Eupitheciini Tutt, 1896

Viidalepp, Jaan, 2011, A morphological review of tribes in Larentiinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), Zootaxa 3136, pp. 1-44 : 14-16

Tribe Eupitheciini Tutt, 1896

( Figs 48–51 )

Pierce (1914: 43), in his diagnosis stresses the build of labides as diagnostic for the group: ”The labides would probably form important organs for differentiation ... The papillae that occur on the feet at the labides afford to some extent a differential character in closely allied species... The juxta is a hard, rounded, chitinous plate, with two arms projecting from above”.

Holloway (1997) uses the long projections from the base of valve costa anterior to transtilla furcating dorsad as labides and ventrad towards the juxta and the juxta shape to define the tribe. He refers to possible homology of this structure in Perizomini and Operophterini . A pair of coremata are present between valvae and the eighth segment, arising from cup-shaped pockets, and the specific modification of the last sternite differentiating Eupitheciini from the Perizomini , Asthenini and Operophterini .

Mironov (2003) presents an overview of morphological characters of the group distributed over all faunal regions. Small size of moths, anthophagy of larvae, and venation (one or two accessory cells in forewing, straight DC in hind wing) are not outstanding. However, the following characters are diagnostic: hourglass shape of juxta ( Figs 48, 49 ); species-specific modification of male sclerotized sternite A8 ( Fig. 48 ); ”labides with bifurcate setaceous papillae on their posterior arms and usually with a pair of smaller membranous and setaceous papillae on apices of their anterior ends” ( Mironov 2003: 57); members of the subtribe Chloroclystina Mironov have the forewing vein R1 shortly fused to Sc, an unique feature within larentiines.

Holarctic species of Eupitheciina most often have uncus apex bifid, with short sharp dorsal and flatly rounded ventral tip; quite often the cornuti on vesica are aggregated into dentate plates, at least in Eupithecia Curtis ; operculum and ”Bolte’s pockets” present in female genitalia ( Mikkola, 1993); bursa copulatrix is often generally scobinate with petaloid or sternate signa ( Fig. 51 ); larvae anto- and carpophagous on trees and herbs.

Distribution of both subtribes of Eupitheciini : all regions.

Figures

FIGURES 48 – 52, Male and female genitalia of Eupitheciini and Perizonini. 48, Male genitalia, coremata hair pencils and sternite A 8 of Eupithecia cauchiata (Duponchel); 49, male genitalian armature of Eupithecia absinthiata (Clerck); 50, male genitalian armature of Perizoma sp.; 51, female genitalia of Eupithecia abbreviata Stephens; 52, male genitalia of Psaliodes sp. (Bolivia).