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Aegilia Walker Gen. rev.
Type species: describens Walker.
This genus has been subordinated to Stictoptera Guenée in
the past but its species have numerous distinctive features such as the concave
costa to the forewing which gives it a rather characteristic shape.
In the male genitalia the valves bear coremata, a unique feature within
the subfamily, a central harpe and a basal process to the valve costa. There are
socii on the tegumen in all species except indescribens Prout. The saccus
is trilobed and the juxta arcuate as in Stictoptera.
The eighth sternite of the male abdomen has two eversible coremata as in
Stictoptera but in addition there is a large, bilobed, interior pocket of
corematous membrane with setal bases, supported on a slender Y-shaped
sclerotisation (Fig. 170); the pocket often contains a hard substance when
dissected, perhaps a pheromone.
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In the female genitalia the ductus is sclerotised and the eighth segment
is modified in various ways. In Stictoptera the ductus is not sclerotised
and the eighth segment is simple. The signum is a central patch of
sclerotisation, scobinate, with a central, interior, acute ‘peak’.
According to the accounts of Bell (MS) the Y-shaped cremaster of the
pupa is accompanied by six small hooklets rather than four as in Stictoptera.
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