Pseudohemihyalea (Strecker, 2009) Schmidt, 2009

Schmidt, Christian, 2009, Revision of the " Aemilia " ambigua (Strecker) species-group (Noctuidae, Arctiinae), ZooKeys 9 (9), pp. 63-78 : 67-69

Pseudohemihyalea ambigua species-group

Diagnosis. Members of the ambigua species-group can be immediately recognized by the simple, striate forewing pattern ( Figs. 1-5 ). Internally, the male uncus in dorsal profile is characteristically shaped like a bicycle saddle (Figs. 11-15), with the apex slightly down-turned, pointed and beak-like (Fig. 6). The posterior portion of the uncus consists of two heavily setose, globose or slightly flattened lobes (Fig. 6). The male valve is relatively simple and bipartite (tripartite in most Amastus and a few Pseudohemihyalea ), with the apical 1/3 to ¼ divided into costal and saccullar processes (figs. 6-10). The transtilla is low, hump-like and finely scobinate (coarsely spinose or scobinate in most other Pseudohemihyalea , long, prong-like and variously scobinate in Amastus ). Female genitalia are relatively simple across the whole Pseudohemihylaea- Amastus group, and no characters were found that distinguish the ambigua -group from

other Pseudohemihyalea , although the shape of the lamella antevaginalis may prove useful in a more in-depth review of the group. The pine-feeding habits of the larvae ( P. ambigua ) are unique within the genus.

Figures

Figures 1-5. 1a. P. ambigua male (Santa Cruz Co., AZ, USA). 1b. P. ambigua female (Cochise Co., AZ, USA). 2a. P. syracosia male (Zacapa Dpto., Guatemala). 2b. P. syracosia female (Chiapas, Mexico). 3a. P. fallaciosa male (Chiapas, Mexico). 3b. P. fallaciosa female (Zacapa Dpto., Guatemala). 4a. P. sonorosa male paratype (Sonora, Mexico). 4b. P. sonorosa female paratype (Sonora, Mexico). 5. P. potosi male holotype (Nuevo Leon, Mexico).