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Lignispalta
Gen. n.
Type
species: incertissima Bethune-Baker.
Species
of this genus have narrow forewings with a ligneous pattern, typically including
a pale apical patch that extends half way to the dorsum. This patch is bordered
white basad; this white border has a distal brown triangle centrally that is
flanked on either side to the margin by cream areas, the anterior cream patch
separated thinly with white from the brown triangle. The postmedial is blackish,
double, crenulate, and the reniform is usually prominent. The hindwings are pale
brown, grading darker distad, and with a diffuse, dark brown discal lunule. This
lunule and crenulate single postmedials on both wings are more prominent on the
underside.
The
male antennae are ciliate, those of the female filiform.
The
male abdomen is highly modified in the type species. Basal hair pencils are
lacking but the eighth sternite has prominent lateral rods that connect with the
edge of a deep pocket over the anterior of the sternite, opening posteriorly;
the seventh tergite supports an unusual semicircular area of broad scales. These
features are not seen in other species, apart from the lateral rods. The male
genitalia are variable in structure, providing no obvious generic
features.
The
female genitalia have the base of the ductus sclerotised, broadening gently to
the ostium; distally it may or may not extend unsclerotised before opening into
the bursa which is usually corrugate, scobinate, elongate.
The
facies features mentioned are those that provide the strongest indication that
the included species are congeneric. As well as the species discussed below, the
genus includes L. caerulea Robinson comb. n. (Fiji) and
undescribed taxa from tropical Australasia and Saleyer I.
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