Hypotrix ocularis Lafontaine, Ferris & Walsh, 2010

Lafontaine, Donald, Ferris, Clifford & Walsh, J., 2010, A revision of the genus Hypotrix Guenee in North America with descriptions of four new species and a new genus (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Eriopygini), ZooKeys 39 (39), pp. 225-253 : 237-239

Hypotrix ocularis Lafontaine, Ferris & Walsh , sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:69C7CE2A-E95A-44BC-A852-0333FCD1837B

Figs 7, 24, 39, 50

Type material. Holotype ♁. Arizona, Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mts, Onion Saddle , 7700’, mixed pine-oak forest, 29 June 2003, B. Walsh. CNC . Paratypes: 8 ♁, 4 ♀.

USA, Arizona. Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mts, canyon below Barfoot Park , 8320’, 18 June 2009, C. D. Ferris (1 ♁) ; Cochise Co., Chiricahua Mts, Rustler Park , 8500’, 13 June 2001, B. Walsh (1 ♁) ; Cochise Co., Huachuca Mts, Carr Canyon , 5600’ 11 June 2009, C. D. Ferris (1 ♀) ; Cochise Co., Mule Mts, Banning Creek , north side of Mule Pass , 5700’, 21 June 2008, C. D. Ferris (1 ♁) . New Mexico. Grant Co., Mimbres Mts, Spring Canyon , 7000’, 24 June 2008 (1 ♁) ; 22 June 2009 (1 ♁, 1 ♀), C. D.

Ferris; New Mexico, Grant Co., Pinos Altos Mts , 32°58.7’N 108°13.4’W 7720’, 21 June 2009, C. D. Ferris (1 ♀). Mexico, Federal District. Lomas, 15–19 June 1939, 20–25 June 1940, T. Escalante (3 ♁, 1 ♀). Paratypes deposited in CDF, CNC, JBW, RL, USNM .

Etymology. The name of this species, ocularis , is Latin for eye and refers to the eye-like reniform spot on each forewing.

Diagnosis. Hypotrix ocularis can be recognized by the pale gray, or brownish-gray forewing, the pale rounded orbicular spot with a black central pupil or “bull’s eye,” and the irregular subterminal line. The male genitalia are most similar to those of H. spinosa but the apical half of the uncus is broadly spatulate (apically spatulate in H. spinosa ), and the vesica is much shorter and with fewer coils and a large medial cornutus. The female genitalia also are similar to those of H. spinosa , but the corpus bursae is larger, the appendix bursae smaller, and the anal papillae more sharply pointed.

Description. Adults. Male and female similar in size, color, and maculation. Forewing length: 14–16 mm. Head – Male antenna with individual segments slightly swollen and rounded laterally; ventral setae with tendency to divide into two tufts on each side. Female antenna filiform, minutely setose ventrally. Palpi and head clothed with slightlyforked, pale brownish-gray strap-like scales, some black tipped. Thorax – Covered with similar scales to those of head; without tufting. Legs: Appearing speckled with mixture of pale gray and blackish-brown scales. Middle and hind tibiae with one or two spiniform setae near tibial spurs. Wings: Dorsal forewing pale gray or pale brownish gray; maculation usually contrasting; basal, antemedial and postmedial lines black, partially double with filling slightly paler than ground color; medial line dark, but diffuse, angled at reniform spot; postmedial line irregular as a thin pale sinuate line with varying amounts of dark speckling on proximal margin; wing margin with prominent black dots between wing veins and with black spot at apex; orbicular spot a contrasting rounded pale spot, partially outlined with dark scales and with black central spot, resembling a “bull’s eye;” orbicular spot separated from antemedial line by distance equal to width of line; reniform spot with both sides concave, so more 8-shaped than kidney shaped, filled with pale reddish-brown shading outlined by a pale line and with a large black spot in lower part of Figure 8. Fringe slightly paler than forewing ground color and with darker gray medial line. Dorsal hindwing pale fuscous with darker fuscous on discal spot, wing veins, postmedial line, and marginal 1/3 of wing; a series of black dashes on wing margin between veins. Fringe pale gray with thin dark-gray medial line. Male genitalia – Apical 1/2 of uncus broadly spatulate. Valve with well-defined triangular cucullus with narrow “neck,” dorsoapical corona, and one stout seta at rounded anal angle; digitus short, tapered, ending before reaching notch proximal to cucullus; clasper strongly upcurved, extending

Figures 29–33. Hypotrix and Anhypotrix male genitalia. 29 H. optima 30 H. hueco 3Ι H. lunata 32 H. purpurigera 33 Anhypotrix tristis .

beyond dorsal margin of valve; membranous part of sacculus very large, with flap extending over most of sclerotized part of sacculus and along ventral half of valve to notch anterior to cucullus; lower margin of valve rounded into notch. Aedeagus unarmed. Vesica short and stout, about 3 × as long as aedeagus; vesica swollen at base, without cornuti, with three half coils in middle third; a large stout cornutus near middle of vesica and a brush-like cluster of spines postmedially. Female genitalia – Corpus bursae membranous, oval; appendix bursae only slightly longer than corpus bursae, strongly ribbed, with three partial coils. Ductus bursae about 2/3 as long as corpus bursae, lightly sclerotized except posterior 1/4. Anal papillae narrow and sharply pointed with sclerotized bulbous base.

Distribution and biology. Hypotrix ocularis occurs from southwestern New Mexico and southeastern Arizona southward to Mexico City. Adults have been collected in June.