Nystalea, GUENEE, 1852

Prada-Lara, Liliana, St Laurent, Ryan A., Weller, Susan & Fagua, Giovanny, 2025, Nystaleinae moths (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae): A morphological review of the subfamily, Zootaxa 5622 (1), pp. 1-67 : 38-40

publication ID	https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5622.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:C36CF0C2-0435-4460-A1D0-A9ADE783046F
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F387A1-FFE6-993D-FF38-BE66FDC9FB71
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Nystalea
status

Treatment

30. NYSTALEA GUENÉE, 1852 View in CoL

Nystalea Guenée, 1852 ; in Boisduval and Guenée: 122. Type-species: Nystalea conchyfera Guenée, 1852 (= Nystalea ebalae (Stoll)) . Hist. nat. Ins. 6: 122.

Adults. ( Figure 3G View FIGURE 3 , 11H View FIGURE 11 ) Head: male and female antennae simple filiform; antennal tufts present; third segment of labial palpi short; ocelli reduced. Thorax: male prothoracic leg with triple scent pocket, tarsal claws bifid with lobe. Wings: males 20 to 70 mm, females 54 to 70 mm; color pattern variable; forewing elongate and narrow with accessory cell present, hindwing with Sc-Rs stalked. Male terminalia ( Fig. 7E View FIGURE 7 , 8I View FIGURE 8 ): eighth tergite with midplate; eighth sternite with M-shaped antecosta and many with a caudal edge (but see Chacon et al. 2022 for variation). Valve with SSO well-developed; costa membranous with different processes at the apex; uncus thin and large paddle-like shape with a divided base; costulae present (species-specific); socii sclerotized elongate or bulbous; aedeagus with a callosum; anterior end of aedeagus broad, distal portion expanded, much wider than middle, vesica tends to be bulbous, deciduous caltrop-shape cornuti are present. Female terminalia: Papillae anales membranous with long setae from periphery; posterior apophyses long and straplike. Eighth tergite caudal edge wishbone shaped; anterior apophyses long. Eighth sternite usually with a pair of lateral projections; ostium bursae wide and sometimes M-shaped. Ductus bursae membranous or well sclerotized and usually dorso-ventrally flattened. Corpus bursaesometimes with sclerotized shield; one or two signa present; ductus seminalis arising from dorsal, caudal area of corpus bursae.

Diagnosis: Among Nystaleinae , Nystalea are some of the largest moths in the group and highly noctuid-like in shape and pattern. The fingerlike apical projection of the uncus with a bilobed base, as well as the triple scent pocket on the prothoracic leg are largely diagnostic, but this is a diverse genus with substantial variation.

Comments. Nystalea was originally described in the Noctuidae, Möschler (1878) placed it in the Notodontidae . Sometimes the aedeagus is fused to the anellar ring and must be cut out to be examined. Nystalea means drowsy or sleepy and probably refers to the usually brown, monotonous coloration of the wings in collections ( Weller 1989). This genus is the largest of the subfamily, specimens are common in field work and collections. Costa Rican species were revised by Chacon et al. (2022).

Distribution. From USA to Argentina.

Species included (66)

Nystalea aequipars Walker, 1858

Nystalea amatura Schaus, 1928

Nystalea analeptris Draudt, 1934

Nystalea anamariamongeae Chacón, 2022

Nystalea arimathea Schaus, 1923 View in CoL

Nystalea aurachaconae Chacón, 2022

Nystalea billalleni Chacón, 2022

Nystalea brookejarvisae Chacón, 2022

Nystalea caranavi Thiaucourt, 2003 View in CoL

Nystalea clotho Thiaucourt, 2003