Lasionycta brunnea Crabo & Lafontaine, 2009

Crabo, Lars & 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, ZooKeys 30 (30), pp. 1-156 : 77-78

Lasionycta brunnea Crabo & Lafontaine , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:378D6DC4-75E6-4F25-9734-546A78A11C3A

Figs 82–84, 174, 230. Map 15

Type material. Holotype ♁. Canada, British Columbia, Watch Peak , 8000, 2 km N of Panorama, [50.47-. 48° N 116.29° W] 16–17 Aug. 1996, J. Troubridge. CNC . Paratypes 276 ♁, 47 ♀. Canada. British Columbia. Same data as holotype (109 ♁, 37 ♀) ; same locality as holotype, 23 July 1994, L. Crabo and J. Troubridge (35 ♁, 4 ♀), 1 Aug. 2000, Troubridge and Hensel (132 ♁, 6 ♀). AMNH, CDFC, CNC, GBC, JSC, LGC, OSU, TMC, USNM, WSU .

Th e type series is restricted to Watch Peak, British Columbia.

Etymology. The name brunnea is derived from brunneus meaning brown in Medieval Latin. It refers to the dominant color of the moth.

Diagnosis. Lasionycta brunnea is a smooth dark-brown species from Alberta, eastern British Columbia, and northeastern Washington. Th e forewing is uniform olive brown with faint markings. Th e ventral hindwing is light gray brown with an arrowhead-shaped discal spot, dark postmedial line, and faint marginal band. This is the only L. phoca sub-group species that is consistently brown.

Lasionycta brunnea occurs with L. u. uniformis , another plain moth, in most of its range. They can be distinguished by color, especially when fresh, since L. brunnea is brown on both sides whereas L. uniformis is gray without a brown tint. Th ey also differ in the relative darkness of the ventral hindwing markings. Th e postmedial line of L. brunnea is darker than the marginal band (similar to other L. uniformis subspecies), whereas L. u. uniformis has a faint postmedial line and darker marginal band. Lasionycta brunnea occurs with L. promulsa and can be confused with it because both are brownish. Th e ventral hindwing of L. promulsa differs in having a small discal spot and inconspicuous postmedial line. Brown-gray populations of L. uniformis fusca resemble L. brunnea but have more prominent forewing markings and are easily distinguished by locality since L. u. fusca occurs in the central Rocky Mountains.

The male valve of L. brunnea is similar to that of L. uniformis but has a slight downward bend distal to the digitus and a slightly rounder cucullus. Th e female genitalia are indistinguishable.

Lasionycta brunnea demonstrates no variation in the CO1 gene (N = 7). It differs from L. u. uniformis by up to 1.2 % and from L. u. multicolor by up to 0.9 %.

Description. Head – Antenna of male biserrate and ciliate, individual antennal segments triangular, 1.7–1.8× as wide as central shaft. Antenna of female filiform and ciliate. Dorsal segments mostly slate gray, distal portions of some specimens with scattered luteous scales. Scape cream. Eye normal size. Palpus covered with cream and light-gray scales of variable proportions in different specimens. Frons cream centrally, light gray laterally. Top of head covered with cream, black-tipped tan, and apically white black-tipped tan hair-like scales. Thorax –Vestiture similar to scales on top of head, appearing even dark olive gray to brown gray, tip of prothoracic collar slightly darker in some specimens. Legs covered with fuscous gray scales. Tarsal segments dark gray, ringed distally with luteous scales. Wings – Forewing length: males 13–15 mm (expanse 30–35 mm); females 15–16 mm (expanse 34–36 mm). Forewing covered with a mixture of dark-tipped medium-gray, olive-gray, and light to dark ochre-yellow scales, appearing even brown gray to olive gray. Basal, antemedial, and postmedial lines weakly double, medium to dark gray with olive-yellow filling. Basal line smudged, evident only at costa in some specimens. Antemedial line irregular. Medial line faint, most evident at costa. Postmedial line variable, faint to more prominent than other lines, scalloped between veins, excurved from costa to lower cell, then oblique to posterior margin. Subterminal line faint, pale yellow, preceded by darker gray chevrons between veins in some specimens. Terminal line thin, gray. Spots gray, similar in darkness to lines. Orbicular spot oval, nearly round to oblong, filled with ground color or yellow scales, with a faint gray ocellus in some specimens. Reniform spot kidney shaped, very faint, with olive-yellow scales on margin and ground color to medium gray centrally. Claviform spot absent. Fringe olive yellow, checkered with ground color or gray between veins. Ventral forewing evenly fuscous gray with suffusion of pale-yellow scales in fold to posterior margin, along costa, distal to discal spot, and in subterminal area. Discal spot gray, much lighter and thinner than hindwing discal spot with only anterior spot evident in some specimens. Postmedial line gray, indistinct, only evident near costa in most specimens. Fringe yellow white, weakly checkered with gray. Dorsal hindwing ground color medium to dark brownish gray. Markings dark gray, only evident in specimens with lighter ground color. Discal spot arrowhead shaped. Postmedial line indistinct, most evident as an oblique line from level of posterior edge of discal spot to inner margin of wing near anal angle. Fringe brownish to ochre off-white with a few gray scales in middle row. Ventral hindwing luteous to brownish off-white with a suffusion of gray scales, appearing dusty light brownish gray. Discal spot dark brownish gray, slightly ill defined, arrowhead shaped. Postmedial line brownish gray with scattered lighter scales, lighter than discal spot but slightly darker than marginal band, sinuous. Marginal band brownish gray, ill defined and interrupted with dusting and patches of paler scales with a dark streak at anal angle. Fringe luteous to brownish off-white, proximal row with scattered brown-gray scales. Abdomen – Dark gray with ochre scales covering male genitalia. Male genitalia – (Fig. 174) Genital capsule and aedeagus generally as in the L. leucocycla species-group and L. phoca sub-group descriptions. Valve with slight downward angulation distal to digitus and moderately constricted neck. Cucullus moderately large and slightly rounded. Corona a single row of setae. Vesica with 1–3 basal cornuti (N = 3). Female genitalia – (Fig. 230) Ovipositor lobe, segment VIII, and bursa copulatrix as in L. leucocycla species-group and L. phoca sub-group descriptions.

Distribution and biology. Lasionycta brunnea occurs in Rocky Mountains of Alberta north to Pink Mountain in northeastern British Columbia, and in the Purcell and Selkirk Mountains in southwestern British Columbia and northeastern Washington. It flies in alpine tundra and is most common near timberline. It has been collected from mid-July through August.