Pseudhippia, 2025

43. PSEUDHIPPIA ST LAURENT & PRADA-LARA , GEN. N. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:E2A4BEF8-D7B7-4C17-B4E2-D32DDA00D8A8

Type species: Poresta olivescens Schaus, 1905: 238 , by present designation. Figs 12A–D View FIGURE 12 , 13A View FIGURE 13 , 14A–D View FIGURE 14 , 15 View FIGURE 15 .

Description. Male: Head: Width more than half that of thorax, frons coloration light brown, eyes large, naked, occupying more than 2/3 area of head; labial palpus long, extending beyond frons, three segmented, with basal two segments more densely scaled, third segment appearing thinner; haustellum of moderate length, longer than head height, antennal scape with dense scale tuft, antennae dark brown, ciliate. Thorax: Hoary with greenish scales on prothorax otherwise mostly brown with light gray. Legs outwardly clothed in tan-brown, with darker brown scales distally. Tibial spurs thin, short, clothed in fine white scales, in formula 0-2-4. Tarsal claws bifid. No scent pockets. Wings: Forewing length 14 mm (n = 4); subtriangular, outer margin straight becoming convex along tornus, apex rounded. Forewing dorsum ground color light gray with darker greenish-brown region medially and submarginally but not near tornus. Overall wing pattern defined by contrasting white region with medial bulge toward tornus but not extending beyond lower margin of discal cell.Antemedial and postmedial lines mostly absent but faint marking may be present along anal angle near wing base, scalloped submarginal submarginal line present but faint. Discal spot absent. Forewing ventrum mostly brown, lighter submarginally with small dots between veins near apex. Hindwing without distinct markings, coloration brown. Hindwing venter as for hindwing dorsum, with black markings most well-defined near hindwing apex and at anal angle. Frenulum a single bristle. Abdomen: Clothed in brown scales with lighter gray scales near terminus. Cteniophores and peniculus absent. Eighth sternite ( Fig. 13B, D View FIGURE 13 ) ovoid with truncated posterior margin and short points laterally. Eighth tergite rectangular, more densely sclerotized laterally, somewhat wrinkled at posterior margin. Terminalia: ( Fig. 14A, C View FIGURE 14 ) (n = 2) Vinculum circular, otherwise nondescript. Tegumen heavily sclerotized and somewhat rectangular. Uncus narrow, heavily sclerotized with rounded tip and small ventral protrusion roughly one third distance from base. Socii heavily sclerotized and irregular in shape, appearing somewhat wrinkled and with thin edges. Gnathos absent. Valvae narrow and irregular in shape with more heavily sclerotized costa that broadens and angles downward distally, saccular margin well-sclerotized basally with fingerlike projection about midway then more membranous until apex and kinked near apex below where more heavily sclerotized costal region curves, base of valvae with setose, bulging region. Juxta a reduced. Aedeagus short and broad, widened apically and a ventral pointed projection and base forming a substantial callosum; vesica short and bag-like but filled with caltrop cornute and long spine-like cornute.

Female: Sexual dimorphism not pronounced; female slightly larger overall. Head: As for male. Thorax: As for male. Wings: Forewing length ~ 16 mm (n = 2); forewing dorsum as for male but white marking somewhat less contrasting and less well-defined on costal side. Hindwing dorsum light brown. Wing venter as in male. Frenulum with two bristles. Abdomen: As for male but with less distinct differences in scale color distally. Terminalia: ( Fig 15 View FIGURE 15 ) (n = 1) Apophyses anteriores somewhat longer than apophyses posteriores, both sets thin. Antevaginal plate rectangular with inward fold, margins with thick spine-like setae. Ductus bursae broad, as broad as antevaginal plate and leading immediately into similarly broad corpus bursae; corpus bursae thickly membraned with sharply curled centrally sclerotized region. Most of corpus bursae at least somewhat sclerotized and covered in spicules. Papillae anales with dorsal projected lobes and long setae.

Diagnosis. Similar to both Hippia mumetes and some Phyllopalpia species such as P. triangulum , P. marcella , and P. asaphina . Hippia is, however, easily recognized by the straight white region that runs nearly the entirety of the costal region of the forewing whereas in Pseudhippia this region is ventrally lobed and protruded toward the tornus. Hippia and the three mentioned Phyllopalpia species lack the greenish scales present on the wings and thorax of Pseudhippia . Male genitalia also differ, Pseudhippia has the broadest and thickest aedeagus of the three genera mentioned here, as well as kinked valvae and a long narrow uncus with a ventral projection not seen in these other genera.

Etymology. The name is based on Hippia , an externally very similar genus with which this new genus is often confused. The name is feminine.

Comments. The sole member of this new genus was originally assigned to Poresta but is easily recognized by its diagnostic characters. Poresta genitalia are recognizable by the squared saccular margins of the valvae and the densely pleated SSO (as is typical in many Nystaleinae genera), which is absent in Pseudhippia . The distal valval notch, narrow uncus with a mesal protrusion, and the broad, short aedeagus with caltrop cornuti are all unique to Pseudhippia olivescens and as such we assign it to a new monotypic genus (for comparisons with externally similar genera, see the diagnosis). Very little has been published on this taxon other than a single synonym proposed by Thiaucourt (1987): Lepasta elegans , later synonymized with P. olivescens by Thiaucourt (1992).

Distribution. Amazonia, we have seen specimens or sightings from French Guiana and Suriname.

Species included (1).

Pseudhippia olivescens Schaus, 1905 *, comb. n.