Review of the Acontia areli group with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Acontiinae) Author Ferris, Clifford , Laramie, United States of America Author Lafontaine, Donald urn:lsid:zoobank.org:author: Canadian National Collection of Insects, Arachnids, and Nematodes, Biodiversity Program, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, KW Neatby Bldg., C. E. F., Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K text ZooKeys 2009 2009-05-12 9 9 27 46 journal article 10.3897/zookeys.9.180 0e26fd95-f93b-4045-b176-7208b23376aa 1313–2970 576450 B6371F8A-0C34-414B-94F3-F053781194A2 Acontia geminocula Ferris & Lafontaine , sp. n. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: CCB85133-9645-4C5E-B32D-2A66F0EA66AE Figs. 1 , 11-13 , 20 , 26 , 32 Type material. Holotype ♁. Arizona , Yavapai Co. , Granite Dells , 4 mi N Prescott , 2 Sept. , 1970, L. M. Martin. [ CNC , Ottawa , Canada ] . Paratypes 110 ♁, 133 ♀ (13 dissections): Arizona. Same locality and collector as for holotype , 9 Aug.–23 Sept. 1970 (3 ♁) ; Cochise Co. , Chiricahua Mts. , Cave Creek Canyon , 5400', 1 July–4 Sept. 1966 , J. G. Franclemont (12 ♁, 7 ♀ ) ; Cochise Co. , Chiricahua Mts. , Cave Creek Canyon , 4880', 7 July–25 Aug. 1967 , J. G. Franclemont (7 ♁, 11 ♀ ) ; Cochise Co. , Garden Canyon , 4 Aug. 1966 , R. F. Sternitsky ( 1 ♀ ) ; Cochise Co. , Huachuca Mts. , Miller Canyon , 5000', 29 June–17 Aug. , 1974, J.G. Franclemont (20 ♁, 32 ♀ ) ; Cochise Co. , Huachuca Mts. , Ramsey Canyon , 23 Sept. & 4 Oct. , 1967, R. F. Sternitsky ( 4 ♀ ) ; Cochise Co. , Paradise , Barnes Coll. (6 ♁, 1 ♀ ) ; Cochise Co. , Portal , 5 mi SW, 5400', 2 Oct. , 1969, D. F. Hardwick (1 ♁) ; Cochise Co. , Sierra Vista , 12 Sept. 1967 , R. F. Sternitsky ( 2 ♀ ) ; Cochise Co. , Huachuca Mts. , Ash Canyon , 5170' ( 1575 m ), 3 July , 2005, C. D. Ferris (1 ♁, 1 ♀ ). Pima Co. , Baboquivari Mts. , 5000', 1-7 July 1923 & 5700', 15-30 July 1923 & 1-15 Sept. 1923 , O. C. Poling (2 ♁, 2 ♀ ) ; Pima Co. , Baboquivari Mts. , Brown Canyon , 4100', 20 Aug. 2006 , T. Mustelin & 20 Aug. 2008 , C. Schmidt & L. Crabo (1 ♁, 1 ♀ ) ; Santa Cruz Co. , Canelo , 20 Aug. 1966 , R . F. Sternitsky ( 1 ♀ ); Santa Cruz Co. , Sycamore Canyon , 4400' ( 1340 m ), 9 Aug. , 1990, C. D. Ferris (1 ♁) ; Santa Cruz Co. , Huachuca Mts. , Copper Canyon , 6050', 9 July 2004 , J. B. Walsh (2 ♁) ; Santa Cruz Co. , Patagonia Mts. , Harshaw , 4900', 27 June 2006 , J. B. Walsh (1 ♁) ; Santa Cruz Co. , Peña Blanca , 3950', 11,18,23 Aug. , 1960, J. G. Franclemont (6 ♁, 1 ♀ ) ; Santa Cruz Co. , Santa Rita Mts. , Madera Canyon , 4880', 4 July–6 Sept. ,1959 & 23 July–28 Aug. , 1960, J.G. Franclemont (43 ♁, 67 ♀ ) & Madera Canyon , 5100', 10-26 July 1964 , D. R. Davis (2 ♁) ; Santa Cruz Co. , T 20S, R14 E. Sec. 2, Madera Canyon , Santa Rita Lodge , 4840', 5 July 1987 , E. H. Metzler (1 ♁, 1 ♀ ). Yavapai Co. , Prescott , 2, 4 Sept. , 1907, R. C. Kunze (2 ♁). Texas : Brewster Co. , 6.5 mi south of Alpine , 30°17.4'N 103°35.6'W 9 Aug. 1991 , Eric H. Metzler (1 ♁, 1♀ ). Paratypes deposited in CNC , CUIC , USNM , and the personal collections of C. D. Ferris , E. H. Metzler , and J. B. Walsh . Other material examined and distribution ( Fig. 32 ). Mexico . Chihuahua , Mesa del Huracá n (1 ♁). Note . Material of this species was distributed by E. L. Todd under the unpublished manuscript name “ Acontia vasticola .” Etymology . The name of this species refers to the pair of eye-like spots on each forewing. Diagnosis . DFW basal area nearly white in male (like A . toddi ), pale buff in female (like A . areli ); distal area brown mottled with paler areas; reniform spot inwardly produced with dark distal patch. Differs from other four similar species in having a second reniform-like spot with dark outer patch below reniform. Description . Adult male: Head – dark brown; antenna filiform; palpus porrect slightly longer than eye width, white basally, outer half brown with vertical white band in middle. Thorax – prothoracic collar, thorax and abdomen white. Foreleg : coxa white with brown patch near middle; femur, tibia, and tarsus brown, white-ringed in middle of tibia and at joints. Middle leg : femur and tibia white with brown rings at femoraltibia joint and near apex of tibia; tarsus brown, white-ringed at joints. Hindleg : femur and tibia white with light brown shading at tibial-tarsal joint; first tarsal segment white shading to brown at joint with second segment; remaining tarsi brown, white-ringed at joints. Wings : male (FWL 10-11 mm ). DFW: ground color creamy-white over basal half with pale brown patchy maculation, brown on remainder of wing with scattered paler areas producing a mottled aspect; prominent white skewed, trapezoidal preapical patch on costa; orbicular spot virtually obsolete, defined only by a few dark scales; reniform spot circular with iridescent blue scales filling distal half, below which a second reniform-like patch with brown and blue scales; a brown bar along inner margin below reniform spot; terminal line a series of dark dashes; fringe brown basally, white at tips, with brown patch below apex. DHW: luminous white, nearly hyaline with pale brown marginal band; fringe white. Female (FWL 10-12 mm ) – similar to male, but DFW basal area buff; DHW pale tan, shading to pale brown on marginal band. Male genitalia ( Fig. 20 ) – uncus : decurved, long, narrow, tapering to pointed tip. Valve : asymmetrical; right valve broad mesially, tapered toward apex, weakly pointed apically; corona present but weak; right valve with clasper on ventral margin; clasper only slightly tapered until 1/5 from apex, then abruptly tapered to finger-like process with rounded apex that bends dorsally toward middle of cucullus; saccular extension elongate, apical 2/3 densely spiny, like a mace; left valve similar to right valve, but sacculus and valve narrower and clasper more evenly tapered to apex; apex sharply pointed. Aedeagus : very similar to that of A . toddi except two rasp-like spine patches in everted vesica with more evenly sized sclerites and subbasal diverticulum without cornutus near base. Female genitalia ( Fig. 26 ) – most similar to those of A . toddi , but ostium bursae much wider and spine-filled pouch at end of corpus bursae to right of ductus bursae in A . geminocula . Figure 32. Acontia geminocula distribution map. Biology . Unknown. Adults July–September in riparian canyons from 4100-7400' ( 1250-2250 m ).