Sympistis insanina Troubridge 2008, sp. n.
Creators: name: Troubridge, J. T.
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2008
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuidae
Sympistis
Sympistis insanina

description: <i>Sympistis insanina</i> Troubridge sp. n. (Figs. C-6, K-12, Q-2) <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>Sympistis insanina</i> is the sister species to <i>Sympistis sanina</i> (Smith) <b>comb. n.</b>, both of which may be difficult to distinguish from <i>S. levis</i> and related species. In general, the orbicular spot is round or nearly so, the claviform spot is small and does not reach the postmedial line, and there is a convex bump in the hindwing marginal band around veins M3, CuA, and CuA 2 in <i>S. sanina</i> and <i>S. insanina</i> but in the <i>S. levis</i> group, the orbicular spot is usually rectangular, and angles across the cell, the claviform spot reaches the postmedial line, and the marginal band of the hindwing is smoothly concave. Externally, <i>S. insanina</i> differs from <i>S. sanina</i> by the color of the forewing, which is grayish brown rather than the dirt brown or rusty brown in <i>S. sanina</i> (Fig. C-7). The hindwing of male <i>S. sanina</i> from southeastern Wyoming through western Colorado is cream colored and dusted with brown scales, but that of <i>S. insanina</i> is much whiter with fewer brown scales. From southeastern Colorado through New Mexico and southern Arizona the hindwing of <i>S. sanina</i> becomes white as well. Whether or not these specimens represent another species is an open question but the genitalia and the 658 COI base pairs examined are similar to topotypical <i>S. sanina</i>, so I do not separate them at this time. Internally, the ampulla of the clasper narrows more-or-less evenly to an apical spine in <i>S. insanina</i> but the apical spine extends from the distal margin of the ampulla in that of <i>S. sanina</i>. <b>Description</b>. Antennae filiform. Prothoracic collar beige then a thin black line, beige broadly blending to white, brown, and white lines. Head, thorax, and abdomen a mix of various shades of brown, black, and white scales. Coremata with brushes, levers, and pockets absent from base of male abdomen. Forewing length 14-16 mm. <b>Dorsal forewing</b> ground color grayish brown; tan, denticulate antemedial line bordered basally with grayish brown scales, distally with black scales; undulating postmedial line tan, edged distally with buff scales, basally with black scales; medial line dark brown to black; basal line tan, edged distally with buff scales, basally with black scales; veins edged with black scales between postmedial and subterminal lines; black dashes or chevrons extend between veins through postmedial area to tan subterminal line; subterminal line present as a series of dots or chevrons; a patch of white scales borders veins CuA2, 1A+2A, and CuA1 beyond postmedial line; black terminal line thinly edged basally with beige scales; orbicular and reniform spots well demarcated with black outer and tan inner lines with an inner ring of brown scales; claviform spot occurs as a small chevron between median and antemedial lines; fringe a series of tan, brown, white, and finally brown lines. <b>Dorsal hindwing</b> basal area white with scattered brown scales in males, brown in females; marginal band dark grayish brown with convex hump on veins M3, CuA, and CuA; fringe cream basally, a faint brown line, then white distally. <b>Male genitalia</b>. (Fig. K-12) Valve with rounded, upturned apex; ampulla of clasper with mid-section slightly widened then tapers evenly on anterior and posterior margins to terminal spine. Vesica bends 70° to the right; a patch of long cornuti on left and dorsal sides of elbow at base of vesica extends to apex; a dense ribbon of cornuti occurs on dorsal surface along distal ½ of vesica; a single, coarse apical cornutus and small bundle of cornuti projected from apex. <b>Female genitalia</b>. (Fig. Q-2) Ovipositor lobes rounded with scattered setae; a corona of short setae surrounds ovipositor lobes near tip, these setae produced at 90° to the abdomen; a ruff of longer, finer setae encircles ovipositor lobes at base; a sclerite occurs on ventral surface of ductus bursae at ostium bursae, ductus bursae with 90° elbow turning dorsally to appendix bursae; appendix bursae swollen to the left in posterior ½ then tapers gradually to ductus seminalis on dorsal side; corpus bursae absent. <b>Type material</b>. <b>Holotype</b> male: Canada: Alberta, S. Saskatchewan R. at Hwy 41, 50° 43' N, 110° 04' W, 9 ix 1999, J. Troubridge, in the CNC. <b>Paratypes:</b> 7&amp;male; 3&amp;female;: <b>Alberta</b>: same data as holotype, 1&amp;male;; Writing on Stone, 49° 05' N, 111° 37' W, 8 ix 1999, J. Troubridge, 1&amp;female;. <b>Saskatchewan</b>: Great Sand Hills, 50° 41' N, 109° 16' W, 9 ix 1999, J. Troubridge, 1&amp;male;. <b>Montana</b>: Carter Co., Medicine Rocks SP., 5 ix 2002, George J. Balogh, 1&amp;male;; Miles City, 4 ix 1932, 1&amp;male;; Miles City, 5 ix 1932, 2&amp;female;; Miles City, 8 ix 1932, 1&amp;male;. <b>Wyoming</b>: 18 mi NW of Bill, 4600’, 17 ix 1964, D. F. Hardwick, 1&amp;male;. <b>Colorado</b>: Pawnee site, Nunn, 24 viii 1977, 1&amp;male;. <b>Etymology</b>. The name reflects that fact that this species is not <i>S. sanina</i>. <b>Distribution.</b> This species occurs in dunes and badlands on the Great Plains from Alberta and Manitoba and south into Texas.
description: Published as part of <i>Troubridge, J. T., 2008, A generic realignment of the Oncocnemidini sensu Hodges (1983) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Oncocnemidinae), with description of a new genus and 50 new species, pp. 1-95 in Zootaxa 1903 (1)</i> on pages 20-21, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1903.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5134476