Stictoptera Guenée, 1852

Qi, Feng, Wang, Ke, Xue, Dayong & Yang, Ding, 2011, A taxonomic revision of the Stictopterinae (Lepidoptera, Noctuoidea, Noctuidae) in China, Zootaxa 2926, pp. 1-45 : 5-6

Genus Stictoptera Guenée, 1852

Stictoptera Guenée, 1852 , in Boisduval et Guenée, Hist. nat. Ins. (Lepid.), 7: 51. Type-species: Stictoptera cucullioides Guenée, 1852 , by subsequent designation by Grote, 1874.

Dandaca Walker, 1856 , List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 9: 149. Type-species: Dandaca columba Walker, 1856 , by monotypy.

Steiria Walker, 1857 , List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 13: 1135. Type-species: Steiria subobliqua Walker, 1857 , by subsequent designation by Hampson, 1912.

Minica Walker, 1857 , List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 13: 1139. Type-species: Minica confluens Walker, 1857 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. In wing pattern, the genus Stictoptera resembles Lophoptera , but Stictoptera has a more distinct boundary between the transparent zone and the blackish-brown margin of the hindwing. The distance between the compound eyes of Stictoptera is much shorter. In the male genitalia, the valva of Stictoptera is divided into two arms connected by the membranous webbing, but the valva of Lophoptera is complete.

Description. Head. Distance between compound eyes much shorter than eye diameter. Frons blackish-brown, with short erected scales. Base of antenna color paler than the rest. Vertex brown, often with erected scales. Labial palpus extending beyond frons, tip sometimes extended over compound eyes, the second segment always elongate, outer side sometimes with transversal or longitudinal dark lines, the third segment long. Thorax. Patagia and tegulae blackish-brown, mixed with thick greyish-brown scales; tegulae elongate, sometimes longer than half of mesothorax. Legs blackish-brown, segments ends grey. Wing shape and venation. Forewing triangular and elongate, outer margin slightly wavy, sometimes incurved before tornus, anal margin slightly incurved centrally. Hindwing wide, both apex and tornus rounded, costal margin straight, outer margin arch-like and slightly incurved between M veins, anal margin straight. Forewing venation: R1 free; R3, R4 and R5 stalked, diverging from upper angle of cell, R5 diverging before basal one third of stalk; R3 and R4 separate after terminal one third of stalk; R3-5 anastomosing with R2 at a point and formed an areole before upper angle of cell. Hindwing venation: Rs and M1 diverging from upper angle of cell; M2, M3 and CuA1 diverging from lower angle of cell ( Fig. 3 ). Wing-pattern. Forewing various greatly, always greyish-brown with blackish or greenish-brown lines, often with erected scales around the reniform. Hindwing blackish-brown, basal half always transparent, left veins black. Underside yellowish-brown, with simple lines. Polymorphism occurred in some species. Abdomen. Blackish-brown, ends of segments sometimes grey, the third segment sometimes with dorsal crest. Male genitalia. Uncus short, sometimes bended centrally, pointed apically, with long setae. Gnathos short and connected at middle, forming a small round process at the base of uncus. Valva divided into two slender arms, connected by a membranous, draped webbing, sacculus without clasper. Juxta always inverted U-shaped. Saccus often inverted triangular, bottom specialized. Aedeagus short, vesica with short spines terminally, with or without cornutus, a water-drop shaped sclerotized lobe inside ductus ejaculatorius near the vesica. Female genitalia. Ovipositor short and wide, with thick hairs. Both apophyses posteriores and apophyses anteriores filiform. Ductus bursae elongate. Appendix bursae absent. Corpus bursae often with a series of parallel bands, always bearing a spinose signum.

Distribution. Oriental, Australian, Afrotropical and Neotropical regions.

Figures

FIGURES 3 – 11. Venations. 3. Stictoptera signifera. 4. Aegilia describens. 5. Gyrtona lapidarioides. 6. Odontodes aleuca. 7. Lophoptera squammilinea. 8. Lophoptera longipennis. 9. Diascoides ferruginea. 10 – 11. Sigmuncus arcuata. 10, male; 11, female.