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

description: <i>Sympistis sesmu</i> Troubridge sp. n. (Figs. C-5, L-1, P-11) <b>Diagnosis.</b> <i>Sympistis sesmu</i> is quite similar to <i>S. incubus</i> and <i>S. seth,</i> occurs with both species, and is most easily distinguished from them by the hindwing. In <i>S. sesmu,</i> the black band is considerably narrower and less sharply defined on both dorsal and ventral surfaces, veins M3, CuA, and CuA2 are highlighted with scattered brown scales in <i>S. sesmu</i> but not <i>S. incubus</i> and <i>S. seth,</i> and the female hindwing of <i>S. sesmu</i> is much darker. Internally, the cornuti at the base of the vesica on the ventral side are much longer than in <i>S. incubus</i> and <i>S. seth.</i> <b>Description</b>. Antennae filiform. Prothoracic collar beige then a thin black line, buff, brown, buff, brown, and buff lines. Head, thorax, and abdomen a mix of various shades of brown scales. Coremata with brushes, levers, and pockets absent from base of male abdomen. Forewing length 15-17 mm. <b>Dorsal forewing</b> ground color beige brown; black denticulate antemedial line bordered basally with beige scales; undulating postmedial line black, edged distally with buff scales; medial line grayish brown; basal line black; veins from antemedial through postmedial lines edged with white scales, black between postmedial line and subterminal line; a weak series of black dashes extend between veins through postmedial area almost to terminal line; subterminal line occurs as a series of beige dots within these black dashes; black terminal line edged basally with beige scales; orbicular, reniform, and claviform spots well demarcated with black outer and beige inner lines with an inner ring of brown scales; fringe a series of cream, brown, white, brown, white, and finally brown lines. <b>Dorsal hindwing</b> basal area off-white in males, brown in females; submarginal band dark grayish brown, not sharply defined; veins M3, CuA, and CuA2 highlighted with scattered brown scales; fringe cream basally, a thin brown line, then white distally. <b>Male genitalia</b>. (Fig. L-1) Valve with rounded, upturned apex; ampulla of clasper talon-like, mid-section slightly widened. Vesica bends 90° to the left; a patch of long cornuti on posterior and ventral sides of elbow at base of vesica; a dense ribbon of cornuti occurs on dorsal surface along distal ½ of vesica; a ribbon of fine cornuti extends along terminal 1/4 of posterior margin of vesica; a single, coarse apical cornutus and small bundle of cornuti projected from apex. <b>Female genitalia</b>. (Fig. P-11) 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 very short; appendix bursae bulges ventrally near ductus bursae, rounded at anterior end where ductus seminalis arises on dorsal side; corpus bursae absent. <b>Type material</b>. <b>Holotype</b> male: USA: Washington, Douglas Co., Corbaley Cyn., 47° 39' N, 120° 07' W, 2600', 16 ix 2000, J. Troubridge, in the CNC. <b>Paratypes:</b> 89♂ 16♀: <b>Washington:</b> same data as holotype, 17♂ 1♀ Douglas Co.: Corbaley Cyn., 47° 39' N, 120° 07' W, 2600', 16 ix 2000, J. Troubridge, 1♂ 1♀; Pine Cyn., 47° 38' N, 120° 08' W, 2600', 14 ix 2002, J. Troubridge, 36♂ 6♀; Douglas Co., Jameson Lk., 47° 39' N, 119° 37' W, 15 ix 2001, J. Troubridge, 6♂ 2♀; Douglas Co., Jameson Lk., 47° 39' N, 119° 37' W, 14 ix 2002, J. Troubridge, 1♂; Douglas Co., Jameson Lk., 47° 39' N, 119° 37' W, 16 ix 2000, J. Troubridge, 4♂ 1♀; Douglas Co., Jameson Lk., 47° 39' N, 119° 37' W, 26 ix 2000, J. Troubridge, 1♀; Douglas Co., Jameson Lk., 47° 39' N, 119° 37' W, 17 ix 1999, J. Troubridge, 4♂; Douglas Co., Jameson Lk., south end, 27 ix 1996, J. Troubridge, 1♂ 1♀; Umptanum Cr., 1800', 46° 52' N, 120° 34' W, 14 ix 2001, J. Troubridge, 8♂ 2♀; Umptanum Cr., 1800', 46° 52' N, 120° 34' W, 7 ix 2001, J. Troubridge, 1♂. <b>Oregon</b>: Lake Co., Rt. 140 N. of Adel, 42° 12' N, 120° 00' W, 21 ix 2001, J. Troubridge, 6♂ 2♀; Harney Co., Threemile Cr., 26 ix 1997, J. Troubridge, 1♂; Harney Co., Catlow Rim, Threemile Cr., 42° 30' N, 118° 54' W, 4600', 30 xiii 2000, J. Troubridge, 1♂; Baker Co., Cornet Cr., 44° 29' N, 117° 51' W, 3600', 19 ix 2001, J. Troubridge, 1♂; Baker Co., Burnt R. Cyn., 44° 34' N, 117° 34' W, 3031', 19 ix 2001, J. Troubridge, 1♂; Malheur Co., Malheur R., 43° 46' N, 117° 44' W, 2700', 27 ix 1998, J. Troubridge, 1♂. <b>Etymology</b>. Sesmu is the Egyptian god of oil and wine pressing; it is a noun in apposition. Specimens of <i>S. sesmu</i> invariably grease up. <b>Distribution.</b> This species is known from xeric lithosol habitats in eastern Oregon and central Washington.
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 15-16, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.1903.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5134476