Pseudopostega indonesica, Puplesis & Robinson, 1999

Stonis, Jonas R., Remeikis, Andrius, Solis, M. Alma & Karsholt, Ole, 2021, Diagnostics and updated checklist of Oriental Pseudopostega (Opostegidae) including the matrona species group with a new, extralimital species discovered in the Mediterranean, Zootaxa 4933 (3), pp. 341-360 : 348

The indonesica group

Externally, species are characterized by a wide, dark brown or ochre fascia of the forewing; snow white frontal tuft. In the male genitalia, the uncus is comprised of two large, distally rounded lateral lobes; the gnathos is a small plate with large lateral arms and a large, distally rounded caudal process; the valva has a large, distinctive pedicel and triangular cucullar lobes; and the vinculum is bilobed anteriorly, with a distinctive, strongly thickened, rod-like juxta ( Fig. 1 ). In the female genitalia, the apophyses are unique in comparison with other Pseudopostega because they are very long; the anal papillae with two deeply divided lobes ( Fig. 1 ); and the signum is absent.

From other groups of Oriental Pseudopostega , the indonesica group is easily distinguished by the deeply bilobed vinculum, distinctive pedicel of the valva in the male genitalia, and the very long apophyses and deeply divided lobes of the anal papillae in the female genitalia.

Distribution. Currently the group is comprised of two species distributed in Indonesia, India, and Sri Lanka ( Davis 1989), and possibly with wider distribution (D. R. Davis pers. comm.) ( Fig. 1 ).

Remarks. Previously, P. euryntis was left unplaced in a species group ( Puplesis & Robinson 1999). However, upon the study of the female holotype of P. euryntis we found it possesses all the diagnostic characters of the indonesica group: very long apophyses and deeply divided lobes of anal papillae. Therefore, we newly attribute P. euryntis to the indonesica group (see Checklist).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Pictorial diagnostic tool for identification of Oriental Pseudopostega species groups (Note: the morphological structures are drawn in different scales). * – except for P. similantis with an indistinctive dorsal spot; ** – formerly the nigrimaculella group; *** – Mediterranean P. matrona sp. nov., described below