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SUBFAMILY
AEDIINAE |
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Chytonix Grote Type species: iaspis Guenée = palliatricula Guenée, U.S.A. Behounek (2002) described two new species from Sumatra in this genus, C. diehli Behounek and C. sumatrana Behounek, the first of which is also recorded from Borneo below. He related the species to C. umbrifera Butler (Himalaya) though, as suggested in a footnote by Kobes (Behounek, 2002: 126), these species are not closely related to typical Chytonix. This was effectively restricted by Franclemont (1941) to four N. American species that share distinctive features of the male genitalia, particularly the valves, which are long, narrow, with an extensive corona of basally directed setae over the apical part of the cucullus. At one third and centrally there are two spine‑like processes, their bases in line at roughly one third from the ventral margin, with the more basal one directed ventrally and the central one directed towards the costa. The illustrations appear to show a strong peniculus or a large paratergal sclerite at the junction of the vinculum and the tegumen. Franclemont suggested that two other American species placed in Chytonix were perhaps closer to the Oligia Hübner group of genera. Poole (1989) placed umbrifera in Paroligia Warren (type species pallidisca Moore, Himalaya), and also included khasiana Hampson (N.E. Himalaya, Sundaland) which was treated under Stenopterygia Hampson by Holloway (1989), but in fact has male genitalia closer to those of pallidisca. All these species have a penicular structure on the tegumen in a relatively central position as in many Apameini (Zilli, Ronkay & Fibiger, 2005), and this feature is also seen in Ecpatia (see above) and other Bornean taxa treated by Holloway (1989) such as the genus Eulepa Walker, “Callopistria” concinna Prout and “Euplexia” monilis Moore. All except monilis have much simpler valves than in Apameini, slender, strap‑like, with a relatively basal harpe consisting of a slender, curved spine. Females have not been studied in detail across these taxa, but the Sundanian “Chytonix”, the species of Eulepa and those of Ecpatia above have broad, rounded or square ovipositor lobes rather than those typical of the Apameini (Holloway, 1989: 128; Zilli et al., 2005). Those of the “Chytonix” were illustrated by Behounek (2000) and here for the Bornean specimen of diehli (Fig 87). It is possible that the similarities of Ecpatia to Aedia, particularly in hindwing features, are superficial, and that its relationships may be closer to these other taxa with a strong central penicular expansion and narrow valves with a simple harpe. |
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