Lasionycta subalpina Crabo &amp; Lafontaine 2009, sp. n.
Creators: name: Crabo, Lars
name: Lafontaine, Donald
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2009
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Noctuidae
Lasionycta
Lasionycta subalpina

description: <i>Lasionycta subalpina</i> Crabo &amp; Lafontaine, sp. n. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 65270BB7-028C-4339-898E-AA8297244034 Figs 113–115, 160, 216. Map 11 <b>Type material.</b> <b>Holotype</b> ♁. USA, Utah, Summit County, Bald Mountain Pass, 40.686-[40].698° N 110.889-[110].906° W, 10700’, 22 July 2006, L. G. Crabo. CNC. <b>Paratypes</b> 30 ♁, 1 &amp;female;. <b>USA</b>. <b>Utah</b>. Summit County: Same data as holotype (25 ♁); Sanpete County, Ephraim, 8 mi. E., 39.317-[39].337° N 111.448-[111].470° W, 10700’, 22 July 2006, L. G. Crabo (2 ♁). <b>Wyoming</b>. [Fremont County], Dubois, pine forest, 2600 m., 5 July 1992, ad luc., Kauri Mikkola (1 ♁), 6 July 1992 (1 ♁, 1 &amp;female;), 9 July 1992 (1 ♁). AMNH, CDFC, CNC, GBC, LGC, MZHF, OSU, TMC, USNM, WSU. <b>Etymology.</b> The name <i>subalpina</i> refers to the habitat where this species is most common. <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>Lasionycta subalpina</i> is similar to <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i>, which it replaces in the central Rocky Mountains and Sierra Nevada. Th e ventral hindwing of <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i> is medium brown gray similar to the ventral forewing with a relatively inconspicuous discal spot. The ventral hindwings of <i>L</i>. <i>perplexa</i> and <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i> are light gray, lighter than the ventral forewing, and have a darker discal spot. In practice, <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i> and <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i> are sorted most easily by locality because <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i> occurs south of the range of <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i>. <i>Lasionycta subalpina</i> occurs with <i>L</i>. <i>perplexa</i>. Th e antenna, biserrate in <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i> and bipectinate in <i>L</i>. <i>perplexa</i>, differentiates males of these two species where they occur together. Also, <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i> is smaller and darker than <i>L</i>. <i>perplexa</i>, but females are best sorted by the ventral appearance, given above. A few specimens of <i>L</i>. <i>benjamini medaminosa</i> resemble <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i>. Differences between their hindwings are described under <i>L</i>. <i>b</i>. <i>medaminosa</i>. The genitalia of both sexes of <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i> are indistinguishable from those of <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i>. Differences between them and <i>L</i>. <i>perplexa</i> are described under <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i>. The CO1 sequences of <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i> differ by over 2.6 % from those of <i>L</i>. <i>perplexa</i> and <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i>, a large distance for the genus <i>Lasionycta</i>, and form a relatively distinct segregate on the DNA tree. CO1 haplotypes of <i>L. subalpina</i> populations from northwestern Wyoming differ from those in the Snowy Range, southeastern Wyoming, by 0.93 %. Other <i>L</i>. <i>subalpina</i> populations from Colorado, Utah, and California have not been sequenced. <b>Description. Head –</b> Antenna of male biserrate and fasciculate with triangular segments, 1.9–2.1× as wide as central shaft. Antenna of female filiform and ciliate. Dorsal segments dark gray proximally, white distally. Scape white, dorsal tuft of scales brownish gray. Eye normal size. Palpus covered with brownish gray, slate gray, and white scales. Frons with equal mixture of white and slate gray hair-like scales. Top of head of slate gray, white-tipped gray, and white scales, darker gray anteriorly and lighter posteriorly. <b>Thorax –</b> Vestiture white-tipped dark-gray scales, appearing nearly uniform pencil-lead gray. Legs, including tarsi, covered with slate gray and fewer white scales, distal tarsal segments ringed with white. <b>Wings –</b> Forewing length: male 13–15 mm (expanse 29–33 mm); female 13–16 mm (expanse 30–35 mm). Ground color of forewing a mixture of slightly brownish medium-gray, darker slate-gray scales, and fewer white and luteous scales, appearing slightly hoary mottled brownish gray. Basal, antemedial, and postmedial lines double, dark-gray with lighter gray filling. Basal and antemedial lines uneven. Medial line slightly darker gray than ground, barely evident except near costa. Postmedial line scalloped between veins, broadly convex from costa to bottom of cell, then nearly straight to posterior margin. Subterminal line pale whitish gray, irregular, preceded by darker gray shade forming chevrons between veins in some specimens, usually less dark and contrasting than in <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i>. Spots dark gray. Orbicular spot round or weakly ovoid, filled with pale gray similar to filling of reniform peripherally and dark gray centrally. Reniform spot weakly kidney shaped, similar in conspicuousness to orbicular spot, filled with peripheral pale gray and central dark gray. Claviform spot filled with ground color, variable in size extending &amp;frac13; to ½ distance from antemedial line to postmedial line. Fringe weakly checkered medium and dark gray. Ventral forewing nearly uniform gray except lighter along posterior margin and costa with mixture of dark-gray and white scales. Discal spot usually absent, weakly evident in a few specimens. Postmedial line incomplete, evident only near costa. Fringe gray, weakly checkered. Dorsal hindwing uniform slightly brownish gray, unmarked or with faint discal spot and postmedial line in a few specimens. Hindwing fringe two-toned, dark gray basally and light gray distally. Ventral hindwing with nearly equal mixture of whitish gray and gray scales, appearing hoary but otherwise similar to ventral forewing color to naked eye. Discal spot round to ovoid, only slightly darker gray than postmedial line. Postmedial line gray, undulating. Marginal area similar to remainder of hindwing. Fringe similar to remainder of ventral hindwing or slightly lighter gray, weakly checkered in some specimens. <b>Abdomen</b> – Mixture of slightly brownish light-gray and dark-gray scales. Dorsal tuft of white-tipped dark-gray scales. <b>Male genitalia</b> – Male genitalia indistinguishable from those of <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i>. <b>Female genitalia</b> – Female genitalia indistinguishable from those of <i>L</i>. <i>perplexella</i>. <b>Distribution and biology.</b> <i>Lasionycta subalpina</i> occurs from southern Idaho and the Beartooth Plateau on the Montana-Wyoming border to Colorado and central Utah as well as in the Sierra Nevada of California. It is most common in subalpine forests, on average at higher elevations than <i>L</i>. <i>perplexa</i> <i>,</i> but also occurs in mid-elevation pine forests with <i>L</i>. <i>perplexa</i>. Adults are nocturnal and come to light. It has been collected from mid-July through August.
description: Published as part of <i>Crabo, Lars &amp; Lafontaine, Donald, 2009, A Revision of Lasionycta Aurivillius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for North America and notes on Eurasian species, with descriptions of 17 new species, 6 new subspecies, a new genus, and two new species of Tricholita Grote, pp. 1-156 in ZooKeys 30 (30)</i> on pages 53-55, DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.30.308, http://zenodo.org/record/576576