Hemileuca maia warreni Pavulaan, 2020

Pavulaan, Harry, 2020, A phenotypic comparison of regional populations of Hemileuca maia (Drury, 1773) with designations of new subspecies (Bombycoidea, Saturniidae, Hemileucinae)., The Taxonomic Report of the International Lepidoptera Survey 8 (5), pp. 1-17 : 6

Hemileuca maia warreni Pavulaan, 2020 New Subspecies

Florida Buckmoth

ZooBank registration: urn:1sid:zoobank.org:act: 281A5C71-A821-47B4-BDA6-CFDBF4A5E251

This taxon ( Figs. 5 , 6 & 13) represents peninsular Florida populations and was only recently thought to be a distinct subspecies. The subspecies is named in honor of Dr. Andrew D. Warren, Senior Collections Manager, McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity, who provided considerable information regarding Florida populations.

Type locality: Holotype (male): Jan. 24, 1984. Deltona , Volusia Co., Florida, leg. L. C. Dow. 50 paratypes from Alachua (Archer, Gainesville), Clay (Camp Blanding), Duval (Jacksonville), Putnam (Katherine B. Ordway Preserve), Seminole, Taylor (Steinhatchee) and Volusia (Deltona, Cassadaga) Counties. [Holotype, allotype (female) and all paratype specimens deposited in the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera & Biodiversity, Gainesville, FL.]

Range: Primarily peninsular Florida ( Fig. 16 ): Duval to Palm Beach counties along the east coast, west to Taylor County.

Habitat: Pine-Oak scrub.

Flight period: Dec. 25 - Feb. 4 (peak flight in Jan.).

Hosts: Quercus laevis ( Turkey Oak) reported from northern parts of Florida (e.g. western Marion, Alachua, Clay counties), Quercus myrtifolia (Myrtle Oak) reported from southeastern portions (e.g. Marion Co. (Ocala National Forest), Palm Beach Co.).

Description: Male FW length 23-28 mm., female FW length 27-35 mm. [Holotype (male) FW length is 23.7 mm.] Smaller than the other subspecies except ssp. maia . Forewings have a slightly more elongated appearance than other subspecies. In many individuals, the forewings are decidedly more pointed than other subspecies. Wings black to dark brownish-black, solid opaque. Median bands cream-white with a tendency for the forewing bands to be quite narrow in most specimens. Some individuals have the posterior portion of the forewing median band faded or reduced to small white patches. In some, the posterior portion of the band is absent and the anterior portion reduced to a small white triangle adjacent to the discal streak, leaving the forewing almost all black. The forewing median band is positioned exterior to the discal streak in most specimens, thus maintaining a continuous band (inner edge of the median band intersects the discal streak). The discal streak is enlarged in most specimens, more so than in other subspecies.

Figures

Fig. 5. Hemileuca maia warreni Pavulaan, 2020. Holotype. Jan. 24, 1984. Deltona, Volusia Co., FL. Leg. L. C. Dow. Male. Dorsal view.

Fig. 6. Hemileuca maia warreni Pavulaan, 2020. Holotype (same specimen), ventral view.

Fig. 16. Documented range of Hemileuca maia Drury (1773) and subspecies.