Ralis Grishin, new genus

http://zoobank.org/ 55719473-C71C-4492-B44C-00BB0CFFE700

Type species. Lerema coyana Schaus, 1902.

Definition. A genus without close relatives, but not monophyletic with Psoralis Mabille, 1904 (type species Psoralis sabaeus Mabille, 1904, which is a junior subjective synonym of Pamphila idee Weeks, 1901) (Fig. 11–12). Keys to J. 43.9 in Evans (1955). Morphologically, distinguished from its relatives by a very conspicuous, large gray stigma and nearly unmarked dark brown hindwing ventral (sometimes with small pale dots). Male genitalia distinctive, see Nicolay (1980: fig. 7): uncus broad, not narrowing in the middle, tegumen with a pair of long dorsal processes directed caudad, gnathos the same length and width as uncus, prominent in lateral view, penis stout caudad with elongated phallobase, valva nearly oval, twice as long and wide with shirt harpe pointed dorsad, closely approaching ampulla (Nicolay 1980). In DNA, a combination of the following base pairs is diagnostic: aly25.7.1:A134C, aly 2532.12.2:A142C, aly594.9.1:G589A, aly423.4.2:C199G, aly25.7.1:A226G.

Etymology. The name is a masculine noun in the nominative singular, denoting the second half of [Pso] Ralis, the genus where these species were placed previously.

Species included. The type species and Psoralis concolor Nicolay, 1980.

Parent taxon. Subtribe Moncina A. Warren, 2008.