Trichocerapoda oceanis Robertson and Mustelin

Mustelin, Tomas, 2006, Taxonomy of southern California Erebidae and Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) with descriptions of twenty one new species, Zootaxa 1278, pp. 1-47 : 40-41

Trichocerapoda oceanis Robertson and Mustelin , NEW SPECIES

Figs. 21 , 62 a, 62b, and 81

Type material. Holotype: Male, Dune Lakes, 8 km southeast of Oceano, San Luis Obispo County, California, 26 September 1992, R. Robertson. Paratypes: 12 males, 1 female. San Luis Obispo County: Same data as holotype (12 males, 1 female). Holotype and genitalic slide #271/TM deposited in SDNHM, paratypes in USNM, CNC, CAS, UCB, and the private collections of R. Robertson and the author.

Etymology. The specific name oceanis refers to the type locality, Oceano.

Diagnosis. This species is a close relative of the previous species, but is somewhat more robust and darker gray without much brown. The forewing is short and triangular, and the orbicular and reniform spots are joined ( Fig. 21 a). The male genitalia are distinct, but structurally quite similar to those of T. oblita (Grote, 1877) , which clearly is its closest relative within this genus. Males of T. oceanis are easily distinguished from males of T. oblita because the antennae are much more broadly pectinate ( Fig. 21 b).

Description. Eye with very short hairs. Male antenna pectinate and fasciculate, female antenna finely serrate. Head and thorax covered in long, pale gray hairlike scales. Forewing length 12.5–13 mm; forewing ground color gray, darker in basal and median fields; antemedial and postmedial lines missing; subterminal line dark dashes between veins; forewing apex pale gray; orbicular and reniform spots joined, diffuse, filled with paler gray, reniform with white along lower rim; claviform spot barely visible in paler gray than ground color, terminal line dark gray; fringe white at veins, dark gray between veins; ventral side of forewing pale gray, darker gray in outer half, between veins, discal spot small, gray; hindwing brown with broad, dark gray marginal shade; fringe cream colored with brown stripe; ventral side of hindwing pale gray with diffuse gray marginal shade and gray discal spot. Male genitalia ( Figs. 62 a and 62b): Uncus stout; juxta oval; valve length 2.6 mm, width at middle 0.75 mm, slightly S­curved, tapering, cucullus protruding, width 0.4 mm, apex rounded; clasper 0.55 mm long, curves at approximately 45°, parallel with valve and cucullus; Aedeagus length 2.9 mm, width at middle 0.8 mm, tapering distally before cucullus; everted vesica length approximately twice as long as aedeagus, curved and twirling, width 0.7 mm basally, distal half swelling to 1.0 mm with long, dense patch of small spines, tapering 0.25 mm distally. Female genitalia (Fig. 81): Ovipositor lobes drawn to dorsoapical point, numerous thin setae, posterior apophyses 2.7 mm long, anterior apophyses 1.6 mm long; ductus bursae 2.55 mm long, sclerotized and flat, slowly widens and angles to right anteriorly; corpus bursae rectangular, 2.7 x 2.2 mm, transverse stripes on proximal portion; appendix bursae arises from left posterior corpus bursae, 1.9 x 1.9 mm, curves to left.

Distribution and habitat. Trichocerapoda oceanis is known only from the type locality, coastal dunes south of Oceano in San Luis Obispo County in south central California. All specimens were collected in late September.

Figures

FIGURES 1 – 21. Adults of the new described species: 1, Drasteria convergens. 2, Tarachidia nigra. 3, Oncocnemis duplex. 4, Oncocnemis helena. 5, Oncocnemis sala. 6, Oncocnemis kelsoensis. 7, Annaphila scurlockorum. 8, Cryphia flavipuncta. 9, Protoperigea umbricata. 10, Protoperigea subterminata. 11, Protoperigea parvulata. 12, Protoperigea calientensis. 13, Aseptis fanatica. 14, Aseptis torreyana. 15, Apamea robertsoni. 16, Apamea digitula. 17, Photedes sofiae. 18, Mammifrontia sarae. 19, Lasionycta sala. 20, Trichocerapoda harbisoni. 21, Trichocerapoda oceanis.

FIGURES 40 – 63. Male genitalia of the new described species and related species: 40, Protoperigea calientensis (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 41, Aseptis fanatica (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 42, Aseptis ethnica. 43, Aseptis ferruginea. 44, Aseptis torreyana (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 45, Aseptis serrula. 46, Apamea robertsoni (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 47, Apamea digitula (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 48, Apamea sordens. 49, Photedes sofiae. 50, Mammifrontia sarae (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 51, Mammifrontia rileyi (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 52, Benjaminola colorada (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 53, Perigonica tertia. 54, Perigonica fulminans. 55, Perigonica angulata. 56, Anarta fusculenta (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 57, Anarta crotchi (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 58, Anarta oaklandiae. 59, Lasionycta sala (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 60, Trichocerapoda harbisoni (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 61, Trichocerapoda comstocki. 62, Trichocerapoda oceanis (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 63. Hexorthodes nipana.