Opostega velifera, Meyrick, 1920

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 : 346

The velifera group

Externally, species are characterized by the brown frontal tuft and dark pattern of the forewing, densely covered with brown and pale brown scales (except for the brownish cream costal margin in P. sumbae and three yellowish cream spots along the costa in P. velifera ); apical strigulae and apical dot absent ( Fig. 1 ). In the male genitalia, the uncus is comprised of two large, triangular lateral lobes; the gnathos is a triangular plate with a well-developed, slender caudal process; and the vinculum is without a juxta ( Fig. 1 ). In the female genitalia, apophyses long; anal papillae are modified into a single, wide but short lobe ( Fig. 1 ); the signum is strongly developed, lamellar, curved ( P. velifera and P. nepalensis ), or weakly developed ( P. sumbae ).

From other groups of the Oriental (or Neotropical) Pseudopostega , the velifera group is distinguished by the unique combination of a dark forewing and frontal tuft, absence of a juxta in the male genitalia, and single-lobed anal papillae in the female genitalia.

Distribution. Currently the group is comprised of three species distributed in India, Nepal, and Indonesia.

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