Lasionycta caesia Crabo & Lafontaine 2009, sp. n.

Lasionycta caesia Crabo & Lafontaine, sp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 80722CAD-CBD9-4509-A2DC-C6BAC25846F6

Figs 68, 69, 175, 231. Map 17

Type material. Holotype ♁. Canada, British Columbia, Gott Peak, [50.36° N 122.14° W], 7100’, 13 July 2001, J. Troubridge. CNC. Paratypes 213 ♁, 31 ♀. Canada. British Columbia. Same data as holotype (5 ♁, 3 ♀); same locality as holotype, 20 Aug.

1993, A. & L. Crabo & J. Troubridge (1 ♁), 30 July 1994, L. Crabo & J. Troubridge (1 ♁), 23 Aug. 1996, J. Troubridge (18 ♁), 29 July 2000, J. Troubridge (13 ♁, 1♀), 17 Aug. 2000, J. Troubridge (54 ♁, 4♀), 10 Aug. 2001, J. Troubridge (16 ♁, 3 ♀), 6 Aug. 2005, L. G. Crabo (16 ♁, 2 ♀), 26 July 2006, L. G. Crabo (82 ♁, 16 ♀); Mission Ridge, 5800’, 50° 45' N 119° 37' W, 15–16 July 1994, L. Crabo & J. Troubridge (3 ♁), 10 July 1998, J. Troubridge (1 ♀); Coast Range, Perkins Peak, 6230–7400’, 51.82-[51.8] 3° N 125.02-[125.0] 5° W, 5 Aug. 2005, L. G. Crabo (4 ♁, 1 ♀). AMNH, CDFC, CNC, GBC, JSC, LGC, OSU, TMC, USNM, WSU.

Th e type series is restricted to British Columbia.

Etymology. The name caesia is derived from the Latin caesius meaning blue gray. It refers to the color on the forewing of this species.

Diagnosis. Lasionycta caesia is an attractive species from the Pacific Northwest. It has a charcoal gray forewing with patchy lighter blue gray to greenish blue proximal to the antemedial line and distal to the postmedial line. The dorsal hindwing is dark gray with white scales at the anal angle and a white fringe. Th e ventral hindwing is whitish gray with dark-gray basal suffusion, discal spot, equally dark postmedial line and marginal band, and dark scaling on the veins. Th e male corona is compound with up to three irregular rows of setae. Th e female genitalia are similar to those of other species in the sub-group, but the appendix bursae is relatively short.

Lasionycta caesia occurs with L. u. multicolor and L. gelida and is similar to both species. Differences between L. caesia and L. u. multicolor are given under the latter species. Males of L. caesia and L. gelida both have a compound male corona. The dorsal hindwing of L. gelida differs from that of L. caesia in being pale whitish gray with a dark marginal band. Females of L. caesia have normal size ovipositor lobes whereas those of L. gelida are large and rounded.

The CO1 sequence of L. caesia is the most distinctive in the L. phoca sub-group. It is placed as an isolated segregate in the DNA tree and differs from the other species by over 1.4 %. It is placed as a sister group to a large group of species that includes the other L. phoca sub-group species (Fig. 248).

Description. Head – Antenna of male biserrate and fasciculate, individual segments triangular, 1.6–1.9× as wide as central shaft. Antenna of female filiform and ciliate. Dorsal segments dark gray proximally, yellow distally. Scape white, tuft at base of dorsal antenna cream and gray. Eye normal size. Palpus gray laterally, luteous white medially. Frons luteous white centrally, gray laterally. Top of head a mixture of cream and charcoal-gray scales, darkest posteriorly. Thorax – Vestiture cream and dark-gray hair-like scales, darkest gray posterior to prothoracic collar. Prothoracic collar lighter than central thorax with white to cream apex. Patagium dark gray centrally, cream peripherally. Legs covered with dark-gray and a few cream scales. Tarsal segments dark gray, ringed distally with pale-luteous scales. Wings – Forewing length: males 13–15 mm (expanse 30–34 mm); females 14–16 mm (expanse 32–35 mm). Forewing ground color a mixture of slate- and charcoal-gray scales, appearing charcoal gray. Area proximal to antemedial line, postmedial area adjacent to reniform spot, and most of area distal to postmedial line covered with bluish white, yellow, and fewer gray scales, appearing light blue gray to blue green. Basal, antemedial, and postmedial lines black, single. Basal and antemedial lines irregular. Medial line black, moderately strong but only slightly darker than ground color. Postmedial line scalloped between veins, strongly convex from costa to lower end of cell and then oblique to posterior margin, distinct due to lighter shading in adjacent subterminal area. Subterminal line pale blue gray, similar to adjacent terminal area, preceded by patchy black shade interrupted opposite cell and in fold. Terminal line thin, black, interrupted between veins. Spots black. Orbicular spot relatively small, round, filled with similar color as antemedial area and a small central ocellus in some specimens. Reniform spot inconspicuous, narrow kidney shaped, filled with same color as antemedial area peripherally and dark gray centrally, strongest in lower half. Claviform spot absent. Fringe luteous off-white and gray, checkered darker gray between veins. Ventral forewing shiny smoky gray, suffused with pale whitish gray from fold to posterior margin and variably suffused with luteous off-white scales between discal spot and postmedial line, in subterminal space, and in terminal space, strongest at apex. Discal spot thin, inconspicuous. Postmedial line similar to ground color but slightly darker at costa, wide and ill defined, evident mostly due to adjacent lighter areas. Veins in subterminal area dark in specimens with light background. Subterminal line preceded by a smoky-gray shade in some specimens. Fringe luteous off-white, checkered with dark gray between veins. Dorsal hindwing medium gray, lightest between postmedial line and anal angle, heavily suffused with slate gray elsewhere. Discal spot faint, bar-like. Postmedial line slightly darker than ground color, ill defined, even. Marginal band uniform dark gray with indistinct inner margin. Fringe luteous off-white with small numbers of gray scales in medial row, white distally. Ventral hindwing shiny whitish gray with heavy dusting of gray scales medial to postmedial line. Veins dark, most evident between postmedial line and marginal band. Discal spot dark, nearly black, arrowhead shaped. Postmedial line dark gray, lighter than discal spot, wide and ill defined, even. Marginal band uniform dark gray similar to postmedial line, relatively narrow and with better demarcated inner margin than in most other species in the L. phoca sub-group. Fringe luteous off-white. Abdomen – Covered with uniform fuscous-gray scales. Longer scales covering male genitalia luteous gray. Male genitalia – (Fig. 175) Genital capsule and aedeagus generally as in L. leucocycla species-group and L. phoca sub-group descriptions. Valve approximately 5–6× as long as wide, with moderately constricted neck gradually tapered from level of base of clasper to cucullus. Cucullus moderately large, slightly rounded with compound corona of three irregular rows of setae near apex and two rows toward ventral margin. Vesica with 0–2 basal cornuti. Female genitalia – (Fig. 231) Ovipositor lobe, segment VIII, and bursa copulatrix as in L. leucocycla species-group and L. phoca subgroup descriptions. Bursa copulatrix slightly smaller than average for species-group with relatively short appendix bursa.

Distribution and biology. Lasionycta caesia occurs in the Cascade Mountains of northern Washington and the British Columbia Coast Range to 58 degrees north latitude. It occurs in rocky alpine tundra near tree line and is nocturnal. It has been found from mid-July to mid-August. Adults are often common where they occur but are rarely collected due to limited access to the proper habitat.