Synonyms and other taxonomic changes
our spp. included here used to be treated in
Psammoleon(1) until being transferred by Lionel Stange (2002)
(2)Identification
See Miller and Stange (2014)
(3) for diagnosis of this genus and comparative photos of species. Our species typically have the wings at least lightly marked and (frequently) dark abdomens (a few species with pale markings but never as ornate as our
Euptilon species).
The following key to our species of
Purenleon is adapted from Miller and Stange (2014):
(3)
1a. Pretarsal claws small, of foreleg less than half the length of the basitarsus (inscriptus group) ..................................... 2
1b. Pretarsal claws long, of foreleg at least as long as the basitarsus ( bistictus group) ................................................... 4
2a. Forewing with few or no interconnected crossveins in the costal area and dark brown serpentine stripe; abdomen extensively dark (western US) .....
............................................................................................................................................................................ P. connexus (Banks)
2b. Forewing with many interconnected crossveins in the costal area ............................................................................ 3
3a. Pronotum broader than long along dorsal midline; forewing less than 4.5 times as long as greatest width; crossveins margined with dark brown, basal stripe along radial vein terminating before midpoint to cubital fork (desert southwest) .....
............................................................................................................................................................................ P. inscriptus (Hagen)
3b. Pronotum longer than broad along dorsal midline; forewing about 5.0 times as long as greatest width; crossveins not margined with dark brown, basal stripe extending to cubital form (s. CA) .....
............................................................................................................................................................................ P. albovaria (Banks)
4a. Pronotum with several elongate white bristles at lateral margin (FL, Keys) ............................................................... P. bistictus (Hagen)
4b. Pronotum without elongate white bristles at lateral margin, at most 1-2 moderately long setae ................................... 5
5a. Forecoxa with some white bristles longer than diameter of coxa; forefemur with numerous long setae on exterior face; forewing costal area expands gradually near base (Arizona) .....
............................................................................................................................................................................ P. apache Miller and Stange
5b. Forecoxa with no bristles longer than diameter of coxa; forefemur with scattered appressed setae on exterior face; interantennal area dark (FL, Keys) .....
............................................................................................................................................................................ P. minor (Banks)
Range
in our area, 2 spp. in FL and 3 spp. in sw. US (CA to CO-TX)
(1)Remarks
Purenleon connexus has similar markings in the wings to Euptilon sinuatum but lacks the ornate markings on the abdomen.
