Bleptina biformata Troubridge

Troubridge, J. T., 2020, A new genus and 37 new noctuoid species from peninsular Florida and the Keys (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea), Insecta Mundi 2020 (789), pp. 1-56 : 2-3

Bleptina biformata Troubridge , new species

( Fig. 1a, 1b, 1c , 57 , 105 )

BIN: BOLD:AAH4580

Diagnosis. Bleptina biformata is most closely related to B. caradrinalis Guenée ( Fig. 3 ), and are distinguished from each other by the larger size of B. caradrinalis (forewing length 12–14 mm vs. B. biformata forewing length 8–11 mm) and by the male genitalia, in which the apex of the valve of B. biformata has a single, curved terminal spine dorsally and is rounded ventrally ( Fig. 57 ) that of B. caradrinalis is drawn to distinct dorsal and ventral points ( Fig. 56 ).

Description. Antennae filiform, ciliate; head, vertex, thorax, and abdomen beige with scattered patches of black scales. Dorsal forewing. Forewing length 8–11 mm. Bleptina biformata is sexually dimorphic and highly variable, the ground color can be light gray brown, brown, or beige. Males. Antemedial line usually absent, if present, usually reduced to one or two diffuse black spots on veins; median line of diffuse black scales relatively broad; postmedial line a series of black dots on veins; submarginal line entire, light brown, edged by darker brown and black scales, arcs evenly from tornus to vein CuA1 and then makes a straight line to the costal margin; terminal line a series of dark dots between veins; fringe brown; orbicular spot, if present, is a small black dot; reniform spot ochre with a black dot in lower half. Females. Females tend to have two distinct forms, although intermediate specimens are common as well. In the first form ( Fig. 1b ), the ground color is light gray brown, the orbicular spot is present as a black dot, the reniform spot is a bold, black inverted comma shape, the medial line is present as a faint dark shadow, and the other ordinary lines are as described for the male, only fainter. In the second form ( Fig. 1c ), the ground color is light gray brown; basal and antemedial lines occur as bold black spots on veins; medial line entirely absent; postmedial line a double series of bold black spots that alternate on either side of an imaginary line, producing a zig-zag appearance; submarginal line slightly paler than ground color of wing, bordered basally and distally by black spots on veins; terminal line as in male; fringe light gray brown; orbicular and claviform spots black; reniform spot rust colored with black dot in the ventral half and black scales on basal margin. Dorsal hindwing (both sexes). Ground color light gray brown basally with darker gray-brown submarginal shade; postmedial line and discal spot gray-brown; terminal line a series of dark gray-brown dots between veins; fringe light gray brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 57 ). Valves symmetrical, long and relatively narrow, apex with a single curved, claw-like spine dorsally, rounded ventrally, the valve otherwise unarmed; vesica with basal, globular chamber on left, with a field of minute cornuti and three large, spine-like cornuti, cornuti absent from apical diverticulum. Uncus with recurved neck, swollen in mid section with pointed tip. Female genitalia ( Fig. 105 ). Ovipositor lobes setose with flattened apices; ostium bursae with lateral sclerites attached to anterior apophyses; short, membranous ductus bursae terminates at appendix bursae; appendix bursae with small, bulbous chamber from which a dorsal diverticulum arises and narrows toward ductus seminalis; posterior section of corpus bursae forms a tube with several ridges terminating at oval anterior section of corpus bursae; anterior section of corpus bursae encircled by band of several long, knife-like cornuti that extend inward.

Type material. Holotype male: USA: Florida, Monroe Co.: Bahia Honda , 24.665°N, 81.254°W, 9.Dec.2013, J. Troubridge, in the CNC . Paratypes: 59♂, 83♀: Miami-Dade Co.: Card Sound Rd. , 25.341°N, 80.412°W, 10.Apr.2018, J. Troubridge, 1♀ ; Monroe Co.: Bahia Honda , 24.665°N, 81.254°W, 9.Dec.2015, 2♀ ; 16.Dec.2014, 1♂, 2♀ ; 9.Dec.2013, 5♂, 4♀; 9.Nov.2013, 1♂ 2♀; 12.Mar.2012, 1♀; 4.Mar.2013, 6♀; 8.Feb.2013, 3♀; 8.Apr.2013, 2♂, 1♀; 8.Jul.2013, 1♂, 2♀; 3.Mar.2013, 1♀; 15.Feb.2018, 1♂, 5♀, all J. Troubridge ; Big Pine Key , 24° 40.93′N, 81° 22.06′W, 23.Feb.2011, 1♀ ; 4.Dec.2011, 1♀ ; Upper Key Largo , 25.267°N, 80.292°W, 10.Dec.2015, 3♂, 1♀ ; 11.Mar.2015, 1♀ ; 12.Apr.2016, 1♂; 25.263°N, 80.313°W, 11.Mar.2018, 1♂, 5♀; 11.Mar.2018, 1♂, 5♀ ; 9.Apr.2018, 2♂, 2♀; 16.Jul.2018, 1♂; 10.Apr.2018, 1♀, all J. Troubridge ; Long Key , 24.814°N, 80.822°W, 13.Mar.2015, J. Troubridge 1♂, 2♀ ; Islamorada , 24.963° N, 80.566°W, 2.Apr.2014, 5♂, 8♀ ; 15.Dec.2014, 9♂, 4♀ ; 3.Mar.2014, 3♂, 1♀, all J. Troubridge ; Long Point Key , 24.749°N, 80.364°W, 13.Mar.2015, 1♂, 1♀ ; 2.Feb.2015, 2♂, 3♀, all J. Troubridge ; Dagny Johnson State Park , 25.184°N, 80.362°W, 20.Jun.2014, 5♂, 4♀ ; 25.181°N, 80.364°W, 3.Mar.2014, 5♂, 4♀ ; 2.Apr.2014, 1♂, 1♀ ; 25.179°N, 80.366°W, 2♀, all J. Troubridge; No Name Key , 24.695°N, 81.329°W, 21.Jun.2017, J. Troubridge, 1♀ ; Plantation Key , 4.Apr.1966, C.F. Zeiger and H. V. Weems Jr., 3♂ ( FSCA) ; Key Largo , 2.May.1957, H. V. Weems Jr., slide MGCL 5857m, 3♂ ( FSCA) ; Big Pine Key , 24.673°N, 81.363°W, Malaise trap, 16–28.May.2019, J. Farnum, 1♂ ( FSCA) ; Bahia Honda State Park , 24.666°N, 81.253°W, 12.Mar.2012, J. Troubridge, 1♀ ( FSCA) ; same data, 8.Feb.2013, slide MGCL 5858 f, 2♀ ( FSCA) ; Dagny Johnson State Park , 25.179°N, 80.366°W, 7.Jul.2013, J. Troubridge, 2♀ ( FSCA) .

Etymology. The name refers to the sexual dimorphism this species exhibits.

Distribution. This species is known from the Florida Keys and adjacent mainland and probably the Bahamas and Cuba. Núñez Aguila and Barro Cañamero (2012) list Bleptina caradrinalis as occurring in Cuba, I strongly suspect that this is actually Bleptina biformata .

Remarks. The DNA of B. biformata was analyzed and the 658 COI base pairs compared with those of specimens of B. caradrinalis . The results showed a 3.8% difference between B. biformata and B. caradrinalis , its nearest North American relative.

Figures

Figures 1–12. Adults. 1a) Bleptina biformata ♂, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 1b) Bleptina biformata ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 1c) Bleptina biformata ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 2a) Bleptina flavivena ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 2b) Bleptina flavivena ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 3) Bleptina caradrinalis ♂, Ocala, FL. 4a) Bleptina verticalis ♂, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 4b) Bleptina verticalis ♀, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 5a) Bleptina extincta ♂, paratype, Monroe County, FL.5b) Bleptina extincta ♀, paratype, Monroe County, FL.6) Bleptina araealis ♂, Andros, Bahamas. 7a–c) Toxonprucha killamae ♀ variation, paratypes, Bahia Honda, FL. 8a) Lascoria coma ♂, paratype, North Port, FL. 8b) Lascoria coma ♀, paratype, North Port, FL. 9) Lascoria orneodalis ♂, Key Largo, FL. 10) Metalectra dixoni ♂, paratype, Florida City, FL. 11) Metalectra nigrior ♂, paratype, North Port, FL. 12a) Janzena pyraliformis ♂, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. 12b) Janzena pyraliformis, Mayagüez, PR, showing hood.

Figures 55–60. Male genitalia. 55) Bleptina flavivena, paratype, North Port, FL. 56) Bleptina caradrinalis, North Port, FL. 57) Bleptina biformata, paratype, Bahia Honda, FL. 58) Bleptina extincta, holotype, Miami-Dade County, FL. 59) Bleptina araealis, Andros, Bahamas. 60) Bleptina verticalis, paratype, Key Largo, FL.

Figures 105–113. Female genitalia. 105) Bleptina biformata, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 106) Bleptina extincta, paratype, Miami-Dade County, FL. 107) Bleptina flavivena, paratype, Collier County, FL. 108) Bleptina verticalis, paratype, Key Largo, FL. 109) Janzena pyraliformis, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. 110) Lascoria coma, paratype, North Port, FL. 111) Lascoria orneodalis, Key Largo, FL. 112) Lascoria ambigualis, Highlands County, FL. 113) Lascoria alucitalis, Key Largo, FL.