COSSULINAE

Davis, Steve R., Gentili-Poole, Patricia & Mitter, Charles, 2008, A revision of the Cossulinae of Costa Rica and cladistic analysis of the world species (Lepidoptera: Cossidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 154 (2), pp. 222-277 : 231-234

SUBFAMILY COSSULINAE

DIAGNOSIS

New World; antenna asymmetrically bipectinate; tibial spurs asymmetrical; male genitalia lacking saccus.

Head

Antenna ( Figs 4–8 ) asymmetrically bipectinate, with some variation, in which opposite pectinations of some species are clearly different in length and in other species appear nearly symmetrical; flagellum with approximately 57 flagellomeres, often with cream or brown scales. Labial palpus 3-segmented. Maxillary palpus 3-segmented.

Thorax

Fore leg with epiphysis inserted halfway along tibia ( Fig. 10 ). Mid- and hind-leg with tibial spurs asymmetrical ( Fig. 10 ). Tarsi often banded distally with cream or brown scales. Forewing ( Fig. 9 ) with radial veins variable; R 2 sometimes forked with R 3; R 3 sometimes forked with R 4; R 4 sometimes forked with R 5. In Cossula egregia , R 2, R 3 and R 4 stalked. Forewing pattern often with a terminal patch ( Fig. 11 ) near the wing termen, unique for each species when present; fuscous spots sometimes present in discal cell or at termen. Hindwing usually cream, or brown in colour.

Abdomen

All visible abdominal tergites (A2–8) in adult males and females bearing paired glandular organs on each segment ( Figs 12–14 ). Organs appear as tubercles on the tergites, with tubercles increasing in size from the basal-most segment to the caudal-most segment. Tubercle size varies between species, with the largest tubercles approximately 0.1 mm in length. In males, A7–A8, or in females, A6–A7, often with scales lighter or darker in colour than remainder of abdomen anteriorly.

Male genitalia ( Figs 16–18 )

Valva from straight and uniform in width to trapezoidal; somewhat oblong, broad basally, narrowing slightly and rounded terminally; sometimes enlarging terminally and upcurved. Saccular process often spiniform, with spine-like projection variable in shape and length; spines can be lenticular and flattened, short, truncate and with a blunt apex, or rather long and with an acute apex; sacculus sometimes strongly sclerotized, or produced into a spine patch. Base of costa with a basal lobe, where valva articulates with genital capsule; can be gradually to strongly ascended, weakly to very pronounced and projecting at an angle, or largely absent to reduced. Uncus simple to bifurcate, from shallowly and broadly bifid to deeply and acutely bifid; elongate and slender to broad, protruding beyond valva in some species and not protruding beyond valva in others. Dense setal patches at various areas along uncus; patches can be at base and terminus of uncus, at terminus only or sparsely located along uncus. Invagination between tergite 9 of genital capsule and uncus present to reduced or absent; often ascending dorsally and crescent to lobeshaped, or curving around base of gnathos. Gnathos with dorsum of bridge sometimes rugose or bearing heavily sclerotized ridge. Gnathos bridge variable, from globose with a prominent ridge, to elongate and tubular, or elongate and flattened or with a prominent ridge; sometimes broadly curved with arms slightly protruding beyond bridge to arms not protruding, or arms strongly protruding beyond bridge and bifurcate. Gnathos arms not recurving or strongly recurving into tergite 9. Anal tube sclerotized to mostly membranous. Membranous paired juxta processes short and mostly fused to valva, to elongate, digitiform, free from valva and membranous or sclerotized. Aedoeagus with dorsal crest present, developed and prominent, reduced in size, or absent. Coecum strongly developed and humped to reduced or nearly absent. Apex of aedoeagus, referred to here as the rostellum, digitiform and slender, acute to rounded, or beak-like and downcurved. Vesica with spines present, large and sclerotized to minute and setiform, or absent.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 19 )

Sternite 8 from developed, sclerotized and trapezoidal to triangular in shape with sides often slightly concave, or reduced, mostly membranous, and covered to various degrees by intersegmental membrane. Intersegmental membrane between abdominal segments 7 and 8 variable, from developed and forming two lobes on either side of ostium to developed and lobes absent; sometimes sclerotized and smooth, or rough and sculptured with cuticular folds and wrinkles; can form two large lobes, somewhat pelvic shaped and perpendicular to ductus bursae; when reduced, mostly membranous. Ductus bursae from shortened to elongate, relatively straight to curved and sinusoidal; most often membranous and with many longitudinal wrinkles; occasionally with antrum sclerotized and/or enlarged. Corpus bursae from enlarged and oblong when ductus bursae is shortened, to small and oblong or spherical when ductus bursae is elongate; signa absent.

Figures

Figures 4–11. Morphology. Representative antennae of the Cossulinae: 4, Biocellata alfarae; 5, Spinulata acutipennis; 6, unidentified species of Simplicivalva; 7, Magulacra niveogrisea; 8, unidentified species of Cossula. Cossulinae wing venation: 9, Cossula magnifica, fore and hindwing. Cossulinae legs: 10, Cossula arpi, fore, mid and hind leg. Representative Cossulinae wing patterns and terminology: 11, Cossula gaudeator. Scale bar = 10.0 mm.

Figures 12–19. Abdominal tubercles: Cossula arpi: 12, tubercles on tergite 7; 13, enlargement of tubercle on tergite 2; 14, enlargement of tubercle on tergite 7; Dudgeonea: 15, tubercle on tergite 5. Representative male genitalia of Cossulinae: Cossula gaudeator: 16, male genital capsule; 17, male genital capsule (lateral view); 18, male aedoeagus. Representative female genitalia of Cossulinae: 19, Spinulata quasivinnea.