[Entomology • 2026] Covellana niomalan, Sosxetra mamanina & S. thutakanay • Revision of the Comose Flame Moths of the Genus Sosxetra Walker (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Dyopsinae), with Descriptions of A New Genus and Three New Species

 [16, 17, 27] Covellana niomalan Martinez, Homziak, Plotkin & Castillo-Argaez gen. et sp. nov.; 

[5, 6, 26] Sosxetra grata Walker, 1862; 

[9, 10] Sosxetra mamanina Martinez, Homziak, & Castillo-Argaez, sp. nov. 

[11, 12] S. thutakanay Martinez, Homziak, & Castillo-Argaez, sp. nov.

in Martinez, Homziak, Pierson, Campo, Plotkin et Castillo-Argaez, 2026. 

DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1268.138260

Abstract

As part of our Neotropical Dyopsinae Project, a revision of the Neotropical genus Sosxetra Walker is proposed. Morphological and molecular evidence challenge its previous monotypic classification. The genus is redescribed and a neotype is designated for Sosxetra grata Walker, previously considered the only species in the genus. Two new species are described: Sosxetra mamanina Martinez, Homziak, & Castillo-Argaez, sp. nov. and Sosxetra thutakanay Martinez, Homziak, & Castillo-Argaez, sp. nov. Finally, Covellana Martinez, Homziak, Plotkin & Castillo-Argaez, gen. nov., is established based on Covellana niomalan Martinez, Homziak, Plotkin & Castillo-Argaez, sp. nov., previously misidentified as Sosxetra grata.

Key words: Barcoding, cryptic species, Lepidoptera, morphology, neotropics, systematics, taxonomy

Adult head structure. 2. Sosxetra grata, ♂, Yucatan, Mexico, MGCL; 3. S. grata, ♀, Alajuela, Costa Rica, MGCL;
4. Covellana niomalan, Paratype, ♂, Madre de Dios, Peru, MGCL.

Adult habitus of Sosxetra and Covellana.
5. Sosxetra grata, ♂, neotype, Espirito Santo, Brazil, MPM; 6. S. grata, syntype of S. agatha, ♂, Suriname, MfN; 7. S. grata, ♂, Napo, Ecuador, MGCL; 8. S. grata, ♂, Yucatan, Mexico, MGCL;
9. S. mamanina, ♂, holotype, Madre de Dios, Peru, MGCL; 10. S. mamanina, ♂, paratype, Madre de Dios, Peru, MGCL; 11. S. thutakanay, ♂, holotype, Napo, Ecuador, MGCL; 12. S. thutakanay, ♂, paratype, French Guiana, MGCL;
13. S. grata, syntype of S. agatha, ♀, Suriname, MfN; 14. S. grata, ♀, Pichincha, Ecuador, MGCL; 15. S. grata, ♀, paratype, Alajuela, Costa Rica, MGCL;
16. Covellana niomalan, ♂, holotype, Canal Zone, Panama, MGCL; 17. C. niomalan, ♂, paratype, Madre de Dios, Peru, MGCL.

Resting position of Sosxetra and Covellana.
 26. S. grata, ♂, Cayo District, Belize photo by Thomas Shahan;
27. Covellana niomalan Barro Colorado Island, Panama photo by Maxim Larrivée.

Sosxetra mamanina Martinez, Homziak, & Castillo-Argaez, sp. nov. 

Sosxetra thutakanay Martinez, Homziak, & Castillo-Argaez, sp. nov. 

 Covellana Martinez, Homziak, Plotkin & Castillo-Argaez, gen. nov., 

Covellana niomalan Martinez, Homziak, Plotkin & Castillo-Argaez, sp. nov.

 Jose I. Martinez, Nicholas T. Homziak, Taylor L. Pierson, Rhys J. L. Campo, David M. Plotkin and Raiza J. Castillo-Argaez. 2026. Revision of the Comose Flame Moths of the Genus Sosxetra Walker (Noctuidae, Dyopsinae), with Descriptions of A New Genus and Three New Species. ZooKeys. 1268: 227-248.  DOI: doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1268.138260 [06 Feb 2026]