Tantulius Fibiger, 2010

FIBIGER, MICHAEL, 2010, Revision of the Micronoctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) Part 3, Taxonomy of the Tactusinae, Zootaxa 2583 (1), pp. 1-119 : 64

Genus Tantulius Fibiger , new genus

Type-species: Tantulius belli Fibiger , new species.

Taxonomic notes. The genus Tantulius is monotypic. The habitus relates it to the previous and following genera. The genus is characterised by a few unique features.

Diagnosis. Imago (external). Wingspan: 8 mm.

Labial palps: porrect; second segment brown outside, beige inside, roughly scaled ventrally; third segment 1/5 of second, cylindrical, narrow, beige.

Head, patagia, anterior part of tegulae, prothorax, basal part of costa, costal part of medial area, and fringes: blackish brown, costal medial area quadrangular (apo.).

Forewing: short and relatively broad; ground colour yellow; terminal area brown, suffused with few black scales.

Crosslines: antemedial and postmedial line well marked, narrow, light brown.

Terminal line: indistinct, indicated by brown interneural dots.

Reniform stigma: untraceable.

Hindwing: grey, without discal spot.

Underside: forewing light brown, hindwing light grey.

Male and Female genitalia. Unknown.

Differential diagnosis. T. belli differs from other Obscurini species in:

- smallsize;

- narrow costal patch in medial area;

- dark fringes;

- crosslines narrow, light brown;

- terminal line with few brown, interneural dots;

- untraceable reniform stigma.

Distribution. Tantulius known only from South India.