Anchimacheta Walsingham, 1914

Sohn, Jae-Cheon, 2014, A taxonomic review of the Neotropical genus Anchimacheta (Lepidoptera: Urodidae) with descriptions of a new congener and an allied, new genus and species from Sri Lanka, Journal of Natural History 48 (43 - 44), pp. 2617-2631 : 2618-2620

Anchimacheta Walsingham

Anchimacheta Walsingham, 1914: 323 .

Type species: Anchimacheta capnodes Walsingham, 1914 (= Anchimacheta iodes Walsingham, 1914 ), by original designation.

Diagnosis

Among urodid genera, Anchimacheta and Urodus Herrich-Schäffer, 1854 are the only two which do not possess a median patch comprising erect scales on the forewings. Anchimacheta and Urodus are clearly distinguished by the ground colour of forewings (yellowish brown in Anchimacheta versus black or dark greyish brown in Urodus ) and by the presence of hair pencils on the anterobasal area of the hind wings only in the latter genus. Anchimacheta is distinguished from Wockia Heinemann by the absence of hair pencils on the hind wings and the raised scales of patches on the forewings ( Adamski et al. 2009).

Description

Vestiture of head vertex with appressed piliform scales. Antennae filiform in both sexes. Labial palpi with 1st segment 1/2 as long as 2nd; 2nd segment as long as 3rd; short scale tufts present on ventral surface of 2nd segment, becoming longer toward distal end; apex of 3rd segment acuminate. Forewing costa and dorsum nearly parallel in distal half; termen oblique; apex obtuse. Forewing venation with Sc extending to costal margin near 1/2; R arising at near middle of anterior margin of discal cell; Rs 1 arising from anterior end of accessory cell; Rs 2 arising from anterodistal end of accessory cell; Rs 3 arising closer to Rs 2 than to Rs 4; Rs 4 arising from posterodistal end of accessory cell, directed slightly above apex; M 1 and M 2 nearly parallel in basal 4/5, slightly divergent in distal 1/5; M 2 and M 3 divergent; CuA 1 more strongly arched than CuA 2, slightly approximate to each other at basal 1/3; CuP convergent to 1A + 2A at distal 1/5; 1A + 2A sinuous. Hind wing venation with Sc + R 1 extending to costal margin near 2/3; Rs slightly divergent from M 1; anterior margin of discal cell weakened in basal 3/5; M 1 directed slightly below apex; M 2 closer to M 1 than to M 3; M 2 and M 3 diverging; M-stem 1/2 as long as anterior margin of discal cell; CuA 1 nearly straight; CuA 2 broadly arched; CuP nearly straight; 1A + 2A as sinuous fold; 3A 1/2 as long as 1A + 2A. No hair pencils present on the hind wing. Three frenulae present on the female hind wing. Sternite II ( Figure 1E ) with apodeme 1/5 as long as the interspace between apodemes; venulae broadly arched, divergent posteriorly; V-shaped, weak sclerotization posterior to interspace between apodemes; lateral rod as long as apodeme. The male genitalia with bifid uncus articulated from tegumen; costal process longer than valva; gnathos continuous; and needle-like cornuti within the phallus. The female A9 weakly sclerotized, with longitudinal pleats. The female genitalia with a telescopic ovipositor; antrum lined with dentations anteromarginally; apophyses anteriores with Y-fork basally; corpus bursae with a dentiform signum.

Defining characters

Four characteristics are proposed to define Anchimacheta : (i) hind wing vein CuP complete; (ii) hind wing vein 1A + 2A vestigial; (iii) male genitalia with bilobate uncus; and (iv) female genitalia with antrum anteriorly lined with dentations.

Remarks

Walsingham (1914) stated that Anchimacheta is superficially similar to Lamprosetia (now Psychoides [ Tineidae : Teichobiinae ]). Anchimacheta , however, differs from Tineidae by lacking bristles on the labial palpi and in having the tortricoid-type of thoracic–abdominal articulation. Meyrick (1931) associated the genus with Yponomeutidae . This association was, however, disputed by Kyrki (1988) who listed it as a synonym of Spiladarcha , under Urodidae for the first time.

Figures

Figure 1. (A) Head of Anchimacheta iodes, male, paralectotype; (B) head of Glaucotunica tamila, male, holotype; (C) hind legs of Anchimacheta iodes, male, paralectotype; (D) hind legs of Glaucotunica tamila, male, holotype; (E) abdominal segment I–III of Anchimacheta iodes, male, paralectotype.