Lophoptera Guenée, 1852

Qi, Feng, Wang, Ke, Xue, Dayong & Yang, Ding, 2011, A taxonomic revision of the Stictopterinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea, Noctuidae) in China, Zootaxa 2926, pp. 1-45 : 14

Genus Lophoptera Guenée, 1852

Lophoptera Guenée, 1852 , in Boisduval et Guenée, Hist. nat. Ins. (Lepid.), 7: 54. Type-species: Lophoptera squammigera Guenée, 1852 , by subsequent designation by Hampson 1912.

Ciasa Walker, 1863a , J. Proc. Linn. Soc. (Zool.), 7: 165. Type-species: Ciasa pustulifera Walker, 1863 , by monotypy.

Evia Walker, 1863b , List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 27: 89. Type-species: Evia ferrinalis Walker, 1863 , by monotypy.

Sadarsa Moore, 1882 , in Hewitson & Moore, Descr. new Indian lepid. Insects Colln late Mr W.S. Atkinson: 164. Type-species: Sadarsa longipennis Moore, 1882 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. This genus is highly diverse in the wing patterns, so it is not easy to distinctly distinguish it from other genera. It is best characterized by the well developed appendix bursae in the female genitalia, all species which are transferred to this genus by preceding authors are based on this character. There are lateral lobes or a post-ostial invagination or both structures near the ostium. The valva is complete instead of bifid into two arms.

Description. Head. Distance between compound eyes same as eye diameter. Frons always dark-brown, protruded forwards. Antenna base color paler than the rest. Vertex blackish- or greyish-brown, always with erected scales. Labial palpus extended beyond frons, tip sometimes extended over compound eyes, the second segment elongate and with thick and long scales apically, outer side of labial palpus sometimes with dark patches. Thorax. Patagia and tegulae blackish-brown, mixed with thick blackish-brown scales, sometimes mixed with greyish or yellowish-white scales; patagia same length or longer than half of mesothorax. Legs blackish-brown, the outer side darker than the inner side, segments ends grey. Wingshape and venation. Forewing triangular and elongate, base of costal margin sometimes swollen forwards, outer margin arch-like, apex rounded. Hindwing wide, both apex and tornus rounded, costal and anal margin straight, outer margin slightly incurved between M veins. Forewing venation: R1 free; R3, R4 and R5 diverging from the upper angle of cell and stalked, R5 diverging before basal one third of the stalk; R3 and R4 separate after terminal one third of the stalk; R3-5 and R2 connected by a short vein, formed an areole before upper angle of cell. Hindwing venation: Rs and M1 diverging from upper angle of cell; M2 M3 and CuA1 diverging from lower angle of cell ( Figs 7 and 8 ). Wing-pattern. Forewing patterns various greatly, always dark-brown, with black or light grey lines and patches, lines occasionally with greyish-white shadows; always with erected scales around the reniform. Hindwing dark-brown with basal half transparent or not, left black veins. Underside of both wings greyish-brown, sometimes with black lines and patches. Abdomen. Dark-brown, ends of segments grey, the third segment sometimes with dorsal crest. Male genitalia. Uncus long, sometimes expanded or upfurled apically. Gnathos present or not. Tegumen almost triangular, expanded basally. Valva not divided (with exception of L. squammigera ), various a lot between species; sometimes with a long, unciform or swollen costal process, sometimes with a series of long hairs dorsally or ventrally. Juxta variously shaped, triangular or rounded. Saccus always inverted triangular. Aedeagus short, sometimes with cornuti, in most cases with a small water-drop shaped sclerotized lobe inside ductus ejaculatorius near vesica. Female genitalia. Ovipositor short and wide, with thick hairs. Apophyses posteriores long, apophyses anteriores short and thick. Two lateral lobes laterally to the ostium, with short setae occasionally, shape of lateral lobes various between species; zone between lateral lobes and ostium sometimes with a V-shaped sclerotized plate, sometimes with two small triangular lobes; sometimes a post-ostial invagination present between two lobes. Appendix bursae well developed; corpus bursae round, bearing a spinose signum.

Distribution. Oriental, Australian and Afrotropical regions.

Figures

FIGURES 3 – 11. Venations. 3. Stictoptera signifera. 4. Aegilia describens. 5. Gyrtona lapidarioides. 6. Odontodes aleuca. 7. Lophoptera squammilinea. 8. Lophoptera longipennis. 9. Diascoides ferruginea. 10 – 11. Sigmuncus arcuata. 10, male; 11, female.