Taxonomy of southern California Erebidae and Noctuidae (Lepidoptera) with descriptions of twenty one new species Author Mustelin, Tomas text Zootaxa 2006 1278 1 47 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.273509 899ffdc9-d0a8-4d5d-946e-a7cb59be3020 1175­5326 273509 Apamea digitula Mustelin and Mikkola , NEW SPECIES Figs. 16 , 47 a, 47b, and 77 Type material. Holotype : Female, Laguna Mountains, San Diego County, California, 1500 m , 9 May 1997 , T. Mustelin. Paratypes : 12 specimens ( 5 males , 7 females ). San Diego County: Same locality as holotype , 1680 m , 9 May 1997 , T. Mustelin ( 1 male , 1 female ), 1800 m , 22 May 2001 ( 1 male ), 27 June 1998 , T. Mustelin ( 1 male ), 1800 m , 29 May 1999 , T. Mustelin ( 1 male , 2 females ), 1680 m , 6 June 1999 , N. Bloomfield ( 1 male , 4 females ). Holotype and genitalic slide #104/TM deposited in SDNHM , paratypes in SDNHM , ZMH , and author’s collection. Etymology. The specific name digitula means means little finger and refers to the short digitus of the male genitalia. Diagnosis. This species is a close relative of Apamea sordens (Hufnagel, 1766) . The two species differ in appearance: A. digitula is considerably darker and often has a much broader median field with more brown ( Fig. 15 a). Diagnostically, the subterminal line is serrated ( Fig. 15 b) and the area beyond it dark gray. Orbicular and reniform spots are large ( Fig. 15 c), but narrower than in A. sordens . The male genitalia of A. digitula have a differently shaped cucullus and a very short digitus ( Fig. 47 a) compared to A. sordens ( Fig. 48 ). Description. Antenna finely ciliate in males, filiform in females; eyes naked, dark gray with black spots; palpus and frons covered in pale and black hairs; black stripe in front of eyes; patagium, tegula and thorax covered in mix of pale and black scales, tegula rimmed with broader black scales; thorax covered dorsally with raised hair tufts; venter paler; legs concolorous; tarsi dark with pale scales at joints; abdomen covered in pale tangray hairs with blackish, raised hair tufts at midline; venter paler; forewing ground color gray; basal dash black, Y­shaped; orbicular spot large, round, outlined in thin black, filled with pale gray; reniform spot large, kidney­shaped, outlined in thin black, filled with pale gray; lower portion darker; claviform spot weak, in thin black; basal line black; antemedial line pale gray, doubly black­rimmed, dark patch on costa; median field broad, dusted in brown and black; mid­median shade dark under spots, black on costa; postmedial line pale gray, doubly black­rimmed, finely serrate, S­shaped, touches reniform spot on costa; subterminal line variably distinct, serrate, black; area beyond pale gray; terminal line black chevrons between veins; fringe of ground color with some black scales; ventral side pale; veins darker; discal spot diffuse, dark; postmedial line dark; subterminal shade dark. Hindwing gray brown; subterminal shade broad; discal spot dark; terminal line dark brown; fringe pale tan, darkening outward; ventral side pale with brown dusting; discal spot dark; terminal line dark; fringe pale. Male genitalia ( Figs. 47 a and 47b): Uncus long and thin; juxta shieldlike with relatively broad lateral appendages; sacculus stout; valve long and slender, total length 4.1 mm , width at middle 0.9 mm ; cucullus broad and round, dorsally biased, width 1.35 mm ; digitus 0.4 mm ; aedeagus rounded, length 2.4 mm , width 0.5–0.6 mm ; everted vesica 2.5 mm long, width basally 1.2 mm tapering to 0.5 mm , with left diverticulum turning ventrally, with one dorsal and one ventral cornutus, latter pointing to right; distally on vesica longitudinal pouch, which points to left. Female genitalia ( Fig. 77 ): Ovipositor lobes 1.55 mm long, drawn to sharp beaklike point, heavily sclerotized; posterior apophyses 1.3 mm long, anterior apophyses 0.95 mm long; ductus bursae 1 mm long, 1 mm wide, heavily sclerotized, with thick ruffles, junction to corpus bursae pointing right; corpus bursae 4.2 mm long, 0.9 mm wide, widening to 2.0 mm, fundus triangular, signa absent; appendix bursae arises from right posterior corpus bursae. Distribution and habitat. This endemic southern California species is known only from the Laguna Mountains in southernmost San Diego County, only a few miles north of the Mexican border, where it flies in open pine and oak forest and grassy meadows at 1000–2000 m in May through June.