Nealyda Dietz, 1900

(Fig. 1–5)

Nealyda Dietz, 1900 .

Type species: Nealyda bifidella Dietz, 1900, by monotypy.

Diagnosis. The maculation of Nealyda species (Fig. 1) is yellowish tan, brown, gray, and/or black. The labial palps (Fig. 2) are slightly rounded and stout with banding. The forewings typically have a single medial fascia darker than surrounding scales, but Caribbean species have two fasciae ( N. neopisoniae Clarke) or none ( N. bicolor Walsingham). The apex of the wing is darkly irrorated. The hindwings have a medial cleft, whereby the tornus is extended similarly to the apex. The metathoracic legs have a medial inner tibial spur greater than two times the length of the outer spur. In the male genitalia (Fig. 3), the valvae have sparse microtrichia apically. The saccular processes (or sacculi) are large, often strongly sclerotized, and mesally connected to each other. The vincular processes of the phytolaccae group are large lobed structures, while in the pisoniae group, they are weakly sclerotized bumps with microtrichia. The uncus is globular to conical. The gnathos is strongly reduced to a ring around the base of the uncus. The tegumen is trapezoidal with sparse microtrichia. The phallus is ankylosed to the vinculum. In the female genitalia (Fig. 4), the papillae anales are large, heavily sclerotized, and extremely setose. The ductus bursae and corpus bursae are unsclerotized. The signum is a small hook, spine, or granular patch. The larvae feed in leaf mines in Caryophyllales .