Oncocnemis duplex Troubridge 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 : 9-11

Oncocnemis duplex Troubridge and Mustelin , NEW SPECIES

Figs. 3 , 28 a, 28b, and 65

Type material. Holotype: Male, Kitchen Creek Road, Laguna Mountains, San Diego County, California, 1800 m, 30 September 2000, T. Mustelin. Paratypes: 25 males, 4 females. CALIFORNIA: San Diego County: Same data as holotype (12 males); Jacumba, 5 November 2002 T. Mustelin (1 female); McCain Valley, 15 October 2004, T. Mustelin (1 male). Riverside County: Pinyon Crest, 28 September 1968 (1 male), 6­7 October 1999 (2 males), Idyllwild, 17 September 1960, R. H. Leuschner (1 male). Los Angeles County: Solemint, Mint Canyon, 12 November 1962, R. H. Leuschner (1 female). San Bernardino County: Barton Flats, San Bernardino Mountains, 2300 m , 24 September 2003, T. Mustelin (1 male); Onyx Summit, San Bernardino Mountains, 2800 m , 24 September 2003, T. Mustelin (1 female). Ventura County: Cuyama Valley, 0.5 km east of Hwy 33, 1067m, 26 September 1997, T. E. Dimock (4 males). Kern County: Ridge Route, near Gorman, 1300 m, 19 October 1946, F. Sala (1 female), 11 October 1963, R. H. Leuschner (1 male). OREGON: Lake County: Alkali Lake, 43° 00'N, 120°00'W, 1430 m, 14 September 1998, J. Troubridge (1 male). MEXICO: Baja California Norte: 10 km north of Mike's Sky Ranch, 16­18 October 1987, N. Bloomfield (1 male). Holotype and genitalic slide #250/TM deposited in SDNHM, paratypes in SDNHM, LACM, USNM, CNC, and the private collections of R. Leuschner, T. Dimock, J, Troubridge, and the author.

Etymology. The name duplex refers to the characteristic double postmedial line. The name was also chosen to fit with the name of the closely related O. simplex Smith, 1888 .

Diagnosis. This species belongs to a group with three other species: Oncocnemis levis Grote, 1880 , O. sanina Smith, 1900 , and O. simplex , plus at least one more undescribed species. The relationships within this group are not entirely clear, but there is little question that southern California populations do not belong to any of the described taxa. The species frequently is misidentified in collection as O. levis , O. sanina , or O. simplex . However, it differs from these in external appearance and genital anatomy. Notably, the vesica curves further out, not so near the base as in O. levis and O. sanina ; the clasper is thin, straight, and directed dorsad; and the valves are tapering and curved. Oncocnemis duplex is a more robust moth (especially compared to O. sanina ), with a more rounded forewing apex and darker and more brownish and tan coloring than O. levis . Oncocnemis duplex has a more yellowish hindwing ( Fig. 3 a), the postmedial line is well defined and much further out from the reniform spot ( Fig. 3 b), the orbicular spot is large and oval ( Fig. 3 c), the claviform spot is shorter than reniform spot ( Fig. 3 d), and the antemedial line is sharper than in O. simplex .

Description. Antenna filiform in both sexes; eyes naked, lashes in front; palps and frons covered in mix of pale tan and brown hairs, top of head cream colored; prothoracic collar with 6 transverse stripes as follows: 1) thin black, 2) broad pale tan, 3) tan, 4) cream, 5) tan with intermixed black scales, and 6) cream; patagium, tegula and thorax covered in mix of cream, tan, and dark brown scales; thorax with raised hair tuft posteriorly at dorsal mid­line; venter paler than dorsum; legs concolorous with thorax; tarsi dark with pale scales at joints; abdomen covered in pale tan and cream, hairs intermixed with some dark brown scales, longer cream­colored hair tufts at base; venter pale tan to cream; forewing length 14–17 mm; forewing ground color tan; veins cream colored except outer third; basal line double, black, absent on lower half of wing; area between basal and antemedial line with some cream colored scales; antemedial line double, black, deeply serrate, enclosed space pale tan; orbicular spot oval, outlined in thin black, filled with cream color, center black ring filled with tan; reniform spot half­moon­shaped, outlined in thin black, filled with cream, center tan with black and cream arc; claviform spot outlined in black, filled with cream and tan center, size similar to orbicular spot; postmedial line black, serrate and deeply incurved under spots, double with weaker tan outer line, under reniform spot triple with additional inner black line; space beyond postmedial line cream and tan, becoming mostly pale cream in lower third; subterminal line replaced by black, cream, and black chevrons between veins; terminal line black with cream inner shade; fringe of pale tan, brown and pale cream; underside pale tan with broad marginal dark shade, pale reniform; hindwing inner two­thirds pale yellowish cream, outer third dark brown; veins brown dusted; basal area and discal spot with some tan scales; fringe pale tan, brown, and white; underside similar to dorsal side, but paler and with narrower dark shade, faint postmedial band as brown spots on veins. Male genitalia ( Figs. 28 a and 28b): Uncus stout; juxta oval, thin; sacculus small; valve length 2.5 mm, maximum width 0.75 mm, broadest near base, evenly tapering, more dorsally curved than in related species; clasper length 0.55 mm, thin, straight, with dorsally pointed tip; aedeagus length 2.2 mm, width basally 0.85, distally 0.75 mm; everted vesica length approximately 4 mm, width 1.1 mm at base, 0.7 mm at middle, 0.4 mm near apex, curved at mid­length 60° to right, basally with patch of 0.5–0.7 mm long spines, distally with two dorsal rows of 0.7–0.8 spines and ventral patch of 0.4 mm long spines; apically a 0.8 mm long hair pencil and a stout 0.7 mm long spine. Female genitalia ( Fig. 65 ): Ovipositor lobes rectangular, 0.5 x 0.4 mm, decorated with row of spines near apex, numerous setae point forward; posterior apophyses 2.4 mm, anterior apophyses 1.45 mm long; ductus bursae 1.0 mm wide, narrowing to 0.25 mm, 1.4 mm long, weakly sclerotized; corpus bursae 2.9 x 2.0 mm, oval, slightly twisted counter clockwise, signa absent; ductus seminalis arises near apex.

Distribution and habitat. Oncocnemis duplex has been collected in Oregon, California, and Baja California Norte, Mexico. In southern California it flies in San Diego County in Jacumba and the Laguna Mountains, in the desert regions of Los Angeles County (e.g., Juniper Hills) and Riverside County (Pinyon Crest), in the Mojave Desert from Kern County through San Bernardino County to China Lake in Inyo County, and in the Upper Cuyama Valley in Apache Canyon in Ventura County. Preferred habitats are dry mountain forests, desert­facing sides of the mountains, and mountain­desert transition zones. The flight period is from late August to October.

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 22 – 39. Male genitalia of the new described species and related species: 22, Idia occidentalis. 23, Idia lubricalis. 24, Drasteria convergens (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 25, Drasteria pulchra (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 26, Drasteria tejonica (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 27, Tarachidia nigra. 28, Oncocnemis duplex (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 29, Oncocnemis helena (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 30, Oncocnemis sala (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 31, Oncocnemis kelsoensis (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 32, Annaphila scurlockorum (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 33, Annaphila abdita (a, valve; everted vesica). 34, Cryphia flavipuncta (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 35, Cryphia albipuncta (a, valves; b, everted vesica). 36, Protoperigea umbricata (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 37, Protoperigea posticata (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 38, Protoperigea subterminata (a, valve; b, everted vesica). 39, Protoperigea parvulata (a, valve; b, everted vesica).

FIGURES 63 – 79. Female genitalia of the new described species: 64, Drasteria convergens. 65, Oncocnemis duplex. 66, Oncocnemis helena. 67, Oncocnemis sala. 68, Oncocnemis kelsoensis. 69, Annaphila scurlockorum. 70, Cryphia flavipuncta. 71, Protoperigea umbricata. 72, Protoperigea subterminata. 73, Protoperigea parvulata. 74, Protoperigea calientensis. 75, Aseptis fanatica. 76, Apamea robertsoni. 77, Apamea digitula. 78, Photedes sofiae. 79, Mammifrontia sarae. 80, Lasionycta sala. 81, Trichocerapoda oceanis.