Nycthia Pogue, 2019

Brown, John W., 2019, New genera, new species, and new combinations in New World Cochylina (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae: Tortricinae), Zootaxa 4671 (2), pp. 195-222 : 204-205

Nycthia Pogue , new genus

Type species. Phalonia pimana Busck, 1907 , by present designation.

Nycthia ; Pogue and Mickevich, 1990: 322 (nomen nudum).

Cochylini New Genus 5 [ pimana group]; Brown, 2005: 208; Metzler and Brown 2014: 278.

Nycthia is described to accommodate two previously recognized species, N. pimana and N. yuccatana . The two were described in Phalonia and treated as such in early checklists and catalogs (e.g., McDunnough 1939). Powell (1983) transferred yuccatana to “incertae sedis” and pimana to Cochylis ; Pogue (1986) proposed the name Nycthia for the two species in his unpublished dissertation. Razowski (1994: 294) placed them both in Cochylis “…until a description of the new genus is published,” referring to Pogue’s work. Brown (2005) and Metzler and Brown (2014) treated them as “ Cochylini New Genus.”

Diagnosis. Adults of Nycthia are not particularly similar to any other North American Cochylina ( Figs. 9, 10 ), although the complete, narrow, median fascia of N. pimana is somewhat reminiscent of the forewing pattern of the eastern Eugnosta sartana (Hübner, 1823) or Cochylis caulocatax Razowski, 1984 . As in most Nearctic Cochylina, males of Nycthia lack a forewing costal fold and have a well-developed hindwing costal roll similar to species of Cochylis and related genera. The most conspicuous autapomorphy for Nycthia is the highly modified valva, with a short, free, lobelike costa; an extremely long, slender, curved, rodlike median portion; and a thumblike sacculus. The uncus is represented by a short, membranous, broadly triangular process; and the median process of the transtilla is long and slender with a curved tip, similar to that of Cochylis and related genera (e.g., Cochylichroa, Thyraylia ).

Description. Head: Vertex and upper frons rough scaled, lower frons with sparse appressed scales; ocellus present; antennal sensory setae 1.0–1.2 diameter of flagellomere in male, shorter and sparser in female; labial palpus porrect, combined length of all segments 2.5–3.0 times horizontal diameter of compound eye, segment III nearly concealed by scaling of segment II; maxillary palpus 3-segmented. Thorax: Posterior crest present. Forewing with base of costa straight, gently curved in distal 0.33 to rounded apex; termen oblique; Sc ca. 0.5 wing length; R 1 originating beyond middle of discal cell; R 2 nearer R 3 than R 1; R 5 ending at costa; M 3 and CuA 1 separate; CuA 2 originating at 0.65 length of discal cell; CuP absent; A1+2 stalked about 0.5 length; chorda and M-stem a trace in discal cell; costal fold absent. Hindwing length ca. 2.5 times width; costal roll present in male; Sc+R ca. 0.35 hindwing length, ending before wing margin; Rs and M 1 fused ca. 0.5 length, Rs to costa before apex, M 1 to termen; M 2, M 3, CuA 1 widely separated at base; CuP faint; frenulum with one acanthus in male, two (rarely one) in female. Abdomen: Unmodified. Male genitalia ( Figs. 24, 25 ) with uncus represented by a small triangular lobe; socius small, rounded or broadly triangular, fused basally, sparsely setose; tegumen triangular; transtilla well developed, with elongate median process, nearly uniform in width throughout, pointed apically; valva with short costal process projecting at 90‒100 angle from vertical (tegumen), median process of valva elongate, strongly curved, extending beyond sac- culus, pointed apically, sacculus free from valva except at base, digitate, well sclerotized; vinculum narrow, arms connected by membrane distally. Phallus large, 1.5–2.0 times length of median process of valva, bent near middle, with pointed ventral termination; phallobase with a pair of small, lateral, rounded, membranous wings; vesica with patch of fine spiculae, lacking cornuti. Female genitalia ( Figs. 38 , 39 ) with ovipositor elongate, telescopic; papillae anales lightly sclerotized, slender, joined and narrowed posteriorly, sparsely setose; apophyses anteriores ca. 1.2 times length of apophyses posteriores; sterigma lightly sclerotized, lamella antevaginalis U-shaped, pointed posteriorly, not joined to apophyses anteriores; lamella postvaginalis membranous, with two lightly sclerotized, setose bands coalesced with top of colliculum; ductus bursae with elongate, strongly sclerotized colliculum, proximal ends slightly bent laterally, rounded; origin of accessory bursae just beyond anterior margin of sclerotized region; corpus bursae with short vertical convolutions from junction with ductus bursae; signum absent.

Distribution and biology. Nycthia ranges from Texas west to southern California, and south to Chiapas, Mexico; Razowski (1994) illustrated a female from the Dominican Republic. The few specimens examined from Mexico may represent one or more undescribed species that do not range as far north as U.S. border. All reported life history information indicates that larvae are specialists on the seeds of Agave and Yucca (Liliaceae) . The female genitalia have a long slender ovipositor adapted for depositing eggs in the flowers and fruit. A presumed yucca-feeder ( N. yuccatana ) and a presumed agave-feeder ( N. pimana ) have been recorded as sympatric in at least two localities in southern California: Pinyon Crest in Riverside County, and Blair Valley in San Diego County.

Etymology. The generic name is an anagram of Cynthia, and is named in honor of Mike Pogue’s late cousin, Cynthia L. Haines. It is feminine in gender.

Figures

FIGURES 1–10. Adults of Cochylini genera. 1. Anacochylidia maderana, Madera Canyon, Santa Rita Mountains, Arizona (EME). 2. Cagiva cephalanthana, Dorman Lake, Oktibbeha Co., Mississippi (USNM). 3. Atroposia oenotherana, Houston, Harris Co., Texas (USNM). 4. Atroposia oenotherana, Radisson, Onondaga Co., New York (USNM). 5. Cybilla hubbardana, Shafter, Presidio Co., Texas (USNM). 6. Cybilla hubbardana, Lordsburg, Hidalgo Co., New Mexico (CNC). 7. Honca grandis, Chimney Gulch, Golden, Colorado (USNM). 8. Pogospinia floridana, Long Key State Park, Monroe Co., Florida (USNM). 9. Nycthia pimama, Portal, Cochise Co., Arizona (USNM). 10. Nycthia yuccatana, Falcon State Park, Starr Co., Texas (USNM).

FIGURES 19–26. Male genitalia of Cochylini genera. 19. Anacochylidia maderana, Palmerlee, Arizona, USNM slide 23,359. 20. Atroposia oenotherana, Padre Island National Seashore, Texas, USNM slide 153,596. 21. Cagiva cephalanthana, Dorman Lake, Mississippi, USNM slide 150,530. 22. Cybilla hubbardana, Tucson, Arizona, USNM slide 29,397. 23. Honca grandis, Ogden Canyon, Utah, USNM slide 153,598. 24. Nycthia pimama, Blair Valley, California, USNM slide 144,042. 25. Nycthia yuccatana, Laguna Atacosa, Texas, USNM slide 120,405. 26. Pogospinia floridana, Key Largo, Florida, USNM slide 23,249.

FIGURES 33–38. Female genitalia of Cochylini genera. 33. Anacochylidia maderana, Palmerlee,Arizona, USNM slide 23,358. 34. Atroposia oenotherana, Padre Island National Seashore, Texas, USNM slide 153,597. 35. Cagiva cephalanthana, Dorman, Mississippi, USNM slide 153,609. 36. Cybilla hubbardana (holotype), Tucson, Arizona, USNM slide 23833. 37. Honca grandis, Wellsville, Utah, USNM slide 153,599. 38. Nycthia pimama, Miller Canyon, Arizona, slide MGP 660.

FIGURES 39–43. Female genitalia of Cochylini genera. 39. Nycthia yuccatana, Laguna Atacosa, Texas, USNM slide 150,135. 40. Pogospinia floridana, Archbold Biological Station, Florida, USNM slide 23,216. 41. Cochylichroa atricapitana, Germany, USNM slide 153,638. 42. Monoceratuncus lantana, Fremont, Texas, USNM slide 23,056. 43. Mimcochylis fulvotinctana, Huachuca Mountains, Arizona, USNM slide 153,591.