Pennithera Viidalepp, 1980

CHOI, SEI-WOONG, 2000, A Cladistic Analysis of the Therini: A New Synonym of the Cidariini (Lepidoptera: Geometridae, Larentiinae), American Museum Novitates 3295, pp. 1-26 : 22

Pennithera Viidalepp, 1980

TYPE SPECIES: Larentia comis Butler, 1879 .

DIAGNOSIS: Members of Pennithera have male antennae bipectinate; forewing with a black dot at dorsum between basal and antemedial line, ante and postmedial lines strongly scalloped; tegumen short with narrow anterior end; costa of valva sclerotized with large basal and distal projections; aedeagus bent; vesica with several spinular cor- nuti; female seventh sternite sclerotized; sterigma simple; ductus bursae long, sclerotized without a colliculum; and corpus bursae small and ovate without a signum.

DISCUSSION: Eight species of Pennithera are united by two synapomorphies: forewing between basal and antemedial lines tinged with black scales (#7-1) and ductus bursae sclerotized (#43-1). Viidalepp ( 1980) proposed the genus Pennithera and included three species, P. comis (Butler) , P. djakonovi (Kurentzov) and P. firmata (Hübner) , based on two apomorphies: saccus massive and round, and last tergite of the female abdomen telescopic. Inoue (1982, 1986a) added five species, mainly from Taiwan: P. abolla (Inoue) , P. subcomis (Inoue) , P. lugubris Inoue , P. manifesta Inoue , and P. subalpina Inoue. Choi (1998a) combined one additional species Thera distractata Sterneck (1928) .

Inoue (1986a, 1986b) noted that Pennithera is distinguished from Viidaleppia , a junior synonym of Heterothera, by quadripectinate male antennae with slender branches, costa of valva half-expanded basally, greatly invaginated medially and rounded distally; sacculus unsclerotized, cornuti few and thornlike; simple and unsclerotized lamellae ante- and postvaginalis, and slender ductus bursae. Choi ( 1997) listed six synapomorphies of Pennithera : male antenna with long pectinations; slender sacculus; female ninth abdominal segment long, nearly the same length as eighth tergite; long and sclerotized antrum; and twisted ductus bursae.