Protorthodes ustulata Lafontaine, Walsh & Ferris

Lafontaine, J. Donald, Walsh, J. Bruce & Ferris, Clifford D., 2014, A revision of the genus Protorthodes McDunnough with descriptions of a new genus and four new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Eriopygini), ZooKeys 421, pp. 139-179 : 153-155

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Noctuidae

Protorthodes ustulata Lafontaine, Walsh & Ferris sp. n. Figs 39, 40, 67, 84; Map 11

Type material.

Holotype ♂. USA, Arizona, Cochise Co., [Chiricahua Mts], Pinery Canyon, 7000', 31°55.99'N, 109°16.33'W, 22 April 2007, C.D. Ferris. CNC. Paratypes: 29 ♂, 29 ♀. Type series restricted to specimens from Arizona. Same data as for holotype (1 ♂, 2 ♀); Arizona, Cochise Co., [Chiricahua Mts], Pinery Canyon, 6000', 31°56.89'N, 109°18.40'W, 13 April 2005, C.D. Ferris (3 ♀); Arizona, Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mts, Southwestern Research Station, 8-25 April 1962 (14 ♂, 7 ♀), 18 Sept. 1962 (1 ♀), Carl Kirkwood; Arizona, Cochise Co., [Huachuca Mts], Carr Canyon, 5600', 31°26.38'N, 110°15.87'W, 11 Oct. 2006 (1 ♀), Barcode of Life sample ID # CNCNoctuoidea12245; Arizona, Cochise Co., [Huachuca Mts], Carr Canyon, 5600', 31°26.38'N, 110°17.35'W, 2 Oct. 2004, 10 April 2005, C.D. Ferris (2 ♂); Arizona, Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts, Garden Canyon, 4 Aug. 1966 (1 ♂), 17 Sept. 1967 (1 ♂), R.F. Sternitzky; Arizona, [Cochise Co.], Huachuca Mts, Ramsey Canyon, 24 April 1965 (1 ♀), 17 Sept. 1967 (1 ♂), R.F. Sternitzky; Arizona, [Cochise Co.], Huachuca Mts, Ramsey Canyon, 6000', 15 mi SW Sierra Vista, 5100', 13 May 1967 (2 ♀), R.F. Sternitzky; Arizona, [Cochise Co.], Sierra Vista, 20 Aug. 1966 (1 ♂), 20 Sept. 1967 (1 ♂), R.F. Sternitzky; Arizona, Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts, 5354 Ash Canyon Rd, 0.5 mi W Hwy 92, 15 Sept. 1999, Noel McFarland (1 ♀); Arizona, Pima Co., Madera Canyon, 4600', 23 Sept. 1986, D.F. Hardwick (1 ♀); Arizona, Pima Co., Santa Catalina Mts, Bear Canyon, 4800', [NE of] Tucson, 7 Oct. 2006, Ian A. Watkinson (1 ♀); Arizona, Yavapai Co., 4 mi N Prescott, 31 Aug. 1970 (1 ♂), 8 Sept. 1970 (1 ♂), 25 Aug. 1972 (2 ♀), 9 Sept. 1972 (1 ♀), Lloyd M. Martin; Arizona, [Yavapai Co.], Jerome, 4 mi SSW, 7000', 20 Sept. 1970, D.F. Hardwick (2 ♀); Arizona, Flagstaff, [Coconino Co.], 6850', 31 Aug. 2007, Ian A. Watkinson (1 ♀); Arizona, Apache Co., White Mts, Diamond Rock, 5-6 Sept. 1947, G.H. & J.L. Sperry (4 ♂, 1 ♀); Arizona, Apache Co., 3 mi W Eagar, 7100', 11 Aug. 1962, E. & I. Munroe (1 ♀); Arizona, Apache Co., Alpine, 8117', 31 Aug. 2003, Ian A. Watkinson (1 ♂, 1 ♀);. Paratypes deposited in CDF, CNC, IAW, JBW, USNM.

Etymology.

The name ustulata is Latin and refers to the burnt-orange color of with body and forewings of the species.

Diagnosis.

Protorthodes ustulata looks like a dark burnt-orange form of Protorthodes perforata and was usually identified as either Protorthodes perforata or as Protorthodes oviduca in collections because of the orange in the ground color and the contrasting pale outlines around the reniform and orbicular spots. The species appears to be most closely related to Protorthodes perforata and Protorthodes rufula , not just because of the superficial similarity, but because of the heavily-sclerotized spiculate lobe on the dorsal part of the sacculus, a structure restricted to these three species. Beyond that, however, Protorthodes ustulata is unique within the genus in several features: in the male genitalia the valves are very long and slender and the apices easily broken in brushing or dissection; the digitus is vestigial, ending in small lobe free of surface of valve at ventral margin of valve; the spine-covered dorsal lobe on the sacculus is oblique to the longitudinal axis of the valve. In the female genitalia, the ostium bursae and posterior part of the ductus bursae form an elongated, narrow, heavily-sclerotized tube, and the appendix bursae has two coils, both features otherwise found only in Protorthodes alfkenii .

Description.

Adult. Male and female similar in size, color, and maculation. Forewing length: 12-15 mm. Head - Male antenna biserrate with projections (rami) tapered, anterior rami about as long as width of central shaft, posterior rami half as long. Female antenna filiform, minutely setose ventrally. Palpi and head clothed with spatulate apically-forked setae, dark orange or brown, some with white tips giving head a hoary look, white tips more frequent on margin of prothoracic collar (patagia). Thorax - Covered with similar scales to those of head; with slightly raised prothoracic and metathoracic tufts. Legs: Appearing speckled with mixture of dark-orange, brown scales, some white tipped. Tibiae without spiniform setae. Tarsi with three ventral rows of spiniform setae. Wings: Dorsal forewing a burnt-orange color, tending to be darker toward costal and outer edge of forewing; subbasal, antemedial, postmedial, and subterminal lines whitish gray, partially bordered by dark-brown scales; reniform spot kidney shaped, to markedly constricted mesially, so almost figure 8 shaped, upper part gray brown, lower part blackish gray, overall darker than forewing and with contrasting whitish-gray outline; orbicular spot obliquely oval, slightly darker than ground color, outlined in whitish gray; terminal line dark brown; fringe similar in color to forewing except base yellow with fine yellow streak at end of each wing vein. Dorsal hindwing pale fuscous basally with darker fuscous on discal spot, wing veins, and marginal area of wing; fringe buff white with fuscous medial line. Male genitalia - Uncus slender, evenly tapered from base to apex, sparely covered with long hair-like setae, apex tapered to point. Valve elongated and narrow, about 5 × as long as width at base of clasper, gradually narrowing to long “neck” before rounded cucullus densely covered with long, stiff setae projecting anterodorsally, with no apical corona; sacculus sclerotized, about 0.4 × length of valve, ending posteriorly in spine-covered oblique lobe, somewhat mushroom shaped, with sides extending posteroventrally almost to ventral margin of valve and anterodorsally over dorsal margin of valve; clasper about 1/3 length of valve, curved in slight arc to project posterodorsally over dorsal margin of valve; digitus vestigial, a slightly raised, lightly sclerotized rod extending to base of “neck” of cucullus and ending in slightly raised lobe projecting posteroventrally to ventral margin of valve; juxta a long posteriorly-tapered plate with middle cleft and lightly sclerotized almost to anterior end, posterior apices on each side of cleft pointed and heavily sclerotized. Aedeagus long and cylindrical, 12 × as long as medial width, mainly lightly sclerotized except for posterior half of ventral margin, which ends in slightly-sclerotized lobe. Vesica about 1.5 × as long as aedeagus; vesica with slight basal coil from which arises a curved, tapered diverticulum, and a medial coil with a minute diverticulum; apex of vesica swollen; vesica without spines or cornuti. Female genitalia - Corpus bursae membranous, rounded, without signa. Appendix bursae with two short coils, arising from posterior dorsal surface of corpus bursae. Ductus bursae 0.6 × as long as corpus bursae, anterior 1/3 membranous, posterior 2/3 covered with smooth heavily-sclerotized plate, slightly wider anteriorly than posteriorly; ostium not differentiated from ductus bursae; abdominal segment eight slightly longer than wide, more lightly sclerotized posteriorly; anterior apophyses slightly longer than abdominal segment eight; posterior apophyses folding near middle, about 2 × as long as anterior apophyses. Anal papillae long and tapered, 0.75 × as long as abdominal segment eight; anal papillae lightly sclerotized, long setae sparsely scattered over surface, short setae abundant near apex of papillae.

Distribution and biology.

Protorthodes ustulata occurs from southeastern Wyoming southward to the Guadalupe Mountains in western Texas and westward to central and southeastern Arizona and northern Mexico. Adults were collected from early April to mid-May and again from early August to early October. The immature stages are unknown.