Sapantanga , Ruschel & Campos 2019

The Classification of Sapantanga

No genetic data are available for Sapantanga, but our tabulation of character states suggests that Sapantanga best matches the character profile for Tibicininae (Tables 2 and 3). The ventrobasal pocket unfortunately cannot be determined from examination of the holotype (the only known specimen), but otherwise no clear character conflicts were found. Sapantanga notably possesses the caudally bent uncus, the unfused hindwing veins RP and M, and the partially developed turned back rim on the margin of the timbal cavity. This assignment remains to be tested with genetic data.

Shared features of the pygofer, especially the caudally bent uncus, initially suggest that Sapantanga might be placed in the same tribe as Hemidictya. However, the bent uncus is not restricted to these two genera. Both our morphological analyses and the Ruschel & Campos (2019) tree suggest that Sapantanga possesses a highly divergent combination of character states (15 characters are listed as exceptions for Sapantanga in the diagnosis of the Ruschel & Campos (2019) Hemidictyini, more than 45%). We propose that a new tribe is necessary to accommodate Sapantanga. It is frustrating that locality information is missing from the only known specimen (NHM, early 19 th century).