Zale lafontainei Troubridge, new species
Creators: name: Troubridge, J. T.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2020
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuidae
Zale
Zale lafontainei

description: Zale lafontainei Troubridge, new species
(Fig. 32a, 32b, 32c, 32d, 74, 124)
BIN: BOLD:ACD9041
Diagnosis. The closest relative to Zale lafontainei is Zale erilda Schaus from Puerto Rico, they are distinguished from each other by characters of the male genitalia. The right valve of Z. erilda is shorter than the left valve, scooplike, with a short basal clasper and large hooked process arising from the costa (Fig. 75). In Z. lafontainei, the right valve is about the same length as the left one with a large basal clasper and large paddle-like apex with costal process absent (Fig. 74). The BOLD database places both Z. lafontainei and Z. erilda into BIN: BOLD:ACD9041. There are no Zale Hübner species in Florida with which male Z. lafontainei could be confused; however, females could easily be confused with females of Z. vargoi new species. The female of Z. vargoi is smaller (FW length 18–21 mm versus 22–27 mm in Z. lafontainei) and the ostium bursae of Z. vargoi extends through the 7 th abdominal sternite, whereas that of Z. lafontainei is distal to the 7 th sternite.
Description. Antennae filiform, ciliate. Head, thorax, and abdomen brown; dorsal tuft of light beige scales on 1 st abdominal tergite is diagnostic. Zale lafontainei is sexually dimorphic. Male. Head, thorax, and abdomen brown; 7 th abdominal tergite with black scales, 1 st abdominal tergite with a tuft of scales distinctly lighter than remainder of body. Dorsal forewing. Forewing length 22–27 mm. Ground color light tan; basal area brown with weak, black basal line; jagged antemedial line black, edged outwardly with brown; double chestnut-brown medial line extends through light tan medial area; thin, black, jagged, postmedial line edged outwardly with dark-brown scales; chestnut-brown subterminal line edged outwardly with dark gray forms a crescent extending from posterior margin to terminus of vein M3, subterminal line weaker through veins M1–M3, dark gray distal portion of subterminal line extends from vein M1 to apex; a triangular patch of chestnut-brown scales extends between costa and vein M1 and from postmedial line and dark-gray subterminal line; a row of submarginal dots between veins are chestnut brown, edged distally with light-tan scales; fringe light brown; orbicular spot reduced to a small chestnut-brown dot; obscure reniform spot with scattered gray brown basally, a thin line of off-white scales through center, and scattered chestnut-brown scales distally. Dorsal hindwing. Ground color light tan with scattered light gray-brown scales; discal lunule dark brown; three bands of light gray-brown scales extend through basal area adjacent to subterminal line; subterminal line consists of two thin black lines with dark-brown scales between the two lines; a band of brown scales borders subterminal line distally, a broad band of dark-gray scales border this brown band with a patch of light gray-brown scales between the dark-gray and brown bands from vein 2A to vein M2; a row of submarginal dots between veins are chestnut brown, edged distally with light-tan scales; fringe brown. Female. Dorsal forewing. Ground color light rust brown, suffused with dark gray scales; basal area heavily suffused with dark gray-brown scales; basal line weak, black; thin, black antemedial line obscure; thin, jagged, postmedial line black; a broad area of dark-gray and black scales fills medial area from antemedial line to postmedial line from posterior margin to apex except along costa; orbicular spot obscure or absent, reniform spot obscure, dark gray, bordered by thin black line basally; chestnut-brown subterminal line edged outwardly with light tan and then dark gray forms a crescent extending from posterior margin to terminus of vein M3; subterminal line becomes a diffuse row of dark-gray scales through veins M1–M3, a row of darkbrown submarginal dots between veins are edged distally with light-tan scales; fringe brown. Dorsal hindwing. Ground color light brown with scattered dark gray-brown scales; discal lunule dark brown; three bands of dark gray-brown scales extend through basal area adjacent to subterminal line; subterminal line consists of two thin black lines with dark-brown scales between the two lines; subterminal line bordered distally with tan scales, followed by a band of brown and then dark gray; a row of submarginal chestnut-brown dots between veins edged distally with light-tan scales; fringe brown. Male genitalia (Fig. 74). Valves asymmetrical, heavily sclerotized. Right valve scoop-like toward cucullus; cucullus becomes broader along dorsal surface with thick field of setae; a large spike extends medially from a point mid-way along ventral surface of valve; left valve with ventral hump basal to a narrow neck below broad, spear-like cucullus; uncus long and thin with downward spine at tip; juxta with two lateral anterior processes, rounded at apex; aedeagus bends down and then upward where short sclerite extends from tip of aedeagus onto vesica; vesica with several elongate diverticula, a long, thin cornutus extends along ductus seminalis. Female genitalia (Fig. 124). Ovipositor lobes short, setose, rounded at tip; ostium bursae lightly sclerotized; ductus bursae relatively short, membranous; appendix bursae narrows dorsally toward ductus seminalis; corpus bursae constricted posteriorly, widening to anterior, oval corpus bursae, signa absent; 7 th abdominal sternite asymmetrical, deeply concave on posterior margin, slightly off-center to the right with left lobe longer than right lobe.
Type material. Holotype male: USA: Florida, Monroe Co.: Bahia Honda State Park, 24.666°N, 81.253°W, 4.Mar.2013, J. Troubridge, in the CNC. Paratypes: 57♂, 77♀: Collier Co.: near Copeland, Fakahatchee Strand, Janes Scenic Drive, 28.Mar.1986, 1♀ (MGCL); Fakahatchee Strand, 25.98°N 81.41°W; 13 Mar. 2012, J. Troubridge, 1♀ (FSCA); Miami-Dade Co.: Florida City, 25° 24.89′N, 80° 26.40′W, 9.Mar.2014, 4♂, 5♀; 30.Jan.2013, 4♂, 5♀;
11.Feb.2013, 2♂, 2♀; 2.Mar.2014, 5♀; 15.Jan.2013, 3♂, 4♀; 1.Apr.2014, 1♂; 29.Jan.2015, 5♂, 4♀; 27.Jan.2014, 1♂, 5♀; 21.Mar.2012, 2♂, 2♀; 13.Mar.2019, 8♂, 5♀, all J. Troubridge; Monroe Co.: Key Largo, 23.Apr.1986, L.C. Dow, 2♀ (FSCA); Key Largo, 24.May.1986, L.C. Dow and J.D. Worsley, [one] slide MGCL 5879, 4♀ (MGCL); Dagny Johnson State Park, 25.179°N 80.366°W, 7.Jul.2013, J. Troubridge, 1♀ (FSCA); Big Pine Key, vic. Watson Hammock, 25.Dec.1987, L.C. Dow, [one] slide MGCL 5880, 3♀ (MGCL); Marathon, 29.Jul.1992, L.C. Dow, 1♂ (MGCL); Big Pine Key, Palmetto Avenue, 24.673°N 81.363°W, Malaise trap, 7–21. Aug., 21. Aug. –5 Sep., and 5-19 Sep. 2019, J. Farnum, 3♀ (FSCA); No Name Key, 30 Mar. 1986, L.C. Dow, 1♀ (MGCL); Bahia Honda State Park, 24.666°N, 81.253° W, 4.Mar.2013, 6♂, 10♀; 16.Dec.2014, 3♂, 2♀; 19.Jun.2014, 1♂; 9.Nov.2013, 1♂, 2♀; 8.Apr.2013, 4♂, 1♀; 12.Mar.2012, 1♂, all J. Troubridge; Long Point Key, 24.749°N, 80.964°W, 22.Feb.2015, J. Troubridge, 8♂, 4♀; Dagny Johnson State Park, 25.286°N, 80.292°W, 21.Feb.2015, 1♂, 3♀; 11.Mar.2012, 4♂, 2♀, all J. Troubridge.
Etymology. I name this species to honor Dr. J. Donald Lafontaine, whose help, friendship, and support throughout my career in entomology has been invaluable to myself and others.
Distribution. Zale lafontainei has been found in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties, Florida.
description: Published as part of Troubridge, J. T., 2020, A new genus and 37 new noctuoid species from peninsular Florida and the Keys (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea), pp. 1-56 in Insecta Mundi 2020 (789) on pages 20-22, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.4585782