Parosteodes, WARREN, 1895

Scoble, Malcolm J. & Krüger, Martin, 2002, A review of the genera of Macariini with a revised classification of the tribe (Geometridae: Ennominae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 134 (3), pp. 257-315 : 296

PAROSTEODES WARREN

(Figs 40, 165–167)

Parosteodes Warren, 1895 . Type species: Tephrina procurata Walker, 1861 , a junior synonym of P. procurata (Walker) . [ Australia]: Sydney.

Selected reference. Holloway (1979: 336) described Parosteodes grisea and illustrated the male genitalia and the moth.

Description

Head. Chaetosemata weakly extended in type species. Antenna of male not bipectinate.

Wings (Figs 40, 165). Ground colour pinkish or rufous grey or pinkish brown.

Male genitalia ( Fig. 166 ). Uncus subtriangular, weakly bilobed at apex; horns paired, but small; setae present but not dense. Gnathos: weak; medial process present but small. Valva: divided, but not completely; costa rounded; sacculus shorter than costa, rounded; valvula absent.

Pregenital abdomen of male. Sternum A3 lacking a pecten. Sternum A8 not modified.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 167 ). Bursa copulatrix: ductus bursae broad; corpus bursae with signum present.

Diagnosis. The moths are fairly distinctive in wing colour. They may be distinguished from members of the genus Macaria , to which the shape of the valva is similar, by the weak sclerotization of the gnathos, the weakly developed uncus horns and the unmodified margin of sternum A8. The wings are larger than and shaped differently to Boarmioides (compare Figs 40 and 165 with Fig. 39).

Distribution. Australia ( P. fictiliaria (Guenée)) , New Caledonia ( P. grisea Holloway ).

Comments. It is unclear as to whether the condition of sternum A8 and the small size of the uncus horns are secondary modifications within Macaria or whether Parosteodes is a basal lineage of horned macariines. For this reason, the genus is not synonymized with Macaria . The absence of the subapical sclerite of the uncus has dissuaded us from synonymizing Parosteodes with Chiasmia .

Number of species. Two.

Figures

Figures 165–167. Parosteodes species: 165, P. grisea; 166, P. procurata, ♂ genitalia; 167; P. fictiliaria, ♀ genitalia.