A Revision of Lasionycta Aurivillius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for North America and notes on Eurasian species, with descriptions of 17 new species, 6 new subspecies, a new genus, and two new species of Tricholita Grote

A Revision of Lasionycta Aurivillius (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) for North America and notes on Eurasian species, with descriptions of 17 new species, 6 new subspecies, a new genus, and two new species of Tricholita Grote
Author: Lars G. Crabo
Publisher: PenSoft Publishers LTD
Total Pages: 162
Release: 2009-12-18
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9546425230

The moth genus Lasionycta (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), like several other genera that occur mainly in arctic and alpine areas, are highly sought but rarely encountered by noctuid enthusiasts. The diurnal species are occasionally seen by butterfl y collectors, who manage to get into these areas, but light trapping in these remote habitats is very difficult. The group has eluded a long-needed revision because many species are similar, exhibit a large amount of local and geographical variation, and insufficient material has been available for revisionary work. A large amount of material collected in the past 10 years has finally made a comprehensive revision of Lasionycta possible. Also, most of the species were evaluated using mitochondrial cytochrome c-oxidase (COI) DNA sequences, commonly called barcodes, a relatively new taxonomic tool that has only recently come into common usage. This revision treats the 43 species known to occur in North America, 17 of which are described as new. Three quarters of the North American species are involved in taxonomic changes and five species associated with Pacific Coast beaches are removed from Lasionycta and placed in Psammophila, a new genus. The revision includes 246 color images of adults and genitalia, as well as distribution maps for all species. The results will also be interesting for Palearctic researchers because four species are Holarctic and some of the other approximately 12 Old World species of Lasionycta are mentioned as occurring in Holarctic species complexes. Several Palearctic species are discussed in reference to excluding them from Lasionycta and returning them to the genera Lasionhada, Eriopygodes, and Clemathada.

Annotated Check List of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America North of Mexico

Annotated Check List of the Noctuoidea (Insecta, Lepidoptera) of North America North of Mexico
Author: B. Christian Schmidt
Publisher: PenSoft Publishers LTD
Total Pages: 246
Release: 2010-03-19
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9546425354

This annotated list arranges the 3693 species of Noctuoidea known from North America into six families (Doidae, Notodontidae, Erebidae, Euteliidae, Nolidae, Noctuidae) and further arranges these into subfamilies, tribes, and subtribes, based on the most recent phylogenetic information. All changes from the previous list in 1983 are documented in 716 taxonomic notes and 331 literature references. These changes include documentation for 367 new species that have been described since the 1983 list, 230 species added through new records or taxonomic changes, and 259 species that are removed or synonymized. A total of 166 taxonomic changes are proposed in the list.

Moths of Western North America

Moths of Western North America
Author: Jerry A. Powell
Publisher: Univ of California Press
Total Pages: 516
Release: 2009
Genre: Nature
ISBN: 0520251970

"Two of North America's most prolific and respected specialists on moths--particularly those of the West--have combined over a century of experience and scholarship to introduce western moths of all families authoritatively to both the amateur and the experienced professional entomologist. This biologically oriented and beautifully illustrated treatment of a quarter of all known western moth species fills a long-needed void, and does it superbly."--Charles V. Covell Jr., author of A Field Guide to Moths of Eastern North America "This work sets a new high water mark for North American lepidopterology. Considering the authors' century of combined studies of western Lepidoptera, it is clear from the outset that no other team could have delivered a work so rich in taxonomic and life history information, much of it being original and appearing in the literature for the first time. I will read my copy more like a novel than a reference work, casting about the accounts and repeatedly flipping through the 2300 color images to better familiarize myself with our continent's rich and handsome diversity of moths. Moths of Western North America will serve as both gateway and catalyst for the study of moths for decades, and especially for microlepidopterans--for whom no like work exists in the New World."--David L. Wagner, author of Caterpillars of Eastern North America "Recent years have seen a surge of interest in moths, with growing appreciation of their amazing diversity and their great ecological importance. Information on western moths has been scattered and scarce, however, so this new volume is a tremendous step forward. Jerry Powell and Paul Opler bring a vast amount of knowledge and experience to the subject, and their Moths of Western North America is a landmark publication, instantly indispensable to anyone with a serious interest in Lepidoptera."--Kenn Kaufman, coauthor of Kaufman Field Guide to Butterflies of North America