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Trichopterigia
Hampson
Type species: decorata Moore, India.
Taiwanese species in this genus have been treated by Yazaki (1987), and
Chinese ones by Xue (1992). The hindwing of the male resembles that of other
mainland Asian and Palaearctic Trichopterygini in having the anal area and veins
of the hindwing reduced to a small lobe that is folded up dorsally. The antennae
of both sexes are filiform, densely invested with very short cilia.
The wings are white or yellowish, the forewings traversed by numerous
fine wavy fasciae of black, olive brown, brown or crimson.
The male genitalia have the valves diagnostically deeply divided into
three, the basal, saccular process usually being more sclerotised and
spine-like. The uncus is simple, tapering, but broadened at the base. The second
sternite of the abdomen is modified into a pair of laterally triangular flaps
that each supports a corema.
The female genitalia have a ductus of variable length, breadth and
sclerotisation, leading into a spherical, or elongate corpus bursae that is more
or less completely invested with fine to coarse spines. Distal to this is
usually a spherical appendix bursae.
Sugi (1987) illustrated the larva of a Japanese species. It is robust,
rather flattened, with ridges laterally. It is bright green with the ridges,
thoracic area and towards the end of the abdomen shaded dark brown. It and the
larvae of related genera in Japan feed on the young foliage of deciduous trees,
particularly Quercus (Fagaceae). An Indian species (unpublished IIE
records) has been recorded from Coriaria (Coriariaceae).
The genus is most diverse in the Oriental subtropics, with only one
species extending to Sundaland.
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