivena can be distinguished from both B. verticalis and B. hydrillalis by the male valves, which are symmetrical in B. verticalis and asymmetrical in the other two species.

Description. Antennae filiform, ciliate; head, vertex, thorax, and abdomen beige with scattered black scales; tuft of black and beige scales on terminal segment of labial palps. Dorsal forewing (both sexes). Forewing length 10–11 mm. Ground color light brown with scattered black and darker brown scales, especially between the postmedial line and the outer margin; thin basal line light beige, bordered basally with brown scales, extends perpendicular to posterior margin; straight antemedial line light beige, bordered distally with brown scales extends perpendicular to posterior margin before bending basally at costa; postmedial line light beige, thinly bordered basally with brown scales, bends basally to costa above reniform spot; light beige submarginal line bends distally into cell M3; tiny orbicular spot black or ochre; reniform spot shaped like an inverted comma, either solid black or ochre, with a black dot in center; terminal line a series of brown spots between veins; fringe brown; all forewing veins lightly highlighted with ochre scales. Dorsal hindwing. Ground color beige, lightly suffused with dark brown scales basally, becoming solid dark gray brown in postmedial area; obscure discal lunule brown; terminal line a series of dark-brown crescents between veins; fringe with scattered dark-brown and light-gray scales. Male genitalia ( Fig. 55 ). Valves symmetrical, long, and relatively narrow, sacculus bulging ventrally at base of valve; apex drawn dorsally to a sharp point, the valve otherwise unarmed. Uncus long, curved downward, swollen in mid section with pointed tip. Vesica with small, scobinate, bulbous basal section that is drawn to form a long process that narrows toward tip; an elongate ventral diverticulum leads to ductus seminalis. Female genitalia ( Fig. 107 ). Ovipositor lobes setose, extending slightly distally at apex; ostium bursae scobinate; short, membranous ductus bursae terminates at bulbous part of appendix bursae from which a coiled diverticulum narrows to ductus seminalis; posterior corpus bursae a long, narrow tube connecting bulbous anterior section of corpus bursae to appendix bursae; this tube with many ridged sclerites extending its entire length, terminating in a concave, scobinate disc on ventral side of corpus bursae; anterior section of corpus bursae encircled by a narrow sclerite, from which about 14 short, knife-like cornuti extend into the corpus bursae.

Type material. Holotype male: USA: Florida, Collier Co.: Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park , 25.98°N, 81.39°W, 27.Mar.2017, J. Troubridge, in the CNC . Paratypes: 26♂, 32♀: Florida: Alachua Co.: Gainesville, Hull Road , 29.636°N 82.371°W, 25.Feb.2015, J. Hayden, 1♀ ( FSCA) ; Gainesville, 2832 NW 41st Place , 29.692°N, 82.365°W, UV light, 20.May.2020, J. Hayden, slide MGCL 5847 , 1♂ ; same data, 26.Mar.2020, 1♂ ; 14.Jun.2020, 1♀ ; 15.Jun.2020, 2♂ ( FSCA) ; Collier Co.: Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park , 25.98°N, 81.39°W, 23.Mar.2012, 1♀ ; 28.Feb.2012, 1♀ ; 25.98°N, 81.41°W, 25.Feb.2015, 4♀; 23.Mar.2015, 2♀ ; 23.Mar.2014, 2♀; 2.Feb.2013, 1♂ 2♀; 21.Feb.2014, 5♂ 3♀; 11.Nov.2014; 1♂, all J. Troubridge ; Desoto Co.: Nocatee , 27°10.07′N, 81°54.63′W, 3.May.2013, 3♀ ; 16.Apr.2012, 2♂, 1♀ all J. Troubridge ; Manatee Co.: Oneco , 4.Jun.1954, P. Dillman, 1♂ ( FSCA) ; Bradenton, Gulf Coast Exp. Sta. , 24.Mar.1955, E.G. Kelsheimer, 1♂ ( FSCA) ; Okeechobee Co.: Kissimmee Prairie , 27.584°N, 81.044°W, 13.Mar.2013, 1♀ ; 10.Jan.2013, 1♀ ; 5.Feb.20132, 1♀, all J. Troubridge; Sarasota Co.: North Port , 27.040°N, 82.069°W, 28.Nov.2012, 1♀ ; 7.Nov.2012, 2♂ ; 6.Nov.2013, 1♂, 1♀; 26.Nov.2012, 2♂; 13.Nov.2014, 1♂; 3.Dec.2013, 1♂, 2♀; 15.Nov.2017, 1♀; 4.Dec.2012, 1♂, 1♀, all J. Troubridge. 23.May.1946, C.P. Kimball, 1♂ ( FSCA) ; Siesta Key , 2.May.1953 and 12.Feb.1960, C.P. Kimball, slides MGCL 4058 , 4059 , 1♂, 1♀ ( FSCA) ; Seminole Co.: Geneva , 28.723°N, 81.086°W, 8.Feb.2017, J.M. Krok, slide MGCL 4055 , 1♀ ( FSCA) ; Volusia Co.: Cassadaga , 16.Feb.1956, S. V. Fuller, 1♂ ( FSCA) .

Etymology. From Latin, flavivena refers to yellowish scales that highlight the forewing veins of this species.

Distribution. This species is known from peninsular Florida.

Figures

Figures 1–12. Adults. 1a) Bleptina biformata ♂, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 1b) Bleptina biformata ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 1c) Bleptina biformata ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 2a) Bleptina flavivena ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 2b) Bleptina flavivena ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 3) Bleptina caradrinalis ♂, Ocala, FL. 4a) Bleptina verticalis ♂, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 4b) Bleptina verticalis ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 5a) Bleptina extincta ♂, paratype, Monroe County, FL.5b) Bleptina extincta ♀, paratype, Monroe County, FL.6) Bleptina araealis ♂, Andros, Bahamas. 7a–c) Toxonprucha killamae ♀ variation, paratypes, Bahia Honda, FL. 8a) Lascoria coma ♂, paratype, North Port, FL. 8b) Lascoria coma ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 9) Lascoria orneodalis ♂, Key Largo, FL. 10) Metalectra dixoni ♂, paratype, Florida City, FL. 11) Metalectra nigrior ♂, paratype, North Port, FL. 12a) Janzena pyraliformis ♂, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. 12b) Janzena pyraliformis, Mayagüez, PR, showing hood.

Figures 55–60. Male genitalia. 55) Bleptina flavivena, paratype, North Port, FL. 56) Bleptina caradrinalis, North Port, FL. 57) Bleptina biformata, paratype, Bahia Honda, FL. 58) Bleptina extincta, holotype, Miami-Dade County, FL. 59) Bleptina araealis, Andros, Bahamas. 60) Bleptina verticalis, paratype, Key Largo, FL.

Figures 105–113. Female genitalia. 105) Bleptina biformata, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 106) Bleptina extincta, paratype, Miami-Dade County, FL. 107) Bleptina flavivena, paratype, Collier County, FL. 108) Bleptina verticalis, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 109) Janzena pyraliformis, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. 110) Lascoria coma, paratype, North Port, FL. 111) Lascoria orneodalis, Key Largo, FL. 112) Lascoria ambigualis, Highlands County, FL. 113) Lascoria alucitalis, Key Largo, FL.