Zovax Błeszyński, 1962

Bassi, Graziano, 2013, Notes on some Old World Prionapterygini Landry, 1995 (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea, Crambidae, Crambinae), with descriptions of new species, Revue suisse de Zoologie 120 (1), pp. 131-160 : 133

Zovax Błeszyński, 1962

Zovax Błeszyński, 1962: 130 ; type species: Prionapteryx whiteheadii Wollaston, 1879 , by original designation.

DIAGNOSIS: Small to medium sized species with well-developed ocelli and frons with corneous point. Forewing with or without hook. Male genitalia with uncus and gnathos well-developed; valvae without basal costal process. Female genitalia with dorsal sclerite in subrectangular papillae anales; apophyses posteriores basally bulged; corpus bursae with lateral pouch.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS: The most closely related genus seems to be Mesolia Ragonot. The male genitalia of Mesolia have flat and sclerotized coremata (Fig. 15), and the gnathos shorter than uncus. The female genitalia of Zovax are most similar to Mesolia , differing by the presence of a dorsal sclerite in the papillae anales, the apophyses posteriores basally bulged, and the corpus bursae with a moderate lateral pouch.

REMARKS: Further investigations are needed to fully understand the phylogenetic relationships among the species of this genus. Coremata are very delicate structures, rarely considered in slide mounting. In absence of fresh material I cannot confirm the presence of coremata in Z. whiteheadii and in Z. vangoghi Błeszyński. Moreover, I could not yet study females of these two species, and they are very important for generic relationships.