Noctuidae - Amphipyrinae - Paratracheini

 

 

 

Viridemas galena Smith 1908

Viridemas galena Smith, 1908, Ann. New York Acad. Sci., 18:91.

Diagnosis: Viridemas galena has the superficial appearance of a species of Psaphida but is immediately distanced from Psaphida by the lack of a tibial claw and the summer flight habits of the adults. Its overall color is black gray with a whitish to slightly greenish area along the outer side of the lower third of the postmedial line. Females are slightly larger and slightly grayer than the male and have simple rather than serrate antennae.
As mentioned in the generic discussion, this is an unusual species in several respects. First structurally it shows a strong relationship to the genus Brachionycha despite the superficial dissimilarities. Secondly the adults fly in July and August against all the rules for the tribe as a whole. The species also has an unusual distributional pattern based on known specimens.

Distribution: The vast majority of the limited material availble is from the mountains of southern Arizona, specifically the Santa Rita and Huachuca Mountains However there is a single specimen in the USNM from Napa County in the Bay area of California. The species has also been collected in the state of Durango in Mexico.

The adults fly in July and August and appear to be typical of oak grassland habitats.

Identification Quality: Excellent

Larva: Unknown

Foodplants: Unknown

 

Viridemas galena

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