Zale intenta Schmidt 2010, stat. rev.
Creators: name: Schmidt, Christian
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2010
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuidae
Zale
Zale intenta

description: <i>Zale intenta</i> (Walker), stat. rev. Figs 1–4 <i>Homoptera intenta</i> Walker, [1858]: 1070. <i>Homoptera woodii</i> Grote, 1877: 88. ‡ <i>Zale calycanthata</i> ab. <i>dealbata</i> Strand, 1916. unavailable. <i>Zale lunifera</i> of authors, not (Hübner, 1818). <i>Homoptera cingulifera</i>; Holland 1913: pl. XXXVII f. 17. <i>Zale lunifera</i>; Handfield 1999: p. 71 f. 8713; Rockburn &amp; Lafontaine 1976: 144, fig. 551. <b>Figures Ι–8.</b> Comparison of adult <i>Zale intenta</i> and <i>Zale lunifera</i>. <b>Ι</b> <i>Z. intenta</i>, Edmunston, NB <b>2</b> <i>Z. intenta</i>, Stony Swamp, Ottawa, ON <b>3</b> <i>Z. intenta</i>, Ithaca, NY <b>4</b> <i>Z. intenta</i>, Ludowici, GA <b>5</b> <i>Z. lunifera</i>, Dwarf Pine Plains, Suffolk Co., NY <b>6</b> <i>Z. lunifera</i>, Lakehurst, NJ <b>7</b> <i>Z. lunifera</i>, neotype, Ludowici, GA <b>8</b> <i>Z. lunifera</i>, Anthony, Marion Co., Anthony, FL. <b>Type material.</b> <i>Homoptera intenta</i> - type locality St. Vincent [Florida?] acc. to type label.; holotype in BMNH [photograph examined]. The wing pattern of the holotype is closest to that of southeastern United States populations of this species, which have a more greyish, contrasting pattern (particularly the hindwing) and more contrastingly pale subterminal forewing area than more northern specimens of this species and of <i>Z. lunifera</i>. <i>Homoptera woodii</i> - Type locality “[USA:] N[ew] Y[ork], Center.” Holotype in BMNH [photograph examined]. <i>Zale calycanthata</i> ab. <i>dealbata</i> – unavailable infrasubspecific name. Although some of Strand’s infrasubspecific names have subsequently been validated (most of them inadvertently), I have found no evidence of this for <i>dealbata</i>. McDunnough (1938) listed it as a “form” (of <i>Z. calycanthata</i> (Smith)), not as a subspecies or subjective synonym. Th is name is not included in Franclemont and Todd (1983) or Poole (1989), presumably because it was deemed to be unavailable. <b>Other material examined.</b> <b>New Brunswick:</b> Edmunston; St. - Basile; <b>Québec:</b> Temiscouata Co.; Ste. Flore, Lac Mondor; St-Mathieu de Beloeil; Manseau; Harrington Lake, Gatineau; Aylmer; Kirks Ferry <b>Ontario:</b> Ottawa, Pinhey Forest; Carp; Pike Lake, Manitoulin Island. <b>Tennessee:</b> Sevier Co., Great Smoky Mountains National Park. <b>Georgia:</b> Long Co., Ludowici, Griffin Ridge. <b>Maryland:</b> Beltsville. <b>Massachusetts:</b> Forest Hills. <b>Pennsylvania:</b> Indiana; Berks Co., Sinking Spring. <b>South Carolina:</b> McClellanville, Wedge Plantation. <b>New York:</b> Ithaca. <b>Louisiana:</b> Caddo Parish. <b>Diagnosis.</b> This species has long been confused with <i>Z. lunifera</i>, from which it differs by its larger size, more elongate forewing shape, the poorly defined or absent black orbicular spot, and the less sinuate black antemedial line on the forewing. <i>Zale intenta</i> also has a tendency to develop an overall striate pattern that is very poorly or not at all developed in <i>Z. lunifera</i>, particularly well developed in south-eastern populations (Fig. 4). Male genitalic differences are slight; the valves are more elongate and the aedeagus is longer with a slightly greater twist in <i>Z. intenta</i> than in <i>Z. lunifera</i>. In females, the distance between the ostium and the caudal margin of the antevaginal plate is equal to the diameter of the ostium; in <i>Z. lunifera</i>, this distance is 2.0–2.5 × the diameter of the ostium. <b>Redescription.</b> <i>Head</i> – antenna ciliate in both sexes; palpi and head dark brown. <i>Thorax</i> – thoracic collar dark brown with a fine black basal line and light-grey distal border; middorsal area with a brown anterior and posterior tuft, scales prominently light grey distally bordered basad by fine black line; tegulae patterned similarly, but with a broad black basal patch; thorax fuscous grey brown ventrally. <i>Abdomen</i> – dorsum and ventrum brown grey; dorsum of segments four to seven with pale-tipped hair tufts; sexes similar. <i>Forewing</i> – length averaging 19.7 mm (n = 6) in males, 20.1 mm (n = 3) in females; ground colour greyish brown to dark chocolate brown, with a slight dark-purple tinge in fresh specimens; entire wing covered in fine, black striae (particularly developed in southern populations); basal area (basad of antemedial line) dark brown, contrasting with remainder of wing, with small paler brown patch at base of costa; antemedial line dark brown to black, sometimes paler brown medially; bordered distally by pale grey-brown shading; orbicular absent or small and black; reniform spot rust brown centrally with a fine black border and a broader pale-tan outer border; postmedial line fine, black and sinuate; subterminal area variously concolorous with postmedial area (usually) or paler grey-brown, particularly in south-eastern populations; ventrum even fuscous brown with slightly darker indistinct reniform and costal part of postmedial line; dark striae less distinct than on dorsum; sexes similar. <i>Hindwing</i> – ground colour greyish brown to dark chocolate brown, grading to lighter fuscous brown toward costal margin; entire wing covered in fine black striae; medial area with or without an indistinct double medial line; postmedial line absent or indistinct; ventrum even fuscous brown with slightly darker, indistinct, dark discal spot; dark striae less distinct than on dorsum; sexes similar. <i>Male genitalia</i> – valves symmetrical, apex (cucullus) distinctly lanceolate and curving about 90 degrees inward; saccular extension consisting of a low triangular process; saccular process an indistinct ridge; uncus long and cylindrical, approximately half length of base of valve, apex pointed and down curved; juxta slightly asymmetrical, with left caudal margin developed into a slight lobe; aedeagus curving dorsad and to right by approximately 90 degrees; aedeagus with a lobe-like process at distal margin; vesica roughly globose with numerous diverticula, very finely scobinate. <i>Female genitalia</i> – papillae anales bluntly triangular, lightly sclerotized; posterior apophysis 2.2 × length of papillae; anterior apophysis 1.0 × length of papillae; antevaginal plate deeply divided by a medial notch, forming a quadrate flange on each side; ostium originating near proximal margin of antevaginal plate, separated from caudal margin of plate by 2.0–2.5 × diameter of plate; ductus bursae short, 2.0–2.5 × as long as diameter of ostium; corpus bursae pear shaped, proximal, larger chamber with minute, internal spicules. <b>Distribution and biology.</b> Distributed from Nova Scotia (Ferguson 1954) westward to Wisconsin (Forbes 1954) and Missouri and southward to Georgia. Likely also occurs in northern Florida, but literature records may apply to <i>Z. lunifera</i>. The southwestern range limit is not known. Larvae feed on <i>Prunus</i> species, including black cherry (Forbes 1954), beach plum and “cherry” (Wagner 2005). The flight period is from March to June depending on latitude and elevation.
description: Published as part of <i>Schmidt, Christian, 2010, Taxonomic reassessment of Zale lunifera (Hübner) (Erebidae, Erebinae), pp. 99-106 in ZooKeys 39 (39)</i> on pages 100-103, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.39.431, http://zenodo.org/record/576635
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