Protorthodes rufula (Grote, 1874)

Lafontaine, J. Donald, Walsh, J. Bruce & Ferris, Clifford D., 2014, A revision of the genus Protorthodes McDunnough with descriptions of a new genus and four new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Noctuinae, Eriopygini), ZooKeys 421, pp. 139-179 : 152

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Noctuidae

Protorthodes rufula (Grote, 1874) Figs 33-38, 66, 83; Map 10

Dianthoecia rufula Grote, 1874a: 64.

Type material.

Dianthoecia rufula : holotype ♀, BMNH, examined. Type locality: California, Oakland.

Diagnosis.

Protorthodes rufula is much more varied in color than Protorthodes perforata with the forewing varying from pale whitish buff, through various shades of red and orange, to brown. Unlike in Protorthodes perforata , almost all specimens show some areas or patches of rufous shading and the ground color is much more mottled in Protorthodes rufula . Forewing length ranges from 13 to 16 mm, averaging larger than in Protorthodes perforata . In the male genitalia, the right digitus projects posteriorly beyond the end of the valve, whereas on the left valve it is shorter and projects posteroventrally below the valve; the ampulla of the clasper is evenly curved in a rounded arc on both valves; the dorsal lobe of the sacculus is elongated and narrow with the dorsal margin slightly concave and extending into a rounded densely setose lobe anteriorly. The vesica has a long cornutus about 1/3 from the base that projects along the axis of the vesica toward the end of the aedeagus. In the female genitalia the ostium bursae is covered by a heavily-sclerotized ventral plate that is lobed and convex posteriorly and concave where it meets the ductus bursae anteriorly; the ductus bursae is elongated, about 2 × as long as the ostial plate, and is sclerotized with elongated ridges and folds.

Distribution and biology.

Protorthodes rufula is a species of the far west with most records being from the Pacific Coast, and the coastal mountain ranges from northern Washington to southern California - to the west of the known range of Protorthodes perforata in southern California. Adults were collected from mid-April to mid-June in the North (from mid-February in southern California) and again from early August to late October. The larva was described by Crumb (1956) and Godfrey (1972).