Dichotropis Muir

Zelazny, B. & Webb, M. D., 2011, 3071, Zootaxa 3071, pp. 1-307 : 31

Genus Dichotropis Muir

Dichotropis Muir, 1913: 83 . Type species: Dichotropis amboinensis Muir, 1913 , by original designation.

Diagnosis. The species of Dichotropis Muir have similar forewing venation to the species of Rhotana Walker , Rhotanella Fennah , and Levu Kirkaldy. The genus can be easily recognized by the combination of the following characters:

1. Forewings with 5 costal cells, nearly completely white and heavily powdered. In a live specimen ( Fig. 1), the forewings have been observed to be carried in a tectiform position.

2. Facial carinae always separated.

3. The male anal segment usually bears prominent lateral processes which are rarely found in other genera of Rhotanini .

4. The male genital styles nearly always have a finger-like process arising from the inside of their base which bears terminal bristles. Only in one species is this process replaced by a hump which also bears bristles.

5. The latter structure is not found in any other genus of Rhotanini . A few species of Rhotana also have a process arising from the inner base of the male genital styles. However, in these cases the process is thin and needlelike and without terminal bristles.

Gender. Muir did not explain the origin of ' Dichotropis '. The name was apparently formed by a combination of the Greek words 'dicho-' (two) and 'tropis' (a ship's keel, 'facial keels' are mentioned in the original description).

In Greek, 'tropis' is feminine and Dichotropis should be considered to be feminine following article 30.1.2 of the

Code.

Distribution. Nearly all known species occur on the Island of New Guinea and only a few of them are also found in surrounding regions (see Fig. 120 and Table 3).