Metura Walker, 1855

Beaver, Ethan P., 2020, Revision of the genus Metura (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) with description of two new species, Zootaxa 4861 (2), pp. 188-210 : 190

Genus Metura Walker, 1855

Type species: Oiketicus saundersii Westwood, 1854 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Adults distinctive among the Psychidae by presence of both bright yellow-orange and black scales on the thorax, and abdomen with black scales above and yellow-orange below. The following combination of characteristics may be useful in identifying Metura however many are plesiomorphic features. In males, head with appressed scales, antennae bipectinate with apical flagellomere filiform, palps (where present) labial, two palpomeres; tentorial pits deep, proboscis absent. Anterior tarsomere of forelimb elongate, twice that of the same structure in the hindlimb. Foretibial epiphysis and tarsal claws on mid and hindleg may be present or entirely absent. The condition in which the epiphysis may be present or absent among Metura species is a unique feature within the Oiketicinae . Wings black, venation ( Fig. 5J ) differs little between species. Wing-scale class (Following Sauter 1956 and Arnscheid & Weidlich 2017): forewing dorsal mainly class 6, class 1 along tornus margin, ventral class 6, class 1 in basal area, hindwing dorsal class 5 becoming class 4 towards apex, ventral class 6. Fore- and hindwing with one discal cell and intercalary cell, with M present in discal cell. Forewing Rs 2 +Rs 3 fused, M 2 and M 3 arise from the same stalk, CuP and A fused. Hindwing Sc+R+Rs 1 fused, M 2 and M 3 arise closely, CuP free, 3 anal veins. Abdomen telescopic, sternite VIII anterior margin forked with paired anterior apophyses, diagnostic to species. Tegumen and uncus fused, posterior margin narrowly bifurcate, margin shape diagnostic to species. Gnathos and juxta absent. Transitellar arm narrow. Valva apices bifurcate to two lobes, ventral lobe spined, position of spines along valvae, as well as shape of sacculus diagnostic to species. Phallus long, shape of vesica diagnostic to species. Antennae and mouthparts in female vestigial, eyes present, wings absent, all limbs with single tarsal claw, scaleless except for corethrogyne on SVII and TVII, corpus bursae short, round, apophyses short, ovipositor unmarked. Additionally, larvae (where known) highly sclerotised with orange and black markings on thorax; larval bags very large to enormous (80–240 mm) though larval characteristics and biology are unrecorded for most psychid genera and for several species treated herein. With a wingspan of 40–63 mm, they are the largest of the Psychidae .

Figures

FIGURE 5. Details of adult Metura morphology. A–E, female Metura elongatus (Airlie Beach, Qld, AU), A, dorsal, B, ventral, C, lateral, D, genitalia dissection ID EPB-016, E, close-up of head and thorax (cleared). F–I, legs of male Metura spp., F, M. elongatus dissection ID EPB-017, G, M. falcata sp. n. holotype dissection ID EPB-020, H, M. aristocosma dissection ID EPB-021, I, M. phyllosacca sp. n. paratype dissection ID EPB-022. J, wing venation diagram of M. phyllosacca sp. n. paratype (Noosa, Qld, AU). Abbreviations:A—anal vein. am—antrum. an—apophyses anteriores. ap—apophyses posteriors. cb—corpus bursae. CuA—anterior cubital vein. CuP—posterior cubital vein. Fr—frenulum. H—humeral vein. M—medial vein. op—ovipositor. R—radius. Rs—radial sector vein. Sc—subcosta. sVIII—eighth sternite. Scale bar for A = 5 mm, D = 1 mm, E–I = 2 mm.