Pseudopostega breviapicula Davis & Stonis 2007

Pseudopostega breviapicula

ADULT. Figure 172. Length of forewing 2.9–3.0 mm. Small, mostly white moth with white forewings marked with a small, dark brown costal spot along distal 2/3, a similar, small, dark brown spot beyond basal third of dorsal margin, 2–3 brown, subapical costal strigulae, a brown tornal strigula, and a small, dark brown to fuscous apical spot. Male gnathos triangular, gradually tapering to a short, acute, uncinate apex; basal fold broad and short, arched at middle (Figures 317, 318). Female unknown.

Map 8. Distribution of Pseudopostega cretea (triangularis species group).

Head: Vestiture white. Scape white; flagellum light golden brown, 49–54-segmented. Palpi white to cream; labial palpus with dorsolateral margins dark brown.

Thorax: White; tegula with dark brown suffusion on anterior margin. Forewing white with brown suffusion along basal anterior margin of costa; a small, dark brown costal spot along distal 2/3, a similar, small, dark brown spot beyond basal third of dorsal margin; costal strigulae variable, usually some vestige of 2–3 brown, subapical strigulae present; basal strigula faint; strigula 2 usually terminating just before dark brown to fuscous apical spot; area immediately basal to apical spot suffused with pale yellow; strigula 3 indistinct in most specimens examined, typically curving around apical spot; tornal strigula brown, extending down from apical spot; terminal cilia mostly white, light brown along dorsal margin; venter of forewing light brown except for basal, subhumeral white area. Hindwing and cilia light brown dorsally and ventrally. Legs mostly white to cream; foreleg with dorsal surfaces suffused with light to dark brown; midleg either mostly cream or with light brownish suffusion dorsally over tibia; tarsomeres with brown dorsal banding; banding paler on tarsomeres of hindleg.

Abdomen: Variable, dark to light brown dorsally, cream to gray laterally, and white to cream ventrally.

Male Genitalia: Figures 317, 318. Socii a pair of small, low rounded, setose lobes widely separated by a distance 0.6× length of cucullar lobe; caudal margin of uncus broadly concave. Vinculum broad, tapering to relatively narrow, slightly concave anterior margin. Base of gnathos broadly triangular, gradually narrowing posteriorly to a short, broadly acute, dorsally recurved caudal lobe; anterior margin of gnathos with shallow, median indentation; basal fold broad and short, arched at middle, with free margin (Figure 317). Valva with an elongate cucullar lobe ~0.5× length of genital capsule; bearing a pectinifer consisting of ~40 blunt spines; terminal apex of cucullar lobe extended slightly as a setose, broadly acute lobe; pedicel broad, ~0.2× length of cucullar lobe; valva moderately long, length along sacculus ~0.65× length of genital capsule; saccular lobe moderately elongate, slender, tapering to rounded, setose apex; basal process of valva tapering to acute apex, exceeding length of costal lobe by nearly one-third its length. Juxta developed as an elongate, median rod from vinculum.

FEMALE, LARVA AND PUPA. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE. ♂; BRAZIL: PARá: Belém: Jan 1984, V. O. Becker, slide DRD 4229 (VOB).

PARATYPES. ARGENTINA: JUJUY: Parque Nacional Calilegua, Mesada Las Colmenas, sta. 15, 1150 m: 1 ♂, 21–23 Sep 1995, Neth. Ent. Exp. N-Arg., slide DRD 4155 (RMNH). BRAZIL: MINAS GERAIS: Nova Lima, 850 m: 1 ♂, 8 Oct 1985, 1 ♂, 30 Dec 1988, V. O. Becker, slides DRD 4231, 4234 (VOB). Capitao Poco: 1 ♂, 25–31 Jan 1984, V. O. Becker, slide DRD 4219 (VOB). PANAMA: La Chorrera: 1 ♂, May 1912, A. Busck, slide USNM 31967 (USNM).

HOST. Unknown.

FLIGHT PERIOD. This species has been collected throughout much of the year over its broad range, including October, December, January (Brazil), September (Argentina), and May (Panama).

DISTRIBUTION. (Map 7) This species ranges widely across the Neotropical Region from Panama south to northeastern and southeastern Brazil and north-central Argentina.

ETYMOLOGY. The species name is derived from the Latin brevis (short) and apiculus (diminutive of apex) in reference to the short, acuminate apex of the male gnathos.

DISCUSSION. The broadly triangular gnathos with a short, recurved caudal lobe and narrow, medially cleft, basal fold characterizes the males of this rather widely distributed Neotropical species.

Pseudopostega breviapicula is a moth of the family Opostegidae. It was described by Donald R. Davis and Jonas R. Stonis, 2007. It has a wide range in the Neotropical Region from Panama south to north-eastern and south-eastern Brazil and north-central Argentina.