Pseudopostega lobata Davis & Stonis 2007

Pseudopostega lobata

ADULT. Figures 196, 197. Length of forewing 2.0–2.4 mm. Small, mostly white moth with white forewings marked with a pair of dark brown, subapical costal strigulae, the basalmost strigula broader and more distinct; apical spot absent. Male genitalia with basal fold of gnathos produced caudally as a prominent, rounded lobe possessing slender, lateral folds (Figures 346, 347). Papillae anales of female basically bilobed but apex subdivided into approximately four minute, secondary lobes (Figure 467).

Head: Vestiture white. Scape white; flagellum light golden brown, ~41–45-segmented. Maxillary and labial palpi cream. Labial palpus suffused with brown laterally.

Thorax: White; tegula white. Forewing white marked with a pair of long, dark brown subapical, costal strigulae, both extending to tornal area; strigula 1 broader and more distinct; apical spot absent; a small, slightly elongate, brown spot sometimes present near basal third along hind margin; terminal cilia light brown, more white around tornal area; venter of forewing light brown except for white at wing base and along basal half of costa. Hindwing and cilia light brown dorsally and ventrally except for white suffusion at base. Legs mostly white; foreleg with lateral and dorsal surfaces brown; midleg with usually brown banding dorsally on tarsomeres 2–3; hindleg white to cream without tarsal banding.

Abdomen: Light to medium brown dorsally, white ventrally.

Male Genitalia: Figures 346, 347. Socii expanded to a pair of low, broad, rounded, setose, nearly contiguous lobes; width of each lobe nearly half the length of cucullar lobe; caudal rim of uncus smoothly convex. Vinculum broad, tapering slightly to broad, concave anterior margin. Gnathos with a moderately broad, bulbous base (viewed laterally); anterior margin of gnathos simple, convex; basal fold produced to form a prominent, stout, median lobe terminating caudally in a broad, bluntly rounded knob that slightly surpasses caudal margin of socii; with a pair of caudally divided, slender, lateral folds aligned longitudinally and subparallel along basal half of median lobe (Figures 346, 347). Valva with an elongate cucullar lobe ~0.3× length of genital capsule, bearing a pectinifer consisting of 31–34 blunt spines; terminal apex of cucullar lobe rounded, only slightly extended; pedicel broad, width ~0.3× length of cucullar lobe; valva relatively short, length along sacculus ~0.5× length of genital capsule, saccular lobe stout, roughly rounded, tuberculate and setose, extending nearly to apex of cucullar lobe; basal process of valva tapering to an acute apex, approximately equaling length of stout costal process. Juxta undeveloped.

Female Genitalia: Figures 466, 467. Abdomen tapering to a moderately broad, subacute, slightly cleft apex. Each posterior apophysis fused most its length, relatively stout and short. Papillae anales basically bilobed but apex subdivided into approximately 4 minute, irregular secondary lobes, each bearing 2–4 elongate setae, the longest nearly as long as the posterior apophyses; lobes arising from a small, narrow basal plate; maximum length of lobes ~0.35× width of basal plate (Figure 467). Vestibulum relatively broad, membranous. Ductus bursae with a dense patch of pectinate spicules arranged usually 3–6 in transverse rows. Corpus bursae relatively short, broad, with a faint, irregular U-shaped band partially encircling most the length of the corpus; band bearing numerous, relatively elongate, acute, external tubercles (Figure 466). Spermathecal duct ~2/3 length of bursae copulatrix; membranous outer canal narrow; inner canal long, sinuous, terminating in ~5–6 convolutions. Vesicle large, divided into a large tube of ~3 coils, and a much smaller, less coiled, lateral lagena.

LARVA AND PUPA. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE. ♂; COSTA RICA: HEREDIA: Estación Biológica La Selva, Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui, 10°26'N, 84°01'W, 50–150 m, Bosque Primario, L/14/304, 2 Feb 1998, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4263 (INBIO).

PARATYPES. ARGENTINA: JUJUY: Parque Nacional Calilegua, Mirador, sta.14, 800 m: 1 ♂, 20 Nov 1995, Neth. Ent. Exp. N-Arg., slide DRD 4134 (RMNH). SALTA: 5 km NW Aguas Blancas, Finca Yaculika, 53 km NNW Orán, sta. 16, 500 m: 1 ♂, 24 Nov 1995, Neth. Ent. Exp. N-Arg., slide DRD 4252 (RMNH). BELIZE: CAYO DISTRICT: Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas Research Station: 1 ♂, 3–16 Apr 1998, R. Puplesis, slide AD 0445 (VPU). COSTA RICA: GUANACASTE: Santa Rosa Station, Area de Conservation Guanacaste, 300 m: 1 ♂, 22 Jun 2003, K. Nishida, light sheet, slide USNM 33212 (USNM). HEREDIA: Estación Biológica La Selva, 50–150 m, L/00/180: 1 ♂, 11 Mar 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM 33034 (USNM); L/00/223: 1 ♂, 22 Apr 1996, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4279 (INBIO); L/00/273: 1 ♂, 15 Jan 1998, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4282 (INBIO); L/04/162: 1 ♂, 22 Feb 1996, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4274 (INBIO); L/04/205: 1 ♂, 8 Apr 1996, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4199 (INBIO); L/04/212: 1 ♂, 15 Apr 1996, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4170 (INBIO); L/07/440: 1 ♀, 11 Aug 1998, INBio-OET (INBIO); L/08/285: 1 ♂, 19 Jan 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM 33035 (USNM); L/09/442: 1 ♂, 12 Aug 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM 33036 (USNM); L/09/490: 1 ♀, 20 Oct 1998, INBio-OET (INBIO); L/10/539: 1 ♀, 12 Jan 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM 32773 (USNM); L/11/350: 1 ♂, 14 Apr 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM 32164 (USNM); L/12/625: 1 ♀, 22 Apr 1998, IN-Bio-OET (INBIO); L/13/376: 1 ♂, 19 May 1998, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4204 (INBIO); L/15/342: 2 ♂, 31 Mar 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM DRD 4270, 32808 (INBIO, USNM); L/15/354: 1 ♂, 16 Apr 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM 32790 (USNM); L/15/424: 1 ♂, 21 Jul 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM 32171 (USNM); L/15/574: 1 ♀, 18 Feb 1999, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4255 (INBIO); L/17/356: 1 UNK, 21 Apr 1998, INBio-OET (INBIO); L/17/426: 1 ♀, 22 Jul 1998, INBio-OET, slide USNM 32172 (USNM); L/17/664: 1 ♂, 15 Jun 1999, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4284 (INBIO); L/18/547: 1 ♂, 20 Jan 1998, INBio-OET, slide DRD 4011 (INBIO); L0012: 1 ♂, 15 Jan 1993, INBio-OET, slide USNM 32797 (USNM). NICARAGUA: Estelí, 700 m: 1 ♂, 22 Aug 1972, G. F. & S. Hevel, slide USNM 31838 (USNM).

HOST. Unknown.

FLIGHT PERIOD. In Central America adults have been encountered over much of the year from January to August and October, with only November reported for Argentina.

DISTRIBUTION. (Map 12) This is probably a common, widespread neotropical species, now reported in Central America from Belize to Costa Rica, with two records from northern Argentina.

ETYMOLOGY. The species name is derived from the Latin lobus (a rounded projection or protuberance) in reference to the broadly rounded, median basal lobe of the male gnathos.

DISCUSSION. This species appears most allied to the West Indian P. clavata on the basis of their very similar male and female genital morphology. The forewings of the two species differ significantly with those of lobata being nearly all white except for the subapical strigulae. The forewings of clavata are generally darker, with a relatively large costal spot. The saccular lobe of lobata is also more slender and elongate than in clavata.

Pseudopostega lobata is a moth of the family Opostegidae. It was described by Donald R. Davis and Jonas R. Stonis, 2007. It is probably a common, widespread neotropical species, now reported in Central America from Belize to Costa Rica, with two records from northern Argentina.

The length of the forewings is 2–2.4 mm. In Central America, adults have been recorded over much of the year from January to August and October, with only November reported for Argentina.