Ufeus felsensteini Lafontaine & Walsh

Lafontaine, J. Donald & Walsh, J. Bruce, 2013, A revision of the genus Ufeus Grote with the description of a new species from Arizona (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Xylenini, Ufeina), ZooKeys 264, pp. 193-207 : 200-201

Ufeus felsensteini Lafontaine & Walsh n. sp. Figs 11, 121823

Type material.

Holotype ♂. Arizona, Pima Co., Santa Catalina Mts, Bear Wallow Road, 8000', uv light trap, 18 May 2003, B. Walsh. CNC. Paratypes: 1 ♂, 3 ♀. Arizona, Pima Co., Santa Catalina Mts, Bear Wallow Road, 7800', uv lights, pine forest, 21 May 2005, B. Walsh (1 ♂); USA, Arizona, Pima Co., Santa Catalina Mts, mile 5.5 Mt. Lemmon Hwy, 4400', uv light trap, riparian/blue oak woodland, 16 Jan. 2005, B. Walsh (1 ♀); USA, Arizona, Pima Co., Santa Catalina Mts, Molino Canyon, 4,100', mile 4.5 Mt Lemmon Hwy, uv light trap, riparian habitat, 1 Jan. 2012, B. Walsh (1 ♀); USA, Arizona, O. Bryant (1 ♀). Paratypes deposited in CNC, JBW.

Etymology.

The species name is in honor of Professor Joseph Felsenstein, who pioneered modern statistical methods in the reconstruction of phylogenies.

Diagnosis.

Ufeus felsensteini can be recognized by the reddish-brown forewing with the maculation obscure except for a prominent black dash from the wing base to the reniform spot, then continuing below the reniform spot to, or slightly past, the postmedial line, and by the translucent hindwing with a pearly-pinkish sheen. It is most closely related to Ufeus hulstii , both species having similar male and female genitalia, but in Ufeus felsensteini there is a cluster of long spike-like setae on the subbasal diverticulum of the vesica, not just on the two subapical diverticula as in Ufeus hulstii , and the uncus lacks the preapical dorsal lobe found in Ufeus hulstii . The female genitalia of Ufeus felsensteini have much more extensive rugose sclerotized banding than in other species, extending over the posterior part of the corpus bursae, appendix bursae, and anterior part of the ductus bursae.

Description.

Adults. Male and female similar in size, color, and maculation. Forewing length: 19-21 mm. Head - Male and female antennae with individual segments very slightly constricted between segments; minutely setose ventrally. Palpi and head mainly covered with reddish-brown scales, but with blackish-brown scales on frons and scattered blackish-brown scales on palpi. Thorax– Covered with reddish-brown scales; without tufting. Legs: Covered with pale reddish-brown scales with scattered dark-gray scales, especially on outer side of tibiae. Distal half of middle and hind tibia with 5-8 spiniform setae. Tarsi with three ventral rows of spiniform setae on basal half of basitarsus, increasing to four rows on apical half; 2 nd– 4th tarsi with four ventral rows of spiniform setae, five rows on 5th segment. Wings: Dorsal forewing reddish brown with maculation obscure except for slightly paler antemedial and postmedial lines, the former lined distally with black, and the latter slightly dentate and lined proximally with black; wing with an increasingly wide black streak extending from wing base to reniform spot, then continuing below reniform spot to, or slightly beyond, postmedial line; reniform and orbicular spots indicated by minute paler spots within dark forewing dash; terminal line concolorous with forewing, or with slight black wedge-shaped spots between veins. Fringe slightly checkered, with dark intervenal spots continuing on to fringe. Hindwing translucent white with a slight pearly-pink sheen; slightly darker fuscous shading on discal spot, wing margin, and fringe. Male genitalia - Uncus dorso-ventrally flattened, gradually tapering from base to apex with heavily-sclerotized, downward projecting plate at apex with pointed tip. Valve abruptly tapered from base, then apical half parallel-sided with rounded apex; corona and digitus absent; sacculus extending almost to middle of valve; clasper in middle of valve beyond sacculus with base forked, extending to ventral margin of valve and dorsal margin of sacculus; distal to base of clasper slightly tapered, but expanded and spatulate apically. Aedeagus about 6 × as long as wide with ventral extension at apex; vesica cylindrical with three diverticula each with a cluster of long spine-like cornuti, one subbasally with longest, stoutest cornuti, one preapically on outside with shorter, thinner cornuti, and one on inner side at apex with shortest, thinnest cornuti. Female genitalia - Corpus bursae bilobed, shaped like Figure 8, anterior lobe membranous, rounded; posterior lobe with diverticulum to right, and posterior extension leading to ductus bursae rugose, covered with twisted sclerotized bands. Ductus bursae about 0.15 × as long as corpus bursae with slightly tapered sclerotized plate in posterior half of ductus.

Distribution and biology.

Ufeus felsensteini is known only from the Santa Catalina Mountains of southeastern Arizona. The life history probably is similar to those of the other species of Ufeus with larvae associated with large cottonwoods; adults emerge in the spring and overwinter, mainly flying during the winter months.