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Eriopithex Warren Gen. rev.
Type species: lanaris Warren.
In facies this genus is similar to some Gymnoscelis Mabille,
finely and rather obliquely fasciated, with the angles of the postmedials
slightly bilobed, and a similar but simply angled antemedial. However, the
hind-tibia has two pairs of spurs, leading to the genus being placed in synonymy
with Chloroclystis. Genitalic features indicate that lanaris does
not fall readily into any other grouping of the complex, therefore Eriopithex
is revived. The apodemes of the second tergite are set rather close
together, each relatively short, tongue-like.
The male abdomen has well-developed octavals as illustrated with
characteristic asymmetrical subapical expansion and apical spining. The uncus is
reduced, the tegumen extended in a narrow triangle with a rounded apex. The
saccus has a central longitudinal bar of thickening as in Gymnoscelis, but
the valves lack coremata or hair pencils, and are themselves rather short, with
a somewhat stepped ventral margin. The aedeagus is narrow, with two rather blunt
cornuti in the vesica.
In the female the ductus is long, narrow, sclerotised, ribbon-like, and
the bursa is globular with a rather flocculent thickening. The ductus seminalis
arises from distally on the bursae.
A second species, E. recensitaria Walker comb. n. is tentatively
combined with Eriopithex purely on the structure of the octavals. There
is little concordance in other features except the absence of hair pencils.
Inoue (1971) suggested that E. ishigakiensis Inoue comb. n. (Ryukyu Is.)
was related to lanaris. It has characters intermediate between lanaris
and recensitaria, the octavals not strongly developed, but with the
valves of the male more as in lanaris, and the bursa and ductus of the
female more as in recensitaria. It is therefore also tentatively combined
with Eriopithex.
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