A new genus and species for Dysgonia ( Lepidoptera , Erebidae , Erebinae ) from Southeastern United States

Th ree North American species currently placed in the genus Dysgonia Hübner are moved to Neadysgonia gen. n. A fourth species, N. telma, is described from southeastern United States and a neotype is designated for closely related species N. smithii. Th e generic placement of the new genus is discussed.


Introduction
Th e genus Dysgonia Hübner as herein restricted currently includes species ranging through the Mediterranean Region and possibly as far east as Australia (Berio 1965).Poole (1989) included species in Dysgonia that give it a world wide distribution, however, the genus as delimited by him is clearly polyphyletic (Holloway and Miller 2003).Th e three species of Dysgonia that occur in the United States form a distinct but related group that requires a new generic name.A fourth undescribed species was revealed Th ree species, N. consobrina (Guenée, 1852), N. similis (Guenée, 1852) and N. smithii (Guenée, 1852), currently placed in Dysgonia are transferred to Neadysgonia.
Four species that occur in Central and South America were included in Dysgonia Poole (1989), and there are several undescribed species.Th ey have two coremata and male genitalic characters that place them closer to some of the genera removed from Dysgonia by Holloway and Miller (2003).Description.Palpi short, upcurved.Antennae fi liform.Head and frons brown, vestiture hairy, some scales slightly spatulate.Legs brownish, joints cream, two pairs of tibial spurs on hind tibia.Forewing with postmedial line (PM) cream or white with one or two points directed toward margin.Darkened area proximal to PM line fades basally, except in N. similis where PM line is most distinct proximally and fades distally.Medial area matches ground color and stops abruptly at antemedial line (AM).AM line thin, cream or white with darkened area proximally that fades toward base of wing.In N. similis AM line wavy distally and ground color extends to base of wing.Hindwing brown with only trace of PM line.Underside brown with medial line visible as dark line.Wing venation typical for erebines.Male genitalia -Uncus variable, either spatulate and expanded medially, or tapered to a point or points.No superuncus.Tegumen with outward pointing medial projection.In N. similis tegumen forms a right angle at rounded projection.Valva moderate, often tapering gradually to a point.Costal and anal projections from valva base near vinculum.Costal projection very large in N. similis.Anal projections on anal edge of valva often extending upward toward coastal region.Single coremata arising from basal, dorsal area of valva.Juxta broad, two fused plates, medially with indentation of varying size.Annella variable but rarely expanded medially.Saccus slightly pointed anteriorly, rounded in N. similis.Aedeagus sclerotized for posterior 2/3, broad and shortened with basal end swollen and unsclerotized, often upturned at tip.Ductus subterminal.Vesica a complex series of evaginations.No cornuti but surface granulated.Female genitalia -Anal papillae tapered and slightly pointed dorsally.Posterior apophyses longer than anterior apophyses.Lodix (sclerotized central plate on the 7 th sternite that arises from the anterior displacement of the ostial opening, leaving a plate derived from the sternite over the ostium) shape species specifi c, often expanded over ostial opening.Bursa attached to base of seventh sternite.Ductus bursae short, sclerotized for at least half its length (posterior end).Bursa ovate, variable but with well-diff erentiated bursa appendix arising posterior and ventral to bursa.Signa absent.Type material.Th is species was described from an unknown number of specimens from an unknown locality.Th e short description is adequate to distinguish the species.Th e location of any types is unknown (not in BMNH, MNHN, or USNM).

Key to the species of
Diagnosis.Neadysgonia similis can be recognized by the lack of well-defi ned triangles from the PM line and no dark shading basal of the AM line.Two forms occur, one devoid of any well-defi ned pattern between the AM and PM lines.In the male genitalia the projection from the tegumen creates a square shape and the costal projection of the valva ends in a hammerhead.In the female the lodix is rectangular.
Distribution and biology.Neadysgonia similis has been recorded from North Carolina to Florida.Th e food plant occurs in Alabama and Mississippi and the moth could be expected from these areas as well.
A larva of N. similis was collected from Loblolly Bay (Gordonia lasianthus (L.) (Th eaceae)) by Richard Broadwell during the course of a study to determine the nontarget eff ects of Bacillus treatments to eradicate a Gypsy moth infestation near Wilmington, N.C.(Hall et al. 1999).I identifi ed the emergent moth as Neadysgonia similis and have subsequently found additional larvae and reared larvae from eggs from a captive female; all readily fed to maturity on Loblolly Bay.It is a common plant on the frequently burned coastal plain savannas, but both the adults and larvae are relatively uncommon.Th e moth is multiple brooded (April to September).
Type material.Neadysgonia consobrina, like N. similis, was described from an unknown number of specimens from an unknown locality.Th e brief description allows identifi cation of the species and the material probably originated from near Savannah, Georgia.No type has ever been located.
Diagnosis.Th is species is distinguished by a single triangular outward projection on the PM line.In the male genitalia the uncus is spatulate and the projection from the tegumen is rounded.In females the lodix is trapezoidal and the ostial opening forms a horizontal concave line, i.e. smile.
Distribution and biology.Neadysgonia consobrina occurs from North Carolina to Louisiana.Specimens have been recorded from all of the southeastern states in the range except Alabama and Tennessee.Th e food plant of the species is unknown.Th e species is multiple brooded.Type material.Neadysgonia smithii was either described from an unknown number of specimens from an unknown locality, or it may have been described from a painting by John Abbot and sent to his colleague at the British Museum, J. E. Smith who in turn sent it to Guenée.As stated above, the type locality was probably near Savannah, Georgia.Th e location of any type material is unknown.Th e identity of Ophiusa smithii Guenée can not be determined from the published illustration, or from the original description, so a neotype is hereby designated: male, "April 24, 1974, Wedge Plantation, McClellensville, S. C., D. C. Ferguson," so labeled and located in USNM.I have dissected it and the slide number is USNM 50786.
Note.Th is species as well as N. similis and N. consobrina were all described by Guenée at the same time in the genus Ophiusa and probably from specimens or paintings he received from Abbot via Smith.Th ey probably originated from eastern Georgia or South Carolina in the vicinity of Savannah, where Abbot lived.Th e brief description of N. smithii by Guenée and accompanying painting could refer to one of two externally similar species, one of which is described as new below.Neither the description nor the painting of the species that served as a model for the description can be identifi ed as to species.However, Abbot also painted the caterpillar and Guenée included a brief description of it as well.Most importantly, the food plant was identifi ed as Fagus ferruginea Aiton (now Fagus grandifolia Ehrhart) and the pupae was said to be covered with a thick effl orescence of white purple.A white, waxy bloom on the pupa is characteristic of N. similis as well as species of Argyrostrotis Hübner and Catocala Schrank.Apparently N. smithii has not been reared again but beech trees are characteristic of mesic forests in the coastal plain and do not occur in the swamp forests where the new species N. telma has been collected.
Diagnosis.Adults of N. smithii are readily distinguished from N. consobrina and N. similis by the two triangular outward projections of the PM line.However, there is no reliable external character to distinguish it from the newly described species, N. telma.Upon dissection of the male genitalia N. smithii has a shorter and broader valva and the medial projection on the tegumen is more than half the length of the valva.In N. telma the valva is much narrower and longer and the medial projection of the tegumen is rarely as long as half the length of the valva.In females of N. smithii the distance between the lateral edges of the lodix and the main plate is less than the thickness of the lateral edge at its base.In N. telma this distance is much greater than the width of the base of the lateral edge.Etymology.Th e Greek word telma refers to standing water.Specimens from North Carolina and Florida are associated with hydric forests in the Coastal Plain.
Diagnosis.Wing length 19-20 mm.Neadysgonia telma is very similar in maculation to Neadysgonia smithii.In some populations it is possible to diff erentiate most specimens of the two species by wing pattern but certain identifi cation requires dissection or barcoding.Th e two species can be identifi ed by DNA barcoding and by diff erences in the male and female genitalia.Male genitalia diff er slightly if at all from those of N. smithii in many genital characters, but the valvae and the lateral process of the tegumen allow the two species to readily be distinguished.In N. telma the valva is much thinner and tapers to a sharp point.In N. smithii the valva is broad and tapers gradually to a somewhat broad point.Th e lateral process of the tegumen is less than half the length of the costal edge of the valva in N. telma, but more than half the valva length in N. smithii.Th e anal projection at the base of the valva of N. telma is shorter and more sclerotized than that of N. smithii.Both species have a medially enlarged uncus with a slightly bifurcate tip, the tegumen has a pronounced lateral projection and both species have similar coremata arising from the dorsal base of the valva.Th e ranges of the two species appear to overlap substantially, the exact details of which will only be determined by dissection and barcoding of additional specimens.
Description.Head -Tongue normal, palps slightly porrect, second segment 2.5 × as long as fi rst and third segments.Palps brown scaled with cream scales interspersed throughout, inner faces cream.Frons denuded basally, scales of head projecting forward, brown with cream scales, scape cream, antenna fasciculate with encircling rows of tan with cream scales laterally.Th orax -Collar and vestiture covered with brown hairlike scales interspersed with cream-colored scales; tegulae similarly scaled but with some scales spatulate; abdomen brown with some cream scales dorsally, cream ventrally.Legs brown with cream scaling interspersed and forming cream bands at distal ends of tarsal joints.Tibial segments normal, not swollen.Two pairs of tibial spines on hind leg, single pair on middle leg twice as long as those on hind leg.Forewing pattern with ground brown with dark-purplish scaling.Apical trapezoidal spot distinct, post medial line with two major triangular points directed toward wing margin.Line light but inwardly bordered by a broad purple-brown band that fades toward medial line, which is slightly sinuous or straight, light colored but with darker scaling inward fading to wing base.Wing margin with two bands, inner one gray speckled with brown, outer band tan.Scaling distal to postmedial line gray with purple scales interspersed, becoming lighter toward margin.Hindwing fuscous with two marginal bands like those on forewing.Underside of hindwing fuscous with traces of lines visible, medial most prominent, discal spot faint.Male genitalia -(Figs 10a, b).Uncus broad at base, expanding medially and curving 180 degrees and tapering to tip, which is bifurcate.Dorsal setae shorter than medial width.Tegumen moderately broad with outward lateral triangular projection, tapering to sharp point, length less than ½ length of valva.Base of tegumen with sclerite that joins vinculum.Paired sclerites extend from junction with vinculum to base of uncus.Vinculum moderately broad, oval shaped forming a slight posterior projection where vincula arms meet anteriorly.No diff erentiated saccus.Juxta broad, paired plates lightly sclerotized and forming dorsal and ventral intrusions at junction.Valva triangular, extending to a point with projections dorsally and ventrally.Dorsal projection broad, fi nger shaped curving anteriorly and only slightly shorter than valva.Ventral projection fi nger shaped, straight, sclerotized and 1/4 length of valva with slightly raised ridge along ventral margin of valva.Aedeagus approximately length of valva, bulbous anteriorly and tapering toward tip.Basal third of aedeagus unsclerotized; ductus entering subterminally.Tip of aedeagus rounded, striated and continuing as a sclerotized ribbon onto vesica for half its length.Everted vesica moderately broad with numerous short, broad evaginations that are granulated toward distal end of vesica.Small patch of sclerotization on distal end of vesica.Pelt lacks distinct structures.Female genitalia -(Figs 14a, b): Anal papillae small, lightly sclerotized with setae from raised pimple-like bases.Posterior apophyses with spatulate tips, slightly longer and thinner than anterior apophyses.Genital plate trapezoidal with broad ostial opening that is lightly attached to 7 th sclerite.Plate tapers anteriorly on both lateral sides to a thread-like tip, which is broadly separated from base of plate.Medial genital plate tapers to join ductus.Distance between lateral thread-like anterior extensions and lodix will allow N. telmus to be diff erentiated from N. smithii.Ductus bursae sclerotized posteriorly, short and tapering slightly to corpus bursa.Posterior end of corpus bursa wrinkled, unsclerotized and expanding to granulated body of corpus bursa.Appendix bursae to right and ventral to corpus bursae and tapering to the ductus.Appendix bursae and ductus unsclerotized.Signum absent.No unusual structural features on pelt.
Distribution and biology.Neadysgonia telma occurs from North Carolina southward at least to the Florida Panhandle and westward to Texas, with one record farther north from Indiana.Th e impression from localities where it has been collected is that Neadysgonia telma occurs in swamp forests where there is standing water.In this habitat red maples tend to dominate emergent forests whereas mature forests are more mixed with cypress often the dominant large tree.Moth multiple brooded throughout its range with dates from April through September.

Discussion
Th e three original species of Neadysgonia were described in the genus Ophiusa Ochsenheimer.Hampson placed them in Parallelia Hübner and Poole (1989) moved them to Dysgonia.Dysgonia was placed in the tribe Ophiusini by Fibiger and Lafontaine (2005) before being moved to the Poaphilini by Lafontaine and Schmidt (2010) along with Argyrostrotis Hübner and Parallelia Hübner.Barcoding and morphological characters of the genitalia place them with members of the genus Argyrostrotis and nearest neighbor analyses place the species A. anilis with Neadysgonia.Argyrostrotis and Neadysgonia share many characters in the larvae and the adult and they occur in the same kinds of habitats (for the most part, coastal plain savannas and wetlands).N. smithii and A. anilis occur in a broader array of habitats.In comparing Argyrostrotis species, the basal projections of the valvae are enhanced whereas in Neadysgonia species the tegumens are frequently modifi ed as well.Both genera have a lodix in the female genitalia, both genera have strongly spined tibiae but adults diff er considerably in size.Until more is known about the life histories, it seems best to treat them as separate genera.
Th ere are four neotropical species currently placed in Dysgonia (Poole,l989).Th e male genitalia of these species have two coremata and a superuncus, thus placing them closer to Ophiusa Ochsenheimer and its allies.Th ey will be dealt with separately.
Th e discovery of N. telma is a good example of barcoding revealing a cryptic species complex.Hugo Kons, Jr. and Robert Borth had barcoded presumed N. smithii from Florida, Texas, and Indiana.Th ey were conspecifi c.I had barcoded numerous N. smithii as well, but it was not until I collected and barcoded an apparent N. smithii from Waccamaw Lake State Park in Columbus Co., North Carolina, that I realized two species were present under the name N. smithii.When our data were combined, two well-diff erentiated groups were obvious, true N. smithii from eastern North Carolina and N. telma from North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Indiana.Further study of barcoded specimens from the two groups revealed obvious genitalic diff erences.Dissection of over 50 specimens from throughout the ranges showed distribution patterns which were largely overlapping.A single specimen collected by Kohns and Borth from Medina County in the hill country of Texas west of San Antonio could not be placed with certainty.It has been barcoded and pictures of the adult and its genitalia were sent by Hugo Kons, Jr. and are most similar to N. smithii, but not clearly identical.Additional specimens may be needed to determine whether this population is N. smithii or perhaps an undescribed species but its barcode diff ered from N. smithii from North Carolina by less than 1%, not an unexpected number for members from the extremities of a species' range.
Although the distribution of the two species by county shows numerous examples of both species occurring in the same county throughout their ranges, both Kons and Borth (2006) and I noticed that N. telma is most often found in or near swamps with standing water.N. smithii occurs in more upland habitats and has been taken above 2500' in the mountains of North Carolina (based on fascies but not dissected).Abbot's rearing of a larva on Fagus is consistent with the capture of N. smithii in the mountains, piedmont, and upland coastal plain habitats.Additional life history data for both species should reveal how they coexist over most of their ranges.