Poliopastea anthracina (Klages, 1906)

Klages, E.A. (1906). On the Syntomid moths of southern Venezuela collected
in 1898-1900. Proceedings of the United States National Museum 29 (no.
1434): 531-552; pp. 537-538.

Saurita anthracina, new species.

Female. Body black; frons and vertex with bluish metallic spots and some
whitish scales; spots on tegulae, shoulders, pectus, mesothorax, and spot
on metathorax metallic blue with some whitish scales; legs brown-black;
abdomen with dorsal and lateral lines, and sublateral series of spots
metallic green merging into blue at base; wings brown-black. Fore wing
above slightly suffused with brilliant blue; underneath with short metallic
blue streak on base of costal nervure, and a suffused brilliant blue streak
on median nervure with branches on veins 2, 3, and 4. Hind wing beneath
with a suffused brilliant blue streak on median nervure.
Expanse. 42 mm.
Habitat. Suapure, Venezuela.
Type. Cat. No. 8410, U.S.N.M.


Hampson, G.F. (1914). Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae in the British
Museum, Supplement vol. 1 (Amatidae and Lithosiadae): p. 189, no. 617 a,
pl. X fig. 10.

Saurita anthracina, Klages, Pr. U.S. Nat. Mus. xxix. p. 537 (1906).

Female. Head, thorax, and abdomen black; vertex of head with metallic blue
spots and some whitish scales; tegulae, shoulders, and mesothorax with
paired metallic blue spots and some white scales, the metathorax with
single spot; pectus with blue spots; legs black-brown; abdomen with dorsal
and lateral lines and sublateral series of spots green turning to blue at
base. Fore wing black-brown slightly suffused with metallic blue. Hind wing
black-brown. Underside of fore wing with metallic blue streak on base of
subcostal nervure and diffused streak on median nervure branching on veins
2, 3, 4; hind wing with diffused metallic blue streak on median nervure.
Hab. Venezuela, Suapure (Klages). Exp. 44 millim. This species is unknown
to me, figured from a drawing from type in U.S. Nat. Mus.

Same work, p. 207, no. 714 b (the synonym Poliopastea ockendeni Rothschild,
1911, treated by Hampson as Macrocneme ockendeni):

Poliopasta ockendeni, Roths. Nov. Zool. xviii. p. 40 (1911), and xx. p.
470, pl. xiii. f. 28.

Male. Head and thorax black-brown, the frons, vertex of head, tegulae, and
shoulders with white spots; mesothorax with pair of minute metallic blue
streaks, the metathorax with blue spot; fore coxae and the tibiae tinged
with blue, the hind tarsi fringed with white hair at extremity; abdomen
black-brown tinged with blue and with dorsal and lateral blue streaks, the
ventral valve edged with white and with lateral metallic blue spots. Fore
wing black-brown suffused with metallic blue except on basal area; a white
point at base and subbasal white points below costa and cell. Hind wing
black-brown slightly suffused with metallic blue except towards base.
Fore wing with vein 10 from the cell.
Hab. Br. Guiana, Tumatumari; Peru, Carabaya, R. Huacamayo, La Union
(Ockenden), type male in Coll. Rothschild. Exp. 44 millim.


Draudt, M. (1915). Saurita. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of
the World, vol. 6, The American Bombyces and Sphinges: p. 93.

S. anthracina Klages is one of the largest species with a black body, the
forehead, vertex, collar, shoulders, chest and thorax spotted metallic blue
with single white scales between them. Legs blackish-brown. Abdomen with
dorsal and lateral stripes of metallic green, and with sublateral spots.
Wings blackish-brown with a blue lustre. Expanse of wings: 42 mm.
Venezuela.

Same work, Poliopastea, p. 110, pl. 18 b (the synonym P. ockendeni):

P. ockendeni Rothsch. (18 b). Distinguishable from the preceding species by
its deep metallic blue, not green wings, with 3 white basal dots,
bluish-white spots on the forehead and vertex, collar, shoulders, meso- and
metathorax, quite black palpi, and metallic blue forehips. The abdomen is
blackish-green with bluish-white dorsal and sublateral lines. British
Guiana, Peru.

The preceding species it refers to, same work, p. 109, pl. 18 b:

P. viridis Druce (18 b) has grey wings with an intense green lustre, the
veins with a blue lustre. Head and thorax are black; the second palpal
joint, hips and first joint of the tarsi spotted white. The abdomen is dark
bluish-grey with a ventral row of white dots. Ecuador.