Ledaea
Druce, 1891
Species Guides
1- Ledaea perditalis(Lost Owlet)
Ledaea is a of in the Erebidae, erected by Herbert Druce in 1891. The genus is currently treated as a synonym of Spargaloma (Grote, 1873) by authoritative sources including the Global Lepidoptera Names Index and Catalogue of Life. The genus originally contained three described : Ledaea arciva from Panama, Ledaea marcella from Rica, and Ledaea perditalis from North America. These species are now classified under Spargaloma.
Pronunciation
How to pronounce Ledaea: /lɛˈdaɪə/
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Identification
The Ledaea is not currently recognized as valid; specimens previously identified as Ledaea should be referred to Spargaloma. Original descriptions by Druce (1891) distinguished Ledaea by wing pattern and male genitalia structure, but these characters are now considered to fall within the morphological variation of Spargaloma.
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Distribution
Historical records for Ledaea include Panama (L. arciva), Rica (L. marcella), and North America (L. perditalis). GBIF distribution records indicate presence in Vermont, United States.
Similar Taxa
- SpargalomaLedaea is synonymized with Spargaloma; specimens formerly assigned to Ledaea are now classified under this senior synonym. Spargaloma was described earlier (Grote, 1873) and has priority under zoological .
Misconceptions
Some sources, including iNaturalist and NCBI , continue to list Ledaea as a valid , but this contradicts the consensus of lepidopteran taxonomic authorities (Global Lepidoptera Names Index, Catalogue of Life) which recognize it as a synonym of Spargaloma.
More Details
Taxonomic history
The was erected by Herbert Druce in 1891 based on specimens from Central America. Walker had earlier described perditalis in 1859 under a different genus. The synonymy with Spargaloma reflects subsequent taxonomic revision finding insufficient distinction between the two genera.
Species transferred to Spargaloma
The three original —Ledaea arciva, Ledaea marcella, and Ledaea perditalis—are now treated as Spargaloma arciva, Spargaloma marcella, and Spargaloma perditalis respectively.