Pseudosphex lindae, Laguerre, 2025

Laguerre, Michel, 2025, New species of Arctiinae east of the Canal Zone, Panama (Lepidoptera, Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini), Faunitaxys 13 (12), pp. 1-17 : 5

Pseudosphex lindae sp. n.

ZooBank:https://zoobank.org/ 5FAB1EF3-24F6-4CC2-848C-2E7F64A44D13

In the material received we found several specimens of a Pseudosphex species very similar to P. fulvisphex (Druce, 1898) but some differences in the habitus clearly justify a careful study (see below Fig. 10).

After dissection, it appears that, even if the external appearance is very close to Pseudosphex fulvisphex , the male genitalia surprisingly display a pattern similar to those of Pseudosphex aequalis (Walker, [1865]) despite different habitus.

Nevertheless, the genitalia are divergent enough to consider this entity as new and it will be described below under the name Pseudosphex lindae sp. nov.

Holotype, ♂, PANAMA, Panama, Los Altos de Cerro Azul , 27-XII-2020, 700 m, 9.2030°N 79.4150°W, L. & J. Harrison leg., dissected Gen. ML3856 (light-blue manuscript label). Will be deposited in MNHN.

Paratypes (3 ♀), same data as holotype but 05-V-2023 (dissected ML3829 , not shown), 28-III-2023 and 17-VIII-2023. In MLC .

Diagnosis. – Species wasp mimic, very close to Pseudosphex fulvisphex . Wings entirely transparent with black veins.Costa orange and a thin black border enlarged at apex on forewings only.

Male ( Fig. 11)

FWL = 12 mm. Antennae black with long ciliae in the basal two-thirds, scape black with an orangedot. Head, frons and vertex yellow.Ablack transverse line before collar. Patagia orange with a central black bar. Tegulae orange with a central black band. Thorax dark orange with a thin median black line and two transverse black bands, one just after the patagia, the second in middle position. Abdomen upperside orange, the two first segments pale yellow with a thin central black line.Ablack spot on each side of the first segment. The remaining segments orange with a transverse black band just after the yellow segments. Forewingsentirely transparent with black veins.Athin black border enlarged at apex. Costa orange from base to just before apex. Internal border orange fading toward tornus. Hindwings entirely transparent with very thin black border and orange costa.Underside: palpi, forecoxae legs and abdomen underside orange.

Genitalia male ( Fig. 12)

Uncus wide at base, evenly bent ventrally, finishing with a sclerotized pointed tip. Valvae subrectangular with a pointed triangular extremity. Just above this extremity a very long and narrow arched process largely outreaching the tip of uncus. This process displays a ventral slightly crenulated carina. Presence of a slightly sclerotized subscaphium. Juxta shaped as a tongue reaching the base of uncus. Vinculum curved with a long saccus with a rounded tip.Aedeagus long, cylindrical and narrow, smoothly bent at 90° in the last half. Vesica smooth with a long unique lobe bent at 180° and terminated with a long and narrow tube.

Female ( Fig. 13)

FWL = 13-14 mm. Similar to male. Slightly larger and the black border on wings is wider. The antennae have very short ciliae.

Etymology. – By reference to Linda Harrison who, with husband Jerry, provided almost the totality of the material at the base of this study.

Early stages. – Unknown.

Distribution. – Presently only known from Panama around the Canal Zone.