Scaeosopha Meyrick, 1914

Li, Houhun, Zhang, Zhiwei & Sinev, Sergey Yu., 2012, Review of the genus Scaeosopha Meyrick, 1914 (Lepidoptera, Cosmopterigidae, Scaeosophinae) in the world, with descriptions of sixteen new species, Zootaxa 3322, pp. 1-34 : 3-5

Scaeosopha Meyrick, 1914

Scaeosopha Meyrick, 1914: 254 .

Type species: Scaeosopha percnaula Meyrick, 1914 [by monotypy].

Scaeothyris Diakonoff, 1968: 163 .

Type species: Scaeothyris pseusta Diakonoff, 1968 [by monotypy].

General characters. Head ( Fig. 1) with appressed scales; ocellus absent. Antenna with pecten on basal half of scape. Labial palpus curved, ascending, thickened with appressed scales; second segment reaching base of antenna; third segment shorter than second, ending in point. Thorax usually with three black spots in posterior portion. Forewing ( Fig. 2) somewhat lanceolate, costal margin slightly arched, dorsal margin more or less straight, apex narrowly rounded; ground color yellow of different shades, white or brown, overlaid with numerous irregularly shaped dark spots or/and patches; R 1 from middle, R 4 and R 5 stalked, R 5 to costa, M 3 and CuA 1 from posterior angle of cell, CuP absent, 1A+2A with prominent basal fork. Hindwing narrow, costal and dorsal margins nearly parallel, apex blunt; Sc+R 1 reaching costa near 5/6, Rs to apex; M 2, M 3 and CuA 1 close from posterior angle of cell; CuA 2 with a right angle from posterior margin of cell, then curved to tornus; near base with hyaline space beneath middle of cell.

Male genitalia ( Figs. 3, 4). Pleural lobes of eighth segment weakly sclerotized in general. Uncus developed, with a pair of brachia, heavily sclerotized. Tegumen usually shorter than uncus brachium, weakly sclerotized. Valva with or without numerous small commalike or droplike processes; long and slender, sclerotized valvella arising from near base of costa. Vinculum a transverse band. Valva and vinculum ankylosed with anellus at base. Phallus extremely long, curved; cornutus present or absent.

Female genitalia ( Fig. 5). Papilla analis membranous, densely setose. Posterior apophysis longer than anterior apophysis. Sterigma variably shaped, sclerotized. Ductus bursae membranous, long or short; ductus seminalis arising from ductus bursae. Corpus bursae membranous, with paired signa.

Biology. Little is known about the biology of Scaeosopha . The hostplants of three species are related to members of Rubiaceae . Scaeosopha chionoscia Meyrick was reared from the larvae in fruits of Nauclea orientalis (Linn.) in Java ( Robinson, Tuck & Shaffer 1994). The larvae of Scaeosopha triocellata (Stainton) bored the top shoots of Anthocephalus cadamba (Roxb.) Miq. Adults of Scaeosopha sinevi Ponomarenko et Park were reared from Gardenia jasminoides Ellis in China.

Distribution (Maps 1, 2). Asia ( Brunei, China, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Vietnam), Africa ( Madagascar, Zimbabwe) and Australia.

MAP 1. Distribution of Scaeosopha spp. ( percnaula -group). ●, S. percnaula ;, S. sinevi ; ․, S. pseusta ; ̝, S. betrokensis ; ●, S. erecta ; ●, S. hongkongensis ; ̝, S. minuta ; ̝, S. nullivalvella ; ․, S. sabahensis ; ●, S. spinivalvata ; ․, S. tuberculata ; ●, S. victoriensis .