Conistra, Hubner, 1821

Benedek, Balázs, Volynkin, Anton V., Saldaitis, Aidas & Tóth, Balázs, 2022, On the taxonomy of the Conistra generic complex with descriptions of three new genera and a new species (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Noctuinae), Zootaxa 5141 (5), pp. 442-458 : 443

The Conistra generic complex

Male genitalia of the generic complex are characterized by the simple valva gradually tapering distally and lacking a corona and a costal process which are present in genera of the ‘ Agrochola — Telorta Warren — Hyalobole Warren generic complex’. In female genitalia, the well-developed antrum separated from the posterior section of the ductus bursae by a membranous section is characteristic.

Ronkay et al. (2001) considered the genus Conistra as a member of the ‘ Agrochola-Conistra generic complex’ comprising numerous genera in Eurasia and North America. Subsequently, Ronkay et al. (2017) separated so called ‘conistroid’ genera (called here as the Conistra generic complex) from the ‘ Agrochola — Telorta — Hyalobole generic complex’. Ronkay et al. (2001) listed such Nearctic genera as Metaxaglaea Franclemont , Chaetaglaea Franclemont and Epiglaea Grote as closely related to Conistra . However, the male genitalia ground plan of these taxa is significantly different from that of Conistra and closer to such Xylenina genera as Spudaea Snellen , Jodia Hübner , Evisa Reisser and Eupsilia Hübner. Besides Conistra , we include in the generic complex the genus Suginistra L. Ronkay, G. Ronkay, Gyulai & Varga, 2017 which was considered by Ronkay et al. (2017) as a member of the Agrochola-Telorta-Hyalobole generic complex due to its external similarity to Agrochola and its allies, and three additional new genera described below. Nevertheless, it is worth mentioning that the subdivision of genera into ‘generic complexes’ as well as evaluation of their relationships based only on morphological features is quite subjective and artificial. Suginistra and Vargalorta gen. n. are probably transitional groups between the Conistra and Agrochola — Telorta — Hyalobole ‘generic complexes’. The question on relationships between the genera and their status can be clarified by using molecular methods with numerous Palaearctic, Oriental and Nearctic groups included in the analysis.