Avestia Grishin, new genus

http://zoobank.org/ F54B9854-755F-4050-8D47-88EDB994DCED

Type species. Hesperia avesta Hewitson, 1868 .

Definition. A genus sister to Acerbas de Nicéville, 1895 (type species Hesperia anthea Hewitson, 1868) with Zela de Nicéville, 1895 (type species Zela zeus de Nicéville, 1895), previously placed in Lotongus Distant, 1886 (type species Eudamus calathus Hewitson, 1876), but not monophyletic with it (Fig. 10). Keys to J. 11.4 in Evans (1949). Morphologically, distinguished from its relatives by hourglass-shaped, terminally bulbous uncus in ventral view; harpe terminally rounded, not prominently separated from ampulla, with a single tooth directed caudad; ventral hindwing yellow band from costa to anal margin, closer to the base, veins brown below (not yellow). In DNA, a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic: aly1838.39.2:A631G, aly2165.18.2:A22T, aly2096.50.1:A679T, aly1405.13.10:C136C (not G), aly537.26.8:A1279A (not G), aly1264.14.2:A37A (not T).

Etymology. The name is a feminine noun in the nominative singular, formed from the type species name.

Species included. Only the type species.

Parent taxon. Tribe Erionotini Distant, 1886.