Neposa Austin and A. Warren, 2009

Austin, George T. & Warren, Andrew D., 2009, New looks at and for Onespa, Buzyges, and Librita (Lepidoptera: Hesperiidae: Hesperiinae), with new combinations and descriptions of a new genus and six new species, Insecta Mundi 2009 (89), pp. 1-55 : 38-40

Neposa Austin and A. Warren , new genus

Type species: Neposa heras (Godman, 1900) , here designated.

The critical examination of Librita above confirmed that one species considered congeneric by Evans (1955), Librita raspa , was indeed a Paratrytone (see above), and revealed that a second species placed in Librita , Augiades heras , was also not congeneric. Since no existing genus is available for this, Neposa is here proposed and described to envelope N. heras and three undescribed species, all known from southern Mexico and northern Central America.

Description. Palpi quadrate, 3rd segment robust, nearly erect, not exceeding scales of second segment. Antennae more than 1/2 costa on males (51-53%), about 1/2 costa on females (48-49%); club stout, 1/3 or more of shaft (30-37% on males, 40-45% on females), bent to constricted apiculus beyond thickest part; nudum varies from 11 to 13 segments, subequally divided between club and apiculus (4-5 segments on club); shaft entirely dark or yellow checked with black above, black and yellow or yellow-orange on venter; nudum red-brown to yellow-orange.

Wings somewhat produced; forewing apex 1.4 times length along vein 2A; hindwing longest at CuA 1, nearly as long at 2A, about equally long at veins Sc+R 1 and 3A. Male with bipartite stigma (Fig. 62) flanked by a lower brush patch (sensu MacNeill 1964). Hindwing origin Rs nearer to cell end than base. Forewing origin CuA 2 nearer to origin of CuA 1 than to base of wing. Sexual dimorphism prominent. Wings dark brown with orange (male) or yellowish and/or orange and white (female) maculation.

Meso- and metatibiae spined with long fringes of setiform scales on both tibia and femur; mesotibiae with one pair spurs, metatibiae two pairs; outer spur in each pair 1/2 to 2/3 length of inner spur.

Male genitalia with gnathos bifid, arms slender and connivent, uncus short and narrow, weakly bilobed at end, narrower or about width of gnathos in dorsal view, longer or shorter than gnathos; separation of gnathos and uncus in lateral view shallow. Tegumen flaring cephalad, ventral arm with dorsal arm of saccus combining into a structure bent well below its middle, anterior arm of saccus short to moderately long, narrowing to a bluntly pointed or curved cephalic end in ventral view. Valvae simple and unarticulated, with costa/ampulla relatively straight and undifferentiated between themselves and harpe, ampulla with small dorsal triangular process caudad, harpe angled or curved, serrate on caudal edge before another sharply pointed process. Aedeagus stout, relatively short (1.1-1.4 times length of valva) one species with curved titillator on venter near caudal end, with cornuti consisting of two heavily sclerotized structures (narrowing abruptly caudad) and (on one species) a flexible, lightly sclerotized and spinulose pad.

Female genitalia characterized by a moderately long (2.3 mm), sclerotized, and centrally constricted, straight, and slightly twisted ductus bursae that expands cephalad in lateral view. Lamella antevaginalis very broad, lobate, and shallowly excavated caudad; lamella postvaginalis also broad with V-shaped caudal indentation; ostium bursae broad and shallow, twice as broad as deep. Corpus bursae wrinkled longitudinally, no signa.

Etymology. Neposa is a meaningless anagram of Poanes as was Onespa ( Steinhauser 1974) . The name was usurped from the notes of the late Steve Steinhauser (those now at MGCL). Steve apparently originally was to propose this name for a genus to embrace Pamphila rolla and Poanes benito (now included in Buzyges ), which he, along with Burns (1992a), had recognized as not being species of Poanes (see above).

Distribution and richness. Neposa embraces Augiades heras and three undescribed species known from Guatelama and Mexico.

Diagnosis and discussion. Species of Neposa , although initially appearing similar to other hesperiines, including Onespa and Buzyges , have a unique combination of superficial and genital traits. Augiades heras was considered congeneric with Librita based largely upon their conspicuous stigmas and perhaps their somewhat similar valvae ( Godman and Salvin 1879 -1901, Evans 1955). Notwithstanding those similarities, Neposa differs from Librita by its bipartite stigma, presence of a lower brush patch, its overall brown color on the dorsal wings ( Librita is a more obviously orange insect), spined tibiae, and numerous genital differences. Those latter include a shorter saccus, a more compact tegumen-uncus, a broad and often angled harpe, spike-like cornuti that expand cephalad on males, a broader sterigma, and a relatively longer, thinner, and twisted antrum with complex plate-like sclerotization on females.

Neposa differs from Onespa by its stigma, spined tibiae (note, however, that one species of Onespa has spined tibiae), shorter 2nd palpal segment, a broad and usually angled harpe, shorter and stouter aedeagus, and relatively shorter and twisted ductus bursae without a lateral pouch. It differs from Buzyges by the presence of a stigma, a shorter 2nd palpal segment, a broad and usually angled harpe, differently shaped cornuti, and a twisted ductus bursae with internal sclerotization.