Pseudopostega latifurcata Davis & Stonis 2007

Pseudopostega latifurcata latifurcata

ADULT. Figures 222, 223. Length of forewing 2.6–3.0 mm. Small white moth with forewings bearing a large, dark fuscous, dorsal spot that extends over most of wing, a strongly oblique subapical costal spot, and 2 slender, subapical costal strigulae. Gnathos of male genitalia broadly furcate; basal fold narrow, directed caudally and widely separated midventrally, resembling a pair of thickened, lateral rods (Figures 391–393). Papillae anales of female fused to form a single, minute, tuberculate, setose lobe (Figure 490).

Head: Vestiture white except for narrow band of pale brown to light fuscous at caudal margin of occiput. Scape white, with fuscous suffusion along anterior edge. Flagellum pale golden brown, ~62–66-segmented. Maxillary palpus white to cream; labial palpus white, with fuscous suffusion laterally.

Thorax: White; anterior margin of tegula fuscous. Forewing white, with a large dark fuscous dorsal spot that extends most the length of dorsal margin and nearly across wing to costa; a moderately large, elongate, subapical costal spot, broadest at costa, then narrowing as it extends obliquely to strigulate apical spot; 2 slender, subapical costal strigulae, separated by bands of pale grayish scales, converging from costa to apical spot; area immediately basal to terminal strigula suffused with pale brown; a short, fuscous tornal strigula usually evident below apical strigula; terminal cilia mostly fuscous beyond strigula 2, becoming abruptly white beyond first strigula, then continuing as pale golden brown to dorsal margin; venter of forewing grayish brown, except for large patch of white over basal half of discal cell. Hindwing and cilia pale brown to gray both dorsally and ventrally. Legs mostly cream; foreleg with lateral margins of tibia and tarsus grayish brown; midleg with apices of tarsal segments grayish brown.

Abdomen: Gray dorsally, gradually fading to white laterally and ventrally.

Male Genitalia: Figures 391–393. Socii reduced to short, round, setose lobes relatively narrowly separated by a distance approximately equal to basal width of gnathos. Caudal rim of uncus smoothly concave. Vinculum broad; anterior margin subtruncate. Gnathos moderately narrow at base, tapering slightly to broad, deeply furcate, caudal lobe; anterior margin of gnathos weakly defined, concave; basal fold narrow, directed caudally and widely separated midventrally, resembling a pair of thickened, lateral rods. Valva with relatively large cucullar lobe ~0.55× length of genital capsule, bearing a pectinifer consisting of a single, caudal row of 34–38 blunt spines; distal apex of lobe smoothly round; pedicel slender, width ~0.14× length of cucullar lobe; valva elongate, length along sacculus ~0.95× length of genital capsule; saccular lobe moderately stout, subacute, extending to pedicel; basal process of valva elongate, acuminate, exceeding length of costal process. Juxta undeveloped.

Female Genitalia: Figures 489, 490. Abdomen tapering to slender, subacute, setose apex. Each posterior apophysis fused most its length, slender, elongate. Papillae anales fused to form a single, minute, short, tuberculate lobe (Figure 490) bearing ~10 elongate setae, the longest seta ~0.3–0.4× length of posterior apophyses. Vestibulum relatively broad, membranous, without spicules. Ductus bursae long and slender, with a moderately dense zone of transverse rows of 1–4 minute, blunt spicules largely concentrated along one side the entire length of ductus. Corpus bursae moderately expanded, broadly oval, with an indistinct, irregular U-shaped band bearing numerous, relatively stout, external tubercles partially encircling most the length of bursae (Figure 489). Spermathecal duct ~0.66× length of bursae copulatrix; membranous outer canal narrow, short, largely fused to bursae; inner canal long, sinuous, terminating in ~1–2 convolutions and irregularly curved, tubular vesicle.

LARVA AND PUPA. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE. ♂; PUERTO RICO: Cayey, 450 m, 2 Aug 1987, V. O. Becker, slide USNM 32752 (USNM).

PARATYPES. BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS: Tortola Island, Mt. Sage National Park, 480 m: 1 ♀, 7–8 Jul 1985, S. Miller et al. (USNM); 11 ♂, 9 ♀, 13–15 Jul 1987, V. O. Becker & S. Miller, slides USNM 31843,32753 (USNM, VOB); 1 ♀, 22–24 Jul 1986, S. Miller & M. Pogue (USNM). DOMINICA: Cabrit Swamp: 1 UNK, 18 Jun 1964, O. S. Flint (USNM). Springfield Estate: 1 ♂, 20–26 Jul 1963, O. S. Flint, slide USNM 32473 (USNM). PUERTO RICO: Carite, 500 m: 1 ♂, 17 Aug 1987, V. O. Becker (USNM). Cayey, 450 m: 3 ♂, 1 ♀, 2 Aug 1987, V. O. Becker (USNM). Patillas, 590 m: 2 ♂, 7 ♀, Aug 1987, V. O. Becker, slides USNM 31937, 32472 (USNM). U.S. VIRGIN ISLANDS: ST. THOMAS, 300 m: 2 ♂, 1 ♀, 25–30 Jul 1987, V. O. Becker, slide USNM 31936 (USNM, VOB).

HOST. Unknown.

FLIGHT PERIOD. Adults have been collected from June to August.

DISTRIBUTION. (Map 17) WEST INDIES: Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Dominica.

ETYMOLOGY. The specific name is derived from the Latin latus (broad) and furcatus (forked), as suggested by the broadly furcate gnathos diagnostic for this species.

DISCUSSION. An interesting parallel has evolved between this species and P. dorsalis. Both species possess a nominate form that is characterized by forewings consistently marked by a large dorsal spot, and a subspecies possessing identical male genitalia but with a distinct fasciate wing pattern. The distinction is clearer in P. latifurcata in that the two subspecies are allopatric, with latifurcata latifurcata occuring in the West Indies and latifurcata apoclina known only from Costa Rica. Other than similar forewing patterns, the two species complexes are not closely related, based on strikingly dissimilar male genital morphology.

Pseudopostega latifurcata is a moth of the family Opostegidae. It was described by Donald R. Davis and Jonas R. Stonis, 2007. It is known from Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, Dominica and Costa Rica.

The length of the forewings of ssp. latifurcata is 2.6–3 mm. Adults of this subspecies have been recorded from June to August. The length of the forewings of ssp. apoclina is 2.5–2.8 mm. Adults of this subspecies have been recorded in January, March, April, July and August.