Figs. 36-38, 53, 64, 72

Audela acronyctoides Walker, 1861: 37.

Panthea leucomelana Morrison, 1876: 428.

Diphthera acronyctoides (Walker); Draudt 1924 In: Seitz 1924: 18

Panthea acronyctoides ( Walker ); McDunnough 1937: 153; Franclemont and Todd 1983: 134.

Panthea acronyctoides albosuffusa McDunnough, 1937: 153; Franclemont and Todd 1983: 134. New synonomy.

Type material. Audela acronyctoides: Holotype male, Montcalm Co., Quebec, Canada, in CNC. The holotype male is in poor condition (photograph examined).

Panthea leucomelana: described by Morrison from 2 specimens, from Maine and New Hampshire. According to Smith (1893), Morrison’s type is in the Tepper collection, which resides in MSU. There is a single specimen, from “ Maine ” in the Tepper collection at MSU, presumed to be one of the two Morrison types; the other specimen is apparently lost (Wilterding 1997). The Maine specimen bears a Lectotype label placed there by J. H. Wilterding; however this action was never published (Wilterding pers. comm.). I hereby designate this specimen as Lectotype of P. leucomelana Morrison. A label printed on red cardstock reading “ LECTOTYPE ”/ Panthea / leucomelana Morrison / G.G. Anweiler ” will be affixed to this specimen.

Panthea acronyctoides var. albosuffusa . Holotype male, White Point Beach, Queen’s Co., Nova Scotia, Canada (in CNC, type #4223). The holotype and 3 ♁ 3 ♀ paratypes from Nova Scotia, Canada in CNC (examined).

Diagnosis. Throughout most of its range, nominate Panthea acronyctoides can be recognized by smaller size and black and white or gray and white pattern. The only other Panthea species occurring with nominate P. acronyctoides is P. furcilla, a larger and darker gray and black species. In western North America, ssp. nigra , occurs with both P. greyi and P. virginarius. Both subspecies of P. acronyctoides can be separated from all other Panthea by the combination of a small spine and a second long thin spine on the male vesica, and smooth-walled ductus bursae with an expanded rim in the female.

Remarks. Although described as a subspecies by McDunnough, albosuffusa is clearly a form as pointed by Forbes (1954), who refers to a brood reared from eggs produced by a female albosuffusa that produced about ¼ albosuffusa, ¼ typical and ½ melanic specimens (Forbes 1954). Specimens of small dark dwarfed populations of P. acronyctoides have been seen from bogs in the southern four tiers of counties in Michigan. These are much smaller and darker than P. acronyctoides found elsewhere, and are possibly environmentally induced by the cool wet habitat they occupy. The genitalia of these specimens do not differ from those of typical P. acronyctodes except in size.

Distribution and biology. Nominate P. acronyctoides is found throughout much of the wooded parts of eastern and northern North America, from northern Georgia north to Newfoundland and Nunavut, west across the northeastern tier of states and southern and central Canada to Alberta. It intergrades with ssp. nigra in central Alberta (Fig. 72). Nominate P. acronyctoides occupies a range of coniferous habitats, including spruce, larch, fir and mixed forest.

The larva of P. acronyctoides is described and illustrated by Brown and McGuffin (1942).