|
Cleora
Curtis
Type species: cinctaria Denis & Schiffermüller, Palaearctic.
Synonyms:
Aegitrichus Butler (type species lanaris Butler, Fiji); Barsine
Meyrick (praeocc., replaced by Meyrickia Butler, type species panagrata
Walker, New Zealand); Carecomotis Warren (type species perfumosa Warren,
Queensland); Cerotricha Guenée (type species licornaria Guenée,
Tahiti); Chogada Moore (type species alienaria Walker); Neocleora
Janse (type species tulbaghata Felder, S. Africa).
This genus has been the focus of several intensive studies, addressing
major species groups or faunas within it (Prout, 1929b, 1937; Fletcher, 1953,
1967; Robinson, 1971; Sato, 1989). It is diverse throughout the Old World
tropics and extends weakly into temperate latitudes and to N. America. It is
well represented on Pacific islands, and the diverse endemic Hawaiian genus Scotorythra
is probably closely related (Zimmerman, 1953; Fletcher, 1967), but the males
lack a forewing fovea and have reduced ornamentation of the valve sacculus.
The relationships of Cleora to boarmiine genera with similar
external appearance are discussed by Fletcher (1967). There is a prominent fovea
on the male forewing, and the antennae are strongly bipectinate over the basal
half to two thirds, quadripectinate in some species (D. Stüning, in litt.). The
genitalia are distinguished by strong ornamentation on the sacculus, usually
between one to three robust spines or other sclerotised processes. The aedeagus
vesica is bifurcate, each arm bearing cornuti that are often very large.
In the female the ovipositor lobes are elongate, slender as in Scotorythra
and related genera such as Ascotis Hübner and Cusiala Moore. Ectropis
Hübner (discussed next) also has extended ovipositor lobes (Sato, 1984a).
The bursa copulatrix is also long, extensively sclerotised and fluted over a
long basal section, usually with a typical ennomine signum in the distal bulb.
In the larvae of some species, Sato (1984a) noted a large tubercle
present posteroventrad of seta D1 on each side of A2 (See
C. alienaria
Walker and an illustration in Sugi (1987)). Most are probably polyphagous
defoliators of trees, and Cleora species have been recorded in large
numbers from plantations of leguminous softwood trees in Sabah (Chey, Speight
& Holloway, 1993). Two (C. alienaria Walker, C. decisaria Walker)
have been reared from one of these plantation trees, Paraserianthes
falcataria, so the genus may have pest potential.
<<Back
>>Forward <<Return
to Contents page
|
