Nesosphecia, Bartsch, 2018

Bartsch, Daniel, 2018, Taxonomic changes in Synanthedonini from Madagascar, with description of two new genera and species (Lepidoptera: Sesiidae), Zootaxa 4433 (1), pp. 174-186 : 183

Nesosphecia gen. nov.

Type species: Nesosphecia mystica sp. nov., designated here.

Etymology. Ancient Greek Nēsos (= Island), Nesosphecia is of feminine gender.

Description. Head with well-developed and functional proboscis; labial palpi short and smoothly scaled, slightly upturned, first and third palpomere nearly half as long as second one; frons and vertex smoothly scaled; antennae clavate, slightly serrate and ciliate in male, reaching forewing discal spot. Thorax and legs without special characteristics; smoothly scaled, largely without hair-like scales; tibiae of hindlegs with some raised scales medially and distally; pairs of spurs of all legs long and strong, length of outer spur 2/3 of inner one. Wings narrow, apically rounded; transparent areas well-developed; discal spot of forewing broad, of hindwing short and narrow; forewing veins R1 and R2 distally fused, R4 and R5 stalked in basal half, M2 and M3 from common point, CuA2 parallel to CuA1, crossvein reduced; hindwing with short common stalk of M3 and CuA1. Abdomen long and narrow, caudally tapering; analtuft well-developed. Female unknown.

Male genitalia. Tegumen-uncus complex strong, highly specialized; tegumen broad, gnathos present, consisting of two lateral flaps; uncus with well-developed scopula androconialis; laterally next to scopula androconialis a sclerotized, ear-like protrusion; dorsal portion of uncus well sclerotized, long and broad, well protruding beyond scopula. Valva nearly twice as long as wide, apically tapering; inner surface with a relatively narrow dorsal area of bifurcate setae typical for the tribe, distal part of this area weakly sclerotized with somewhat thinner setae; weakly sclerotized area in distal part of valva separated from the well sclerotized area by a crest, which is crossed by a short, transverse ridge; crista sacculi broad and flat, densely covered with strong, thorn-like setae. Saccus long and slender. Phallus strait, basally bulbous-like enlarged, distally slender, tubular; vesica with a single cornutus.

Diagnosis. In size and shape of the body and pattern of the wings Nesosphecia resembles somewhat the Palaearctic genus Chamaesphecia . This also applies to the visual impression when flying or resting. However, externally, Chamaesphecia differs clearly by the presence of long, raised, hair-like scales of the labial palpi and body. The most distinctive characteristics of Nesosphecia can be found in the structure of the genitalia. The shape of the uncus and the structure of the distal portion of valva separate this genus from all other Synanthedonini and are here considered generic autapomorphies.