Lasionycta flanda Crabo & Lafontaine 2009, stat. rev.

Lasionycta flanda (Smith), stat. rev.

Figs 30, 148, 204. Map 9

Anarta flanda Smith, 1908: 111.

Lasiestra leucocycla flanda; McDunnough 1938: 71.

Lasionycta leucocycla flanda; Lafontaine et al. 1986: 257.

Type material. Lectotype ♁ [AMNH, examined]. Type locality: Newfoundland. Th e male lectotype was designated by Todd (1982: 84).

Diagnosis. Lasionycta flanda resembles L. leucocycla but has a yellow-brown hindwing and blue-gray forewing with patches of yellow scales. It has narrow biserrate male antenna and genitalia indistinguishable from those of L. leucocycla, but the eye is rounded, normal in size, whereas those of L. leucocycla are reduced in size. Lasionycta flanda is restricted to Newfoundland and Labrador. It is only likely to be confused with L. l. moeschleri in Labrador but can be distinguished by hindwing color and eye size. Lasionycta flanda tends to be larger than L. l. moeschleri (12–13 mm for L. flanda males compared with 10–12 mm for L. l. moeschleri males). Th e female bursa is similar to that of L. leucocycla but is larger.

The single available L. flanda CO1 sequence of is identical to that of L. anthracina and similar to those of L. leucocycla.

Distribution and biology. Lasionycta flanda is found on the island of Newfoundland and at Goose Bay in eastern Labrador and occurs on tundra. It has been collected from mid-July to early August. It is nocturnal and comes to light (D. Macaulay pers. comm.).

Remarks. Lafontaine et al. (1986) treated L. flanda as an endemic Newfoundland subspecies of L. leucocycla, but the taxa are sympatric in Labrador. Two typical, dusky L. flanda females with round eyes from Goose Bay were found amongst L. l. moeschleri at the CNC. Lasionycta leucocycla from nearby Cartwright and Hopedale have reduced ellipsoid eyes and white hindwings typical for L. leucocycla moeschleri.