Ankale, WELLER, 2014

1. ANKALE WELLER, 2014 View in CoL in BECKER, 2014

Ankale Weller, 1989 View in CoL . Type species: Nystalea grammodes Felder, 1874 Reise Novara. View in CoL

t.97, f. 1 and 2.

Adults. ( Figure 1A View FIGURE 1 , 10A View FIGURE 10 ) Head: antennae of male and female simple filiform; antennal tufts present; head tightly covered in scales; third segment of the labial palpus is long, more than half length of second segment ( Figure 4G View FIGURE 4 ); ocelli reduced. Thorax: male prothoracic leg with scent pocket on femur ( Figure 4H View FIGURE 4 ); tarsal claws bifid. Wings (wingspan): males 28 to 40 mm, females 34 to 42 mm; the forewing pattern consists of a brownish-red base with diagonal white or yellow lines extending from base to apex; a distinctive small and bright white ring of color is present at costal base; accessory cell present; hindwing simple brown with Sc-Rs stalked. Abdomen: light brown with a short terminal tuft. Male terminalia ( Figure 5B, C View FIGURE 5 ): Eighth tergite with midplate; eighth sternite with M-shaped antecosta. Uncus has two wide wing-like ventral extensions, two apical projections, and a dorsal hump shortly before them. Socii with long bent arm-like projections, variable in shape; valvae with SSO absent, sclerotized costa; juxta shallow-concave. Aedeagus sausage-like in shape; with proximal end of phallus rounded, bean-like. Female terminalia: Papillae anales membranous with long and short setae, posterior apophyses long. Eighth tergite shape variable; anterior apophyses variable, shape of ostium bursae variable. Ductus bursae dorso-ventrally flattened. Corpus bursae with internal, sclerotized projection from shield.

Diagnosis. The genus can be recognized due to their habitus, namely the brownish-red ground color with diagonal white or yellow band from the base to the apex of the forewing, with a distinctive bright white costal base. There are usually a pair of lunate or triangular contrasting markings below the costa in the medial area of the forewing. Likewise, the shape of the uncus with its dorsal hump and ventral wing-like extensions, the bent and long arms of the socii, and the sausage-like aedeagus are all unique to this genus.

Comments. Ankale is Greek, feminine, for “elbow” and refers to the bent, large, and sclerotized socii that occur in males. A species previously placed in Lepasta : L. brabilla Dognin , is hereby transferred to Ankale as A. brabilla comb. n. since the male genitalia conforms to our diagnosis of Ankale as opposed to Lepasta . Most notably, the configuration of the eighth segment of A. brabilla , valva shape, and the short stout phallus are almost identical to that of other Ankale species, such as A. magnistriata (Dognin) . Externally A. brabilla is less distinctly marked than other Ankale species but bears the diagnostic lunate stripes in the medial area of the forewing, they are, however, much thinner than the bands in other congeners. Ankale brabilla was described from a male, Thiaucourt (1987) described the same species from a female as Lepasta toulgoeti Thiaucourt , which is maintained in synonymy with A. brabilla . Female genitalia illustrated in Weller (1992).

Distribution. From Mexico to South Brazil.

Species included (5).

Ankale argentilinea (Druce, 1909) .

Ankale brabilla Dognin, 1911 , comb. n.

toulgoeti Thiaucourt, 1987 View in CoL , comb. n. (Placed in synonymy with brabilla by Thiaucourt (1992))

Ankale concordens (Dyar, 1918) View in CoL

Ankale grammodes (Felder, 1874) *

Ankale magnistriata (Dognin, 1923)