Praethera 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 : 19

Praethera Viidalepp, 1980

TYPE SPECIES: Cidaria praefecta Prout, 1914 .

DIAGNOSIS: Species of Praethera are characterized by the filiform male antennae, the subdorsally greatly shrunken central fascia with third cell half as wide as second, the male genitalia having a long tegumen, slen- der and sclerotized costa of valva upturned distally, membraneous sacculus with a medially invaginated ventral edge and two bundles of cornuti on a tubular vesica, and the female genitalia having V-shaped, sclerotized lamella postvaginalis.

DISCUSSION: In the present analysis, one species of Praethera is supported by seven autapomorphies: dorsum of the central fascia distinct with blackish scales (character #10- 1), anellus lobe with expanded and flattened body (#18-1, #21-3), valva width wider distally (#31-0), cornuti large, spinular (#34-1), and lamella postvaginalis with a V-shaped sclerotization (#39-1).

Wing patterns of Praethera , especially the shape of the central fascia, place this group in Therini , but several genitalic characters differ from Thera and are closer to Dysstroma truncatum : long tegumen compared to vinculum and saccus, sacculus membra-