Alypiodes Grote

Alypiodes Grote, 1883, Trans. Kansas Acad. Sci., 8: 46.
Type species: Alypiodes flavilinguis Grote, 1883. Monotypy.

The genus Alypiodes contains three known species, two of which occur in the United States. Although there are significant differences between these three species in some of their morphological characteristics, all three share a general similarity in appearance. Both the forewing and hindwing are black with white spots and the forewing has iridescent blue patches either at the base of the wing or between the oribicular and reniform.

1. Forewing color predominantly black.

2. Forewing with iridescent blue scales.

3. Hood of external tympanic region absent.

4. Tympanic groove short and broad with a wide, gaping opening into the counter tympanal cavities.

5. Abdominal terga and sterna strongly melanized.

6. Dorsal surface of abdominal segments without tufts of scales.

7. Basal-lateral apodemes on the eighth abdominal sternum degenerate or absent.

8. Cauadal and cephalad halves of each abdominal tergum of differentcolor with a median extension of the caudal half projecting through the distal half of the tergum to the distal margin of the sclerite.

The larvae and its foodplants are unknown. However a single reared species of Alypiodes geronimo is recorded from "cactus".

Alypiodes geronimo male (left) and female (right)