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Athetis
Hubner
Type
species: dasychira Hubner, Europe.
Synonyms:
Proxenus Herrich-Schaffer (type species hospes Freyer, Europe); Elydna
Walker (type species transversa Walker, India); Nebrissa Walker
(type species bimacula Walker); Curgia Walker (praeocc.; type
species nonagrica Walker) syn. n.; Leucocosmia Butler (type
species ceres Butler = thoracica Butler) syn. n.; Radinacra
Butler (type species palpalis Butler, Japan); Dadica Moore
(type species lineosa Moore, India); Radinogoes Butler (type
species tenuis Butler, Australia); Floccifera Hampson (type
species engida Swinhoe, Burma); Stygiathetis Hampson (type species
mus Hampson, India); Strepselydna Warren (type species truncipennis
Hampson, India), Hydrillula Tams (type species pallustris Hubner,
Europe); Tectorea Berio (type species nitens Saalmueller,
Madagascar).
This is a very large
genus containing species mainly with dull, pale to medium grey or brown
forewings; uniform, with fine transverse fasciae or rows of dots. The stigmata
are often conspicuous, sometimes picked out in white. The hindwings are paler
than the forewings, often white or nacreous. The male antennae are usually
filiform or ciliate.
The definitive
feature for the genus is in the male genitalia where the uncus is lost and the
tegumen is elongated and expanded into a horseshoe shape. The valve is curved,
strap-like, broadening distally usually, with a strong, curved, spine-like harpe
in an extremely distal position; it is reminiscent of a similar process in Spodoptera
Guenee but appears to be a truly saccular harpe rather than a costal process
though this is less clear-cut in some species such as A. bipuncta Snellen.
The valve lacks a corona though it may be apically setose, and usually has a
slender clavus or furca at the base of the sacculus associated with the juxta.
The aedeagus vesica usually bears clusters or rows of strong cornuti, is
tubular, but very variable in length.
The genus Leucocosmia
Butler is brought into synonymy here as it shares the features of uncus loss
and a distal harpe, but has the valves globular, lacking a clavus; the juxta is
elongate, large; the tegumen is narrower than in typical Athetis; the
aedeagus vesica is very long and bears cornuti over most of its length.
Floccifera Hampson
is also placed as a synonym: the type species and the related Philippines A.
plumbescens Wileman & West are more typical of the genus than are Leucocosmia
species, but also lack a clavus and have a trifine basal hair pencil that is
absent in the other species treated here.
The male eighth
sternite bears lateral rods.
In the female
genitalia the bursa is rounded, uniformly scobinate, sometimes densely so (Leucocosmia),
set on a long ductus. There is sometimes an appendix bursae basal to the
bursa, the development of which reflects the length of the aedeagus vesica: it
is vestigial in A. reclusa but strongly developed in Leucocosmia.
The larvae (see
illustrations in Sugi (1987)) are typically trifine in appearance, smooth, with
primary setae only, brownish with mainly longitudinal banding and striation that
is somewhat irregular. A8 is humped, squarish, paler posteriorly. Gardner (1946)
noted that the first two pairs of abdominal prolegs were reduced, and therefore
grouped Athetis (as Elydna) with Chasmina as well as with
several quadrifine genera. An additional feature common to these genera is
that the hook of the larger crochets of the prolegs is bifid.
The larvae are
herbaceous feeders and may prefer dried leaves (Sugi).
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