Palaeugoa Durante, 2012

Volynkin, Anton V., 2024, The genus Palaeugoa Durante in Nouabalé-Ndoki National Park, Republic of Congo, with descriptions of two new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini), Ecologica Montenegrina 73, pp. 377-390 : 378-379

Genus Palaeugoa Durante, 2012

Palaeugoa Durante, 2012 , European Journal of Taxonomy, 22: 5.

Type species: Xanthetis spurrelli Hampson, 1914 , by original designation ( Durante 2012).

Diagnosis. The male genitalia of the species of the genus are characterized by the combination of the following characters. (1) The uncus is short, dorso-ventrally flattened and fully fused with the tuba analis (this uncus structure is unique within the Asura / Miltochrista generic complex, but similar to certain groups of Cyana Walker, 1854 which have, however, only the tip of uncus separated from the tuba analis). (2) The transtilla either bears a large process in its diaphragmal part (in the P. spurrelli species-group) or on the anterior section of the editum (in the takanoi species-group), or its diaphragmal part is heavily spinulose and fused with the spinulose scobination of the anellus (the P. peregrina species-group). (3) The sacculus bears one or two processes, of which the distal one is well-separated from the distal section of the valva (‘cucullus’). The female genitalia are characterized by (1) the short or reduced apophyses anteriores; (2) the presence of an antevaginal plate (except in the P. peregrina species-group); (3) the tubular and membranous ductus bursae (in other species of the Asura / Miltochrista generic complex, the ductus bursae is dorso-ventrally flattened and sclerotised, with the exceptions of the Oriental Barsochrista N. Singh & Kirti, 2016 and Nebulene Volynkin & Černý, 2018 where the ductus bursae is also membranous but short and broad); (4) the large appendix bursae having a very broad and membranous distal section, which is larger than or about the same size as the corpus bursae (this character is also unique within the Asura / Miltochrista generic complex and similar to that of the genus Cyana ).

Distribution. The genus is widespread in the rainforests of West and Central Africa reaching western Kenya (Kakamega Forest) in the east ( Volynkin & László 2020).