Papuaphlebohecta, 2005

Yen, Shen-Horn, Robinson, Gaden S. & Quicke, Donald L. J., 2005, The phylogenetic relationships of Chalcosiinae (Lepidoptera, Zygaenoidea, Zygaenidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 143 (2), pp. 161-341 : 341

PAPUAPHLEBOHECTA YEN GEN. NOV.

Type species: Papuaphllebohecta bicolora Yen , sp. nov., designated here (see note 13, Appendix 1).

Adult: Head smoothly scaled; proboscis rudimentary, galeal lobes not fused; labial palpus short, 2-segmented; chaetosemata developed; antenna about half of forewing length, flagellomeres rather short, short bipectinate in male and serrate in female, apical part without enlarged or thickened flagellomeres. Forewing elongate, with apex rounded, termen straight; hindwing somewhat triangular, rounded at apex; r3 +r4 of forewing not stalked with r5, sc + r1 of hindwing connected to cell by a short cross veinlet; hindwing-abdomen scent organ absent, hindwing base of female with a bundle of short filiform scales; frenulum number 3.

Male genitalia and the associated abdominal segment. Uncus fused with tegumen, forming a ring-like structure, slender viewed laterally. Subscaphium absent. Vinculum fused with lower part of tegumen, saccus extending anteriorly. Valva with cucullus membranous, sacculus more sclerotized, forming an elongate process with apex rounded; sacculus with a curved digital long process. Tegumenal structure complex, a pair of beak-like processes arising near conjunction between valval bases and lower margins of tegumen, the paired processes extending posteriorly and curved downwards; anterior ends of beak-like structure connected to a cap-like structure, formed by anterior extension of tegumen, cap-like structure fused dorsomedially, running downwards to fuse with medial inner ridge of vinculum. Aedeagus slender, curved medially to be ‘L’-shaped, phallobase not prominent, apical part attenuate, but not acute. Eighth tergite and sternite truncate at hind margin, no peculiar modification is found.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor present, slightly longer than seventh tergite. Eighth tergite sclerotized, lateral part extended downwards, forming a ring-like structure; apophyses anteriores slightly shorter than seventh tergite. Seventh sternite short, about half of tergite, upper margin rounded. A sclerotized and folded structure posterior to antrum. Antrum slightly sclerotized in the opening; ductus bursae short, not spiralled, as long as tergite, corpus bursae small, without specialized wrinkles or signa.

Diagnosis and relationships: The wing shape of this genus is somewhat similar to that of Soritia and Eterusia , but it can be easily distinguished by the slender antenna which has no enlarged apex and the reduced proboscis. The male genitalia of this new genus suggests its close relationships to the genus complex which contains Caprima , Sciodoclea and some other species currently placed in Pidorus and Hemiscia .

Etymology. The first half of the generic name is derived from Papua New Guinea, the type locality of the type species, the second from Phlebohecta , another chalcosiine genus which has a similar wing pattern and wing shape. The gender is feminine.

Distribution. One species found in Papua New Guinea.