Apamea digitula Mustelin and Mikkola

Mustelin, Tomas, 2006, Taxonomy of southern California Erebidae and Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) with descriptions of twenty one new species, Zootaxa 1278, pp. 1-47 : 31-32

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.273509
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.6261552
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03A287F8-FFF1-0860-450E-F98F65DAFE4D
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Apamea digitula Mustelin and Mikkola
status	sp. nov.

Treatment

Apamea digitula Mustelin and Mikkola View in CoL , NEW SPECIES

Figs. 16 View FIGURES 1 – 21 , 47 View FIGURES 40 – 63 a, 47b, and 77

Type material. Holotype: Female, Laguna Mountains, San Diego County, California, 1500 m, 9 May 1997, T. Mustelin. Paratypes: 12 specimens (5 males, 7 females). San Diego County: Same locality as holotype, 1680 m, 9 May 1997, T. Mustelin (1 male, 1 female), 1800 m, 22 May 2001 (1 male), 27 June 1998, T. Mustelin (1 male), 1800 m, 29 May 1999, T. Mustelin (1 male, 2 females), 1680 m, 6 June 1999, N. Bloomfield (1 male, 4 females). Holotype and genitalic slide #104/TM deposited in SDNHM, paratypes in SDNHM, ZMH, and author’s collection.

Etymology. The specific name digitula means means little finger and refers to the short digitus of the male genitalia.

Diagnosis. This species is a close relative of Apamea sordens (Hufnagel, 1766) . The two species differ in appearance: A. digitula is considerably darker and often has a much broader median field with more brown ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 1 – 21 a). Diagnostically, the subterminal line is serrated ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 1 – 21 b) and the area beyond it dark gray. Orbicular and reniform spots are large ( Fig. 15 View FIGURES 1 – 21 c), but narrower than in A. sordens . The male genitalia of A. digitula have a differently shaped cucullus and a very short digitus ( Fig. 47 View FIGURES 40 – 63 a) compared to A. sordens ( Fig. 48 View FIGURES 40 – 63 ).

Description. Antenna finely ciliate in males, filiform in females; eyes naked, dark gray with black spots; palpus and frons covered in pale and black hairs; black stripe in front of eyes; patagium, tegula and thorax covered in mix of pale and black scales, tegula rimmed with broader black scales; thorax covered dorsally with raised hair tufts; venter paler; legs concolorous; tarsi dark with pale scales at joints; abdomen covered in pale tangray hairs with blackish, raised hair tufts at midline; venter paler; forewing ground color gray; basal dash black, Yshaped; orbicular spot large, round, outlined in thin black, filled with pale gray; reniform spot large, kidneyshaped, outlined in thin black, filled with pale gray; lower portion darker; claviform spot weak, in thin black; basal line black; antemedial line pale gray, doubly blackrimmed, dark patch on costa; median field broad, dusted in brown and black; midmedian shade dark under spots, black on costa; postmedial line pale gray, doubly blackrimmed, finely serrate, Sshaped, touches reniform spot on costa; subterminal line variably distinct, serrate, black; area beyond pale gray; terminal line black chevrons between veins; fringe of ground color with some black scales; ventral side pale; veins darker; discal spot diffuse, dark; postmedial line dark; subterminal shade dark. Hindwing gray brown; subterminal shade broad; discal spot dark; terminal line dark brown; fringe pale tan, darkening outward; ventral side pale with brown dusting; discal spot dark; terminal line dark; fringe pale. Male genitalia ( Figs. 47 View FIGURES 40 – 63 a and 47b): Uncus long and thin; juxta shieldlike with relatively broad lateral appendages; sacculus stout; valve long and slender, total length 4.1 mm, width at middle 0.9 mm; cucullus broad and round, dorsally biased, width 1.35 mm; digitus 0.4 mm; aedeagus rounded, length 2.4 mm, width 0.5–0.6 mm; everted vesica 2.5 mm long, width basally 1.2 mm tapering to 0.5 mm, with left diverticulum turning ventrally, with one dorsal and one ventral cornutus, latter pointing to right; distally on vesica longitudinal pouch, which points to left. Female genitalia ( Fig. 77 View FIGURES 63 – 79 ): Ovipositor lobes 1.55 mm long, drawn to sharp beaklike point, heavily sclerotized; posterior apophyses 1.3 mm long, anterior apophyses 0.95 mm long; ductus bursae 1 mm long, 1 mm wide, heavily sclerotized, with thick ruffles, junction to corpus bursae pointing right; corpus bursae 4.2 mm long, 0.9 mm wide, widening to 2.0 mm, fundus triangular, signa absent; appendix bursae arises from right posterior corpus bursae.

Distribution and habitat. This endemic southern California species is known only from the Laguna Mountains in southernmost San Diego County, only a few miles north of the Mexican border, where it flies in open pine and oak forest and grassy meadows at 1000–2000 m in May through June.