While doing DNA barcoding analysis amongst specimen submissions in the Paradirphia genus, Brechlin & Meister, 2012, determined that one species, Paradirphia manes was sufficiently different to warrant a new genus designation, so Manodirphia was put forward for Manodirphia manes.

Two other species, Paradirphia hoegei and Paradirphia lasiocampina were sufficiently different to allow for another new designation, so Lemaireodirphia was put forward. An additional ten species have been added to the Lemaireodirphia genus (many of them quite similar), with hoegei serving as the type for the new genus.

Thus far the genus seems limited to southern Mexico and northern Guatemala.

The following table is an attempt on my part to simplify identification of the many Lemaireodirphia species with a presence in Mexico as of end of 2013.

In some cases it may be necessary to apply DNA barcoding analysis to determine the most cryptic species.

The descriptions to the far right pertain to males. I hope, over the next several years to have images for display of all species. Currently I have images on my home computer without permission for public display. Many of the recently described species are fairly common.

The Lemairodirphia hoegei vein labelling is to help with descriptions of several similar species whose main difference is in the shape of the forewing pm line. Lemairodirphia species male, Guerrero, Mexico, 2014, courtesy of Bernhard Wenczel. hoegei male fwl: 39-45mm Veracruz; Puebla; Chiapas; Guatemala: Huehuetenango. hoegei female fwl: 45-53mm Veracruz; Puebla; Chiapas; Guatemala: Huehuetenango. dark brown; black fw pml straight from costa to M2-M3 space; turns inward in slight concave arc to Cu2-A1 space; then straight to im. pml inwardly traced with partially broken white fusca male 37-47mm; 670-2590m Oaxaca; Puebla; Tamaulipas fusca female 45-46mm; 670-2590m Oaxaca; Puebla; Tamaulipas uniform dark grey-brown. Fw: apex and anal angle less rounded; straighter outer margin. black, less pre-apical pml straight costa to M2, angles inward to Cu2 rubra male fwl: 40-44mm; 860-2000m Oaxaca; Chiapas rubra female fwl: 46-49; 860-2000m Oaxaca; Chiapas red-brown fw pm line as per hoegei, but with an inward turn at its juncture with the costa. white part of pml broken by dark intraneural rays from pm area chiapasiana male 46-50mm; 789-2390m Chiapas chiapasiana female 49-53mm; 789-2390m Chiapas grey-brown large; black forewing pml more angulate at M2 than in other species. Inner white lining broken, represented only by white vein segments. oaxacana male fwl: 40-45mm; 1020-2200m Oaxaca oaxacana female fwl: 43mm; 1020-2200m Oaxaca almost uniform light, bright brown with tinge of red thin diffuse black pm line, inwardly white-lined, straight from costa to M2-M3, slight inturn & concave to A1 albida male fwl: 41-48mm; 700-2479m Oaxaca; Chiapas albida female fwl: 46-52mm; 700-2479m Oaxaca; Chiapas strong, unbroken, inward, white tracing of broadly pre-apical pm line; strong outward white tracing of aml. upper half sbmrgnl area with heavy dark grey scaling. Diffuse, jagged, white sbmrgnl band delineates marginal area w strong charcoal grey, intraneural suffusions, prominent black veins. centralis male 41-45mm; 700-2250m Oaxaca; Guerrero centralis female 45mm; 700-2250m Oaxaca; Guerrero homogenous bright beige to reddish brown diffuse black fw pml (light inward white tracing) relatively straight, slightly convex outside cell; then slightly concave. guerreroiana male fwl: 37-44mm; 450-2250m Guerrero guerreroiana female 47mm; 450-2250m Guerrero knorkei male 48-52mm; 1900m Durango; near Sinaloa border knorkei female 50-53mm; 1900m Durango; near Sinaloa border uniform, light, bright, orange-beige. wide white fw pml turns inward at costa; slightly convex from costa to M3, straight to im. white fw pml outwardly lined with diffuse, beige-brown band. lasiocampina male lasiocampina female rosivora male fwl: 40-42mm; 750-1950m Oaxaca; Veracruz? rosivora female 50mm; 750-1950m Oaxaca; Veracruz? uniform light brown with reddish tint. fw pml very broadly pre-apical, tangent to outer edge of cell. pml: strong white inward presence, faintly outlined in diffuse darker brown. transversaria male 38mm; 2200m Oaxaca transversaria female female unknown Oaxaca relatively small; red-brown; prominent white scalling over & around veins, just interior to weak, diffuse, slightly darker brown almost straight pml, slightly angled outside darker red-brown, circular cell spot.

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