Catocala caesia Hawks, 2010

Hawks, David, 2010, Review of the Catocala delilah species complex (Lepidoptera, Erebidae), ZooKeys 39 (39), pp. 13-35 : 19-21

Catocala caesia Hawks , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:1A145102-8285-440D-991A-46F5D37B3F4F

Figs 5, 6

Type material. Holotype ♁ (Fig. 5, PMNH specimen #ENT 721045): South Fork of Cave Creek, Chiricahua Mountains , Cochise County, Arizona, 28 May 1985, leg. D.

C. Hawks (FW length 23 mm). Allotype ♀ ( Fig. 6, PMNH specimen #ENT 721046): same locality as holotype, 21 May 1962, leg. L. M. Martin (FW length 25 mm). Paratypes (35 ♁ 34 ♀): 6 ♁ 15 ♀ from same locality as holotype late May to mid June, various years and collectors ; other localities: ARIZONA: Cochise County: Chiricahua Mountains , 7 km W of Portal (6 ♁ 4 ♀; early to mid-June) ; Chiricahua Mountains , Southwestern Research Station, 8 km W of Portal (3 ♁ 2 ♀; mid-June and early Sept.) ; Cochise County: Chiricahua Mountains , Sunny Flat Campground, 11–12 June 2007, M.L. Raschko (2 ♁) ; Dragoon Mountains , Cochise Stronghold (1 ♁; 8 June 1967) ; Huachuca Mountains , Ash Canyon (2 ♁; 13 Aug. 1967, 7 Oct. 1968) ; Huachuca Mountains , Carr Canyon (1 ♁; 27 Sept. 1967) ; Huachuca Mountains , Miller Canyon (1 ♁; 13 Oct. 1967) ; Huachuca Mountains , Ramsey Canyon (3 ♁; 15 July 1968, 25 July 1967, 13 Oct. 1967) ; Peloncillo Mountains , Cottonwood Canyon (2 ♁ 2 ♀; 31 May 1979; leg. P. M. Jump) ; Pima County: Santa Rita Mountains (1 ♁; June ). NEW MEXICO: Hidalgo County : Peloncillo Mountains , Clanton Draw (1 ♀; 6 June 1979, leg. P. M. Jump). MEXICO: CHIHUAHUA: Creel (7 ♁ 6 ♀; mid-July to late-August) ; Sierra del Nido , Arroyo del Mesteno (1 ♀; 21 July 1959) ; Madera , Cerro de la Concha, 29 July 2009, D.L. Wikle (3 ♀). Holotype and allotype deposited at PMNH, paratypes deposited at LACM and other USA museums as well as in private collections .

Diagnosis. Most closely related to C. frederici . Th e ventral surface of the forewing and both surfaces of the hindwing are nearly identical in C. caesia and C. frederici , although C. frederici tends to have paler yellow-orange scales and slightly narrower black bands. However, the upper surface of the forewing of C. frederici is an even grayish to nearly off-white color, and there are almost no black scales present; all lines are less distinct in C. frederici than in C. caesia . Th e forewings are usually browner in C. benjamini than in C. caesia , although the former also may have a bluish cast; the antemedial and postmedial lines are also more distinct in C. benjamini , and the subreniform is sometimes open. The hindwing upperside of C. benjamini is a duller orange and more brown scales are present at the base. On the wing undersides, C. benjamini always has substantial dusky suffusion, especially on the forewing, and the apex of the forewing is brown. Th e general appearance of C. caesia is also like C. desdemona , although C. caesia is smaller and can always be separated from C. desdemona by the uniform size of the teeth of the postmedial band, and by the pure pale yellowish-tan color of the ventral surfaces ( C. desdemona has a whitish shade along the costa of the forewing, and usually more dusky suffusion at the apex of the forewing underside).

Description. Head: eye dark brown; vertex and palpi covered with dark-brown and white scales; antenna 26–28 mm, brown dorsally, reddish brown ventrally. Thorax: patagia and tegulae mottled with white, tan, and dark-brown scales, patagia slightly darker; remainder of thorax covered dorsally by tan scales, especially posteriorly; ventrally covered by long thin off-white scales; tibiae clothed mainly with short, pale-tan scales, speckled with brown scales; mid-section of tibiae with brush of medium to long, straight, off-white and tan scales; tarsi pale tan, banded with dark brown. Abdomen: mostly orange, clothed with sparse, long, pale-tan scales, especially anteriorly; ventrally, pale, yellowish tan. Forewing: mean FW length 22.4 mm (males), 25.0 mm (females). Dorsal surface: patterns composed of black, dark brown, tan, and white scales, some scales iridescent bluish gray; basal line black, ending before meeting 2A; no basal dash; antemedial line and line basal to antemedial line black, blurred; reniform bluish gray and tan outlined indistinctly with black; subreniform closed, whitish or tan, to indistinct, narrowly outlined with black; postmedial line black, indistinct, all teeth between M1 and inner margin subequal in length; area between postmedial and subterminal lines more brownish especially between M2 and inner margin; subterminal line black, blurred, often only teeth near M1 and M2 obvious; terminal line inconspicuous, usually present only as a series of black dots mid-way between ends of veins; fringe brown. Overall appearance of the dorsal forewing is mottled bluish gray and black. Ventral surface: base of wing pale yellowish tan, blending with indistinct postbasal band of yellow and brown scales; antemedial band pale yellowish tan, edges indistinct; medial band black, widest between M2 and Cul, narrowing markedly between Cu and inner margin, occasionally disappearing before reaching inner margin; postmedial band pale yellowish tan; outer band black, often interrupted by pale yellowish tan along a fold between Cu and 2A. Apex pale yellowish tan, blending smoothly with pale yellowish-tan marginal band; fringe pale yellowish tan with a few black scales at end of each vein. Hindwing: dorsal surface: basal area, postmedial band, apical spot, and fringe yellow orange; basal area with a few brown scales; inner band black, usually thin (3–4 mm at widest point); short hook usually apparent just anterior to anal spot; outer band black; anal spot nearly always separated from outer band by 2–3 mm; apical spot large, squared; fringe varyingly checkered with black scales originating from near ends of M1 to 2A. Ventral surface: basal area, postmedial band, apical spot, and fringe pale yellowish tan, a little brighter than ventral forewing; inner band black, distinctly narrower than on dorsal surface; outer band black, often connected with anal spot by thin array of black scales; apical spot sharply defined, squared, although occasionally blending with pale yellowish-tan marginal band when band wider than just width of fringe; fringe usually pure pale yellowish tan. Overall, there is no pronounced sexual dimorphism in C. caesia .

Etymology. The adjectival name caesia is based on the Latin root caesi, referring to the bluish-gray color of the forewing. Th e “Bluish-gray Underwing” is suggested as a vernacular name.

Distribution and biology. The range of C. caesia is limited to the mountains of southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico, and southward through the Sierra Madre Occidental in Chihuahua. Catocala caesia is sympatric with its closest relative, C. frederici , in the Chiricahua and Huachuca Mountains of Cochise County, Arizona. In collections, C. caesia has usually been identified as C. benjamini , and these two species have likely also been conflated in the literature. Some paratypes of C. benjamini may actually be C. caesia because Brower’s (1937) original description of C. benjamini lists paratypes from the Huachuca Mountains (the author has seen more specimens of C. caesia than C. benjamini in the Huachuca Mountains). Fortunately, the type locality of C. benjamini is Mojave County, Arizona, which is not within the range of C. caesia . Adults fly from late May to October, although late emerging individuals are much less common than are those from May to July. Several species of oaks are present at each of the known collecting localities.