Panthea acronyctoides subsp. nigra Anweiler 2009, ssp. n.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: D0C7898C-597C-4D4D-918B-18C07D689FC9

Figs. 40-43, 52, 63, 72

Panthea angelica of authors, not Dyar, 1921.

Panthea virginarius of authors, not Grote, 1880.

Type material. Holotype male – “USA [United States of America], CO [Colorado]. Gilpin Co. [County] / Rooseveldt N. F. Cpg [National Forest Campground] / 3 km S Nederland, 2600 m / 12.vii.1993, MVL / leg. B. Landry ”; “ HOLOTYPE / Panthea acronyctoides / ssp. nigra / Anweiler” [red label]; [39° 55.103 N 105° 30.46 W], deposited in CNC. Paratypes: 21 ♁, 1 ♀) UNITED STATES: Colorado: Gilpin Co.: Lump Gulch, 9.vii.1955, Hugo Rodeck, coll. (1 ♁); Allenspark, 14- 15.vii.1982, W.D. Winter, coll. (1 ♁). Grand Co.: Harbison Picnic Area, RMNP [Rocky Mountain National Park], 8450', 7.vii.1995, P.A. Opler, coll. (1 ♁, 1 ♀); same locality, 13.viii.1995, P. A. Opler and E. Buckner, coll. (1 ♁); St. Louis Creek, vic. of Fraser, 8.vii.1988, Jack Oder, coll. (1 ♁). Teller Co.: Florissant, 4.ii.1993, M.R. Belmont, coll. (1 ♁). RMNP, Sprague’s, 22.vii.1933, Grace H. and John L. Sperry, coll. (1 ♁). Wyoming: Albany Co.: 0.4 mi. sw Fox Park, T 13N R78W S21, 9040 ', 26.vii.1999, J. Nordin, coll. (3 ♁); same date and collector, Fox Park at Fox Creek, T13N R78W S21, 9040 ' (3 ♁); Hidden Valley Picnic Ground, T14N R72W S35, 8540 ', 6.vii.1999, J.S. Nordin, coll. (2 ♁); Upper Blair PG [Picnic Ground] n. of Rd. 705, T14N R71W S7, 8200 ', 8.vi.2000, J.S. Nordin, coll.(1 ♁); Telephone Creek, s. of Hwy. 130, T16N R79W S14, 13.vii.1999, 10170', J. S. Nordin, coll., (1 ♁); T15N R72W S35, 8550 ', 12-13.vi.2000, C.D. Ferris, coll. (1 ♁); T13N R78W S21, 9060 ',vic. FR 530, 26-27.vii.1999 (1 ♁); T14N R71W S7 SE4, 8200', 22-23. vi.1999, C.D. Ferris, coll. (1 ♁), T15N R71W S18S, 8200', 19-20.vi.1999, C.D. Ferris, coll. (1 ♁).

Etymology. The name nigra means black and refers to the overall dark color of the adults of both sexes.

Diagnosis. Panthea acronyctoides nigra can be separated from nominate P. acronyctoides by the overall dark coloration and by distribution, nigra in the foothills and mountains of western Alberta and British Columbia south to Colorado, nominate acronyctoides from central and eastern Alberta eastward (Fig. 72). Specimens in central Alberta are intermediate. Subspecies nigra occurs with both P. greyi (Colorado) and P. virginarius (north of Colorado). The three species can be very similar in external appearance, but are easily separated by genitalic characters. The male of ssp. nigra (Fig. 52) has two spines on a bulbous vesica, one of which is long and thin, whereas P. greyi (Fig. 56) has a single massive spine on an elongate vesica. The male of nigra can be separated from those of P. virginarius by the lack of the massive, curved spine near the base of the vesica present in P. virginarius (Figs. 50, 51) The female of nigra can be separated from those of both P. greyi and P. virginarius by the smooth-walled ductus bursae with an expanded rim (Fig. 63); the ductus bursae in P. virginarius (Fig. 62) and P. greyi (Fig. 68) is wrinkled or folded and without an inflated rim.

Description. Sexes similar, except female on average slightly larger and darker than male; Forewing length 18-21 mm. Head – male antenna bipectinate, female simple; male antennal pectinations about 1.25-1.5 × as long as width of antennal shaft; palps reduced, covered in gray-brown hairs; head and collar gray. Thorax – gray; tegulae gray with two oblique black stripes; legs clothed in long gray hair; tarsus banded blackish brown and light gray. Dorsal forewing – ground color a mixture of brownish-black and white scales producing a powdery dark gray appearance, crossed by five black lines that can be difficult to trace against the dark background in many specimens; basal line indicated by a small patch of black scales; antemedial line slightly erratic, angled basad below veins R and M and angled distad below vein 1A+2A; medial line wider and more prominent than other lines, shallowly zigzagged, bending distad below vein 1A+2A; postmedial line narrow, dragged outward at each vein, bending basad below vein M3 and approaching me- dial line, fusing with medial line for a short distance in some specimens before angling distad between veins CuA2 and 1A+2A; subterminal line most prominent near costa, angled sharply distad between veins R5 and M1, becoming diffuse and difficult to trace below, bordered on distal side by lighter gray or white scales; fringe dark gray or black, checkered with small patches of white scales at veins; orbicular spot indicated by a small patch of dark scales in some specimens, and reniform spot by a small crescent or bar at end of cell. Abdomen – clothed in a mixture of short stiff dark-brown and dirty-white hair, appearing faintly banded at joints. Dorsal hindwing – dark brownish gray with faint darker gray medial and postmedial bands, shading to a narrow dark terminal line; veins lightly lined with dark scales; usually with a faint white streak or small patch of white scales near lower margin; fringe white, lightly checkered with gray between veins. Male genitalia – (Fig. 55). valve simple; sacculus with a prominent clasper at distal end, s-shaped, flattened blade-like with a rounded terminus, approximately as long as width of valve at midpoint, supported at base with a small buttress; cucullus bluntly pointed; tegumen with a pair of large rounded or triangular subuncal lobes; uncus modified, laterally compressed with a high crown, about as high as wide, tapering very gradually to a very narrow terminus; aedeagus 3-4 × as long as wide; everted inflated vesica small, rounded, globular, tapering into a long narrow ductus seminalis, oriented distad at a shallow angle, armed with two cornuti, smaller cornutus on right side near apex, second cornutus much longer, thin, straight or slightly recurved, on left side closer to apex. Female genitalia – (Fig. 68) papillae anales squared, soft, clothed with sparse fine setae; sterigma well-developed but not massive, smooth; ductus bursae short and wide, about 2 × as long as wide, with smooth thick walls, expanding into a smooth rim around ostium, resembling mouth of a milk-bottle; corpus bursae a large, thin-walled single-chambered oval or slightly teardrop shaped sac, with rows of minute spicules over much of surface; without signa.

Distribution and biology. Subspecies nigra replaces nominate P. acronyctoides in the foothills and mountains of western Alberta westward to central British Columbia and southward in the Rocky Mountains to Colorado; a disjunct population is in the Black Hills of South Dakota (Fig. 72). In Alberta and in the Black Hills of South Dakota, nigra has been collected at elevations of 1220-1370 m, in Wyoming and Colorado to 3050 m. Subspecies nigra occurs in Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud.) forests. Five reared specimens from British Columbia in the CNC were obtained from larvae collected on Lodgepole pine. Adult collection dates range from June 8 through August 13.

Remarks. Previous literature reports of P. acronyctoides from British Columbia (Smith and Dyar 1898; Forbes 1954; McDunnough 1937) almost certainly refer to black and white specimens of P. virginarius, as all museum specimens examined from the Rocky Mountains westward labeled as P. acronyctoides were misidentified specimens of P. virginarius. Conversely, specimens of P. acronyctoides nigra from Colorado were found in institutional collections misidentified as either P. angelica (Dyar) or P. portandia Grote, new synonyms of P. virginarius.