Pseudopostega diskusi Davis & Stonis 2007

Pseudopostega diskusi

ADULT. Figure 151. Length of forewing 2.8–3.1 mm. Small, white moth with forewings marked by a subapical, dark brown costal spot and a basal, light brown dorsal spot, 2 dark brown, subapical costal strigulae, and 1 dark brown, tornal strigula; dark brown apical spot reduced. Male gnathos broadly rhomboid, abruptly constricted to form a broad, apically rounded caudal lobe; basal fold short, slightly arched at middle (Figures 288, 289). Female unknown.

Head: Vestiture white. Scape white. Flagellum cream to ochre, ~66-segmented. Maxillary and labial palpi cream to white.

Thorax: Entirely white. Forewing white, with a dark brown costal spot immediately basal of the costal strigulae, a lighter brown dorsal spot at basal ¼–¹⁄5 of forewing and 2 dark brown, subapical costal strigulae; strigula 1 very short, well separated from costa and terminating into indistinct, dark brown apical spot; strigula 2 well developed, curving around apical spot to tornus; short, dark brown tornal strigula extending from apical spot to tornus; venter of forewing dark brown with basal discal area cream. Hindwing and cilia gray brown dorsally and ventrally except for cream base. Legs mostly cream to white; foreleg fuscous over lateral and dorsal surfaces.

Abdomen: Fuscous dorsally, cream ventrally.

Male Genitalia: Figures 288, 289. Socii a pair of large, broad, setose lobes, narrowly separated by a distance ~0.2× length of cucullar lobe by deep, V-shaped indentation. Vinculum well sclerotized, broad, gradually narrowing to rounded, anterior margin. Gnathos broadly rhomboid, broadest across truncate caudal margin; abruptly constricted to form a broad, apically rounded, caudal lobe; anterior margin of gnathos strongly sclerotized, with short basal fold slightly arched at middle (Figure 288). Valva with very large cucullar lobe ~0.55× length of genital capsule, bearing ~56 blunt spines; distal apex of cucullar lobe evenly rounded, not extended; pedicel short, broad; valva long, length along sacculus ~0.7× length of genital capsule; saccular lobe broadly rounded; basal process of valva short but acute; costal process of valva large, terminating near anterior margin of vinculum near basal process of valva. Juxta absent.

FEMALE, LARVA AND PUPA. Unknown.

HOLOTYPE. BELIZE: CAYO DISTRICT: Chiquibul Forest Reserve, Las Cuevas Research Station: 1 ♂, 3–16 Apr 1998, secondary tropical forest, R. Puplesis, slide AD 0450 (VPU).

PARATYPES. BELIZE: CAYO DISTRICT: Same data as holotype: 2 ♂, 3–16 Apr 1998 (VPU). South of Teakettle Village, Pook’s Hill Nature Reserve: 2 ♂, 28–29 Apr 1998, secondary tropical forest, R. Puplesis, slide AD 0451 (VPU).

HOST. Unknown.

FLIGHT PERIOD. April.

DISTRIBUTION. (Map 5) Known only from the Cayo District of central Belize.

ETYMOLOGY. This species is named in honor of Aru¯nas Diškus, Vilnius Pedagogical University, Vilnius, Lithuania, a specialist on the Nepticuloidea and Tischerioidea.

DISCUSSION. The male of this species is characterized by the broad base of the gnathos with its stout caudal lobe, relative broad socii, and valvae with enlarged cucullar lobes (length of lobe ~0.55× length of genital capsule).

Pseudopostega diskusi is a moth of the family Opostegidae. It is only known from the Cayo District of central Belize.

The length of the forewings is 2.8–3.1 mm. Adults are mostly white. Adults have been collected in April.