taxonID	type	description	language	source
038B6F68AD374647FF1C9CFCD8D8FD88.taxon	description	The genus Pseudopoliosia was established by Krüger (2015), with Poliosia nigrifrons Hampson, 1900 as the type species. Initially comprising four taxa, it has now been reduced to three species (without pulverosa) plus two herein newly described species (see checklist hereafter). The main autapomorphic character defining Pseudopoliosia is the ventrally concave vinculum in the male genitalia. Moreover, Krüger (2015) reports the “ subapically notched dorsal part of the valvae ” and the conspicuous processus distalis plicae, both conditions being observed in the two new species. Here we observe that the vesica of the aedeagus can contain cornuti, and we note the presence of at least one dimple-shaped signum on the corpus bursae of the female genitalia. The genus has an Afrotropical distribution (Nigeria and Uganda, in Krüger 2015). The two new species hereafter described enlarge the genus’ range to include Gabon. Both of them confirm the genus’ affinity with wet forested environments (see also Durante & Panzera 2001: 469, Figs. 1 – 3, and Krüger 2015: 49).	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD374647FF1C9CFCD8D8FD88.taxon	synonymic_list	- Pseudopoliosia aestuariensis Durante n. sp. - Pseudopoliosia conica Durante n. sp. - Pseudopoliosia danella (Durante & Panzera, 2002) Pusiola danella Durante & Panzera, 2002; Durante, M. A. & Panzera, S. (2002) I Lepidotteri del Delta del Niger (quarto contributo) (Arctiidae, Lithosiinae). Lambillionea, 102 (2), 136. Pseudopoliosia danella (Durante & Panzera, 2002); Krüger, M. (2015) Generic classification of Afrotropical footman moths sensu stricto (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini (partim )). Transvaal Museum Monograph, 15: 49. - Pseudopoliosia nigeriana (Durante & Panzera, 2002) Pusiola nigeriana Durante & Panzera, 2002; Durante, M. A. & Panzera, S. (2002) I Lepidotteri del Delta del Niger (quarto contributo) (Arctiidae, Lithosiinae). Lambillionea, 102 (2): 137. Pusiola nigeriana Durante & Panzera, 2002, synonymized with Pusiola nigrifrons (Hampson, 1900) by Kühne (2005). Pseudopoliosia nigeriana (Durante & Panzera, 2002); Krüger, M. (2015) Generic classification ofAfrotropical footman moths sensu stricto (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini (partim )). Transvaal Museum Monograph, 15: 49. - Pseudopoliosia nigrifrons (Hampson, 1900), type species Poliosia nigrifrons Hampson, 1900; Hampson, G. F. (1900) Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British Museum. Arctiadae (Nolinae, Lithosianae). Vol. II. Trustees of the British Museum, London: 109. Pusiola nigrifrons (Hampson, 1900); Kühne L. (2005) Neue Taxa und Synonyne afrikanischer Arctiidae (Lepidoptera). Lambillionea, 105 (3): 490. Pseudopoliosia nigrifrons (Hampson, 1900); Krüger, M. (2015) Generic classification of Afrotropical footman moths sensu stricto (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini (partim )). Transvaal Museum Monograph, 15: 49.	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD314647FF1C98D0D867F819.taxon	description	(Figs. 3 A, 4)	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD314647FF1C98D0D867F819.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype: ♂, GABON, Kinguélé, Monts de Cristal, 200 m asl, 0 ° 27 ’ 12 ’’ N 10 ° 16 ’ 40 ’’ E, 28 / 30 - 4 - 2019, Durante leg., g. sl. n. 1054 MAD; in coll. MSNS.	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD314647FF1C98D0D867F819.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis (Table 1). Pseudopoliosia aestuariensis n. sp. differs from P. danella and P. conica n. sp. in having fore- and hindwings of the same colour, whereas in the latter two the forewings are lighter in colour than the hindwings. P. aestuariensis n. sp. is quite similar to other species of the genus, from which it can be clearly distinguished with reference to genitalia morphology: the S-shaped distal process of the ala valvae is not present in Pseudopoliosia conica n. sp., P. nigeriana or P. nigrifrons. On the other hand the male genitalia are very similar to those of P. danella, with respect to which P. aestuariensis can be diagnosed by the shape of the distal process on the ala valvae (S-shape more accentuated in P. danella — see Table 1, arrow), the shape of the processus basalis plicae (quadrangular in P. danella; papilla-shaped in P. aestuariensis n. sp.) and the absence of cornuti in the aedeagus (cornuti present in P. danella).	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD314647FF1C98D0D867F819.taxon	description	Description. Wingspan ♂ 15 mm. Head frons and vertex, notum (including patagia and tegulae) all same colour as forewing upperside; frontoclypeus dark grey; antennae ciliated, dorsally same colour as vertex, ventrally unpigmented; labial palpi porrect, not extending beyond frons, as dark as frontoclypeus. Thoracic sternites as dark as forewing underside; legs same colour, but hind pair lighter; spurs formula 0 - 2 - 4. Forewing upperside ground colour ivory, unmarked; costa with proximal 2 / 5 dark brown. Forewing underside brownish-grey with proximal half of costal area darker and distal half ivory. Hindwing upperside and underside same colour as forewing upperside. Fringes concolourous. Abdomen same colour as hindwings; eighth abdominal segment less than half as long as seventh, with anterior margin slightly sclerotized laterally and ventrally (Fig. 4 A). Genitalia. ♂. Uncus pointed, long and slender, bent backwards; tegumen short and slender, inverted-V-shaped in dorsal view with bulbous apex and slender pedunculi (sensu Diakonoff 1939); vinculum also slender, but more sclerotized than tegumen, with almost parallel arms and double saccus; juxta shield-shaped with triangular notch ventrally; apparently no valvellae. Valva about three times longer than wide (3.03 length: width ratio, see Fig. 4 A); basis valvae dorsally extending mesad to meet each other and forming rod-like transtilla, ventrally tapering and touching each other. Ala valvae twice as wide as supravalva, distally tapering suddenly and ending with sturdy S-shaped process, distally slightly exceeding supravalva. Supravalva slender, digitiform, with costa S-shaped, protruding in large papilla-shaped sack-like processus distalis plicae in middle of valva (Fig. 4 B). Aedeagus tubular, slender, ¾ length of ala valvae; caudal end with area covered by small imbricate sclerites (Fig. 4 C); coecum penis absent, ductus seminalis inserted at anterior end; vesica globular, with scobination of tiny subconical granicula on left half (Fig. 4 D) terminating cephalad with small double lobe.	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD314647FF1C98D0D867F819.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The new species’ name derives from the Latin “ aestuarium ”, meaning estuary, and refers to the name of the Estuaire province in Gabon where the type locality is, in the Mont de Cristal National Park.	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD324649FF1C9AE9DFFBF99B.taxon	description	(Figs. 3 B, 3 C, 5, 6)	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD324649FF1C9AE9DFFBF99B.taxon	materials_examined	Holotype: ♂, GABON, Mondah Forest [near Libreville], 0 m asl, 0 ° 34 ’ 44 ’’ N 9 ° 20 ’ 06 ’’ E, 26 - 11 - 2017, Durante leg., g. sl. n. 1018 MAD; in coll. MSNS. Paratypes: 21 ♂♂, same data as the holotype, g. sl. n. 1038, 1039, 1053, 1067 MAD; 1 ♀, same data, g. sl. n. 1051 MAD. All in the first author’s collection.	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD324649FF1C9AE9DFFBF99B.taxon	diagnosis	Diagnosis (Table 1). Bar is 1 mm unless otherwise stated; bar in pictures of P. nigrifrons wings is conjectural. Figures without scale bar are from pictures without size references. Pictures of P. aestuariensis n. sp. are all from the holotype, male, g. sl. n. 1054 MAD; Pictures of P. danella: wings are from the paratype, female, g. sl. n. 177 MAD, coll. MSNS; male genitalia after Durante & Panzera (2002: 139); female genitalia are from the paratype, female, g. sl. n. 173 MAD, coll. MSNS. Pictures of P. conica n. sp.: wings are from the holotype, male, g. sl. n. 1018 MAD, coll. MSNS; male genitalia are from the paratype g. sl. n. 1038 MAD, coll. MAD; valva and aedeagus are from the paratype g. sl. n. 1053 MAD, coll. MAD; processus distalis plicae is from the holotype g. sl. n. 1018 MAD, coll. MSNS. Pictures of P. nigeriana: wings are from the paratype, male, g. sl. n. 160 MAD, coll. MSNS; genitalia are from the paratype, male, g. sl. n. 148 MAD, coll. MSNS. Pictures of P. nigrifrons: wings and male genitalia are from the holotype, g. sl. no. Arct. 869, coll. NHMUK; female genitalia are from g. sl. no. Arct. 5679, coll. NHMUK. Pseudopoliosia conica n. sp. externally resembles P. danella, both having forewings lighter than the hindwings, although the latter species seems to have a slightly wider wingspan. However, the genitalia are clearly different (with the processus of the ala valvae thorn-like in P. conica n. sp. and S-shaped in P. danella). In all the other species of the genus, the fore- and hindwings are practically of the same colour. The male genitalia of P. conica n. sp. are very similar to those of P. nigeriana and P. nigrifrons. However, the conspicuous cluster of strong setae on the distal process of the supravalva very clearly distinguishes P. conica n. sp. from both. The double dimple-shaped signum distinguishes P. conica n. sp. from both P. danella and P. nigrifrons (which have a single dimple-shaped signum).	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD324649FF1C9AE9DFFBF99B.taxon	description	Description. Wingspan ♂ 13 – 16 mm; ♀ 17.5 mm. Head frons and vertex, notum (including patagia and tegulae) all same colour as forewing upperside or slightly lighter; frontoclypeus dark grey; antennae ciliated (cilia slightly thicker in male), dorsally same colour as vertex, ventrally unpigmented; labial palpi porrect, not extending beyond frons, as dark as frontoclypeus. Thorax. Thoracic sternites as dark as forewing underside; legs same colour, but hind pair lighter; spurs formula 0 - 2 - 4. Forewing upperside ground colour dark ivory, with sparse light brown scales on distal half; costa dark ivory. Forewing underside dark brownish-grey with anal area paler, proximal 2 / 5 of costal area darker and distal 3 / 5 ivory. Hindwing upperside darker than forewing upperside and turning to grey. Hindwing underside same colour as upperside and therefore lighter than forewing underside. Fringes concolourous. Abdomen same colour as hindwings; male with eighth abdominal segment short, about ½ length of seventh, with anterior margin slightly sclerotized laterally and ventrally; female with seventh abdominal segment only slightly longer than sixth, bearing two pleural membranous pouches on anterior margin; eighth abdominal segment one third length of sixth. Genitalia. ♂. Uncus pointed, long and slender, bent backwards, with slightly enlarged base; tegumen short and slender, inverted-V-shaped in dorsal view, with slender pedunculi (sensu Diakonoff 1939); vinculum also slender, but more sclerotized than tegumen, largely U-shaped, with saccus upwardly arched; juxta membranous, positioned between two bracket-shaped valvellae. Valva three and half times longer than wide (3.48 length: width ratio, see Fig. 5 A); basis valvae dorsally extending mesad to meet each other and forming rod-like transtilla, ventrally tapering and touching each other. Costa with membranous papilla-shaped processus distalis plicae in fairly proximal position along costal margin, surmounted by 8 - 10 thin fairly long setae (Fig. 5 B). Ala valvae slender, ending with a sturdy thorn-like process, distally slightly exceeding the supravalva. Supravalva with costa sclerotized and distal third flaplike, roughly ellipsoid, fairly sclerotized, with dorsal margin reinforced by conspicuous band of thick spines (Fig. 5 A — in the picture, on the right valva, the dorsal margin is twisted as it is in the normal physiological position, so it seems ventral; on the left valva it has been deliberately twisted); aedeagus tubular, stout, quite short, enlarged at caudal end; coecum penis absent, ductus seminalis inserted at anterior end; vesica with two main lobes: right one smaller, globular (on the left in Fig. 5 C); left one bigger with two main diverticula bearing two or three sturdy thornlike cornuti, and few small scobinate granicula between them (on the right in Fig. 5 C). ♀. Caudal ventral margin of seventh abdominal segment membranous, lamella antevaginalis membranous, not distinguishable from anterior edge of ostium bursae (Fig. 6 B); lamella postvaginalis as longitudinal sclerotized bar occupying all of ventral A 8; papillae anales square with rounded corners; apophyses half length of A 7, posterior slightly longer than anterior; dorsal pheromone glands as two very small pouches with caudal opening at intersegmental membrane between A 8 and A 9 (Fig. 6 C). Ostium bursae at intersegmental membrane between A 7 and A 8, ventrally membranous, dorsally highly sclerotized (lamella postvaginalis — see above); ductus bursae about as long as corpus, membranous, with caudal half (antrum) highly sclerotized and triangular in ventral view; corpus bursae spherical, membranous, not as thick as ductus, with scobination of tiny thorn-like spicules in tissue of wall; signum oval, dimple-like with tiny hard thornlike spicules (Fig. 6 D). Small appendix bursae dome-shaped, membranous, connected to ductus bursae, bearing ductus seminalis originating in latero-caudal position (Fig. 6 B).	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
038B6F68AD324649FF1C9AE9DFFBF99B.taxon	etymology	Etymology. The name of this species is derived from the Latin “ conicus ”, meaning conical, and refers to the conical shape of the cornuti in the male genitalia.	en	Durante, Antonio, Apinda-Legnouo, Emelie Arlette (2022): Sixth contribution to the study of the Lithosiini of Gabon: the genus Pseudopoliosia Krüger, 2015 (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae). Zootaxa 5195 (6): 554-566, DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5195.6.4
