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Cassephyra
Gen. n.
Type species: lamprosticta Hampson.
The facies above has a bone-white ground colour, irrorated with black
and ochreous brown, and a scattering of iridescent greyish scales. Particular
features are a circular mottled black zone at the base of the forewing and a
triangular zone of similar colour on the costa subapically. The discal spot on
the forewing is large, ochreous brown, often with a yellower tinge. The wings
below are dull yellow with variably broad (they sometimes extend completely to
the margin) submarginal bands, such as in Hypephyra Butler, leading some
taxa to have been misplaced in this macariine genus (See
Serratophyga Gen.
n. ). The male antennae are ciliate.
The male genitalia indicate this genus is part of the cassymine complex.
The dorsal process of the valve is typical of the group. The rest of the valve
is divided into a central triangular portion and a ventral digitate portion that
terminates in a large spine. Coremata are present but weak. The uncus is
tapering, triangular. The gnathus is ribbon-like with no distal expansion. The
aedeagus vesica is large, elongate, reflexed when everted, bearing a single,
large distal cornutus that has secondary spining.
The female genitalia have the bursa long, with a constriction at two
thirds. Basal to this it is sclerotised, asymmetrically expanded, with
corrugation and scobination that is more extensive over the more expanded side.
The distal part is weak, membranous, lacking a signum.
The genus contains either a series of allopatrically distributed species
from S. India to New Guinea, or one widespread species with a series of
races.
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