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

description: <i>Sympistis apep</i> Troubridge sp. n. (Figs. A-20, K-6, P-6) <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>Sympistis apep</i> is very similar to <i>S. tenuifascia</i> (Fig. A-21) and is distinguished from it predominantly by the coloration of the dorsal forewing. In <i>S. tenuifascia</i>, the forewing is darker with a brownish hue, and the ordinary lines and spots somewhat obscure due to the darker background color, in addition, the fringe is concolorous with the terminal area. In <i>S. apep</i>, the forewing is a medium gray with ordinary spots and lines distinct, a broader postmedial white area, and a distinctly checkered fringe. <i>Sympistis apep</i> flies at low elevation in late September in xeric lithosol habitats; <i>S. tenuifascia</i> flies near treeline in mid-summer. <b>Description</b>. Males and females similar. Antennae filiform, head, palpi, vertex, prothoracic collar, thorax, and abdomen gray. Forewing length 9-12 mm. <b>Dorsal forewing</b> mottled gray and white; black antemedial line undulating, edged basally with white scales; median shade dark gray, diffuse; postmedial line edged distally with white scales; subterminal line irregular, bordered basally with variable black shading, heaviest near costa and a series of small black dashes between veins; terminal line scalloped, enclosing a series of black spots at margin; orbicular, reniform, and claviform spots well demarcated with thin black outer and white inner lines; fringe black, checkered with white at tips of veins. <b>Dorsal hindwing</b> gray basally, with distinct black discal lunule transected by black median line; white postmedial band, and wide black marginal band; fringe gray basally, white distally. <b>Male genitalia</b>. (Fig. K-6) Valve widest just beyond clasper, then gently tapered and rounded at apex; ampulla of clasper talon-like, mid-section slightly widened. Vesica bends slightly downward and then hooks to the left, with small basal diverticulum; a ribbon of cornuti extends from left on dorsal surface at diverticulum along right side to apex, cornuti become longer and denser distally; a ventral patch of long, dense cornuti extends along distal half of vesica to apex; a single, coarse apical cornutus points ventrally and a small bundle of cornuti is projected dorsally. <b>Female genitalia</b>. (Fig. P-6) Ovipositor lobes rounded with scattered setae; a corona of short setae surrounds ovipositor lobes about 0.1 mm from tip, these setae produced at 90° to the abdomen, a second row of longer, finer setae encircles ovipositor lobes at base; a sclerite occurs on ventral surface of ductus bursae at ostium bursae, ductus bursae otherwise not heavily sclerotized; appendix bursae 2x as long as wide, bends ventrally and backward toward ductus seminalis at anterior end; minute corpus bursae hangs like a small polyp on right side of appendix bursae. <b>Type material</b>. <b>Holotype</b> male: USA: Washington, Douglas Co., S. end Jameson Lk., 23 ix 1995, J. Troubridge, in the CNC. <b>Paratypes:</b> 37♂ 1♀: <b>Washington:</b> Douglas Co.: Corbaley Cyn., 47° 39' N, 120° 07' W, 2600', 26 ix 2000, J. Troubridge, 3♂; Corbaley Cyn., 47° 39' N, 120° 07' W, 2600', 16 ix 2000, J. Troubridge, 1♂; Jameson Lk., 47° 39' N, 120° 07' W, 26 ix 2000, J. Troubridge, 1♂; Jameson Lk., south end, 23 ix 1995, J. Troubridge, 1♂; Jameson Lk., 47° 39' N, 119° 32' W, 17 ix 1999, J. Troubridge, 2♂; Jameson Lk., 47° 39' N, 119° 32' W, 15 ix 2001, J. Troubridge, 8♂; Jameson Lk., south end, 16 ix 1994, J. Troubridge, 6♂ 1♀; Pine Cyn., 47° 38' N, 120° 08' W, 2600', 14 ix 2002, J. Troubridge, 9♂; Pine Cyn., 47° 38' N, 120° 08' W, 2600', 15 ix 2001, J. Troubridge, 6♂. <b>Etymology</b>. From Egyptian mythology, Apep was a monster living in perpetual darkness. It is a noun in apposition. <b>Distribution.</b> This species is known from xeric lithosol habitats in central Washington and northern Oregon.
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 10-11, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1903.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5134476