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Avitta Walker
Type
species: subsignans Walker,
India.
Synonym:
Oroba
Walker
(type species surrigens Walker,
Borneo).
This
genus in the strict sense presented here was reviewed by Holloway (1984b), with
a phylogenetic analysis, though A. alternans Warren
(New Guinea), probably a true Avitta, was omitted. Species previously associated with Avitta
(e.g.
in Poole, 1989) are treated under the next three genera or transferred to “Anomis” (see p. 224). A New Caledonian species is transferred
to Chrysopera Hampson (p. 198). African taxa have not been studied
in detail, though A. lineosa Saalmüller combines valves like Avitta
with
a scaphium in the male genitalia, and has the eighth sternite with an anterior
corema and a straight distal margin.
All
species in these four genera have a similar build and facies, but their
genitalia features are so different as to merit separation.
The male
antennae are sparsely ciliate to weakly fasciculate in this and the next genus,
and the femora of this sex can be tufted with scales in Avitta,
and the Australasian clade of species has a massively tufted foretibia. The
labial palps are of the typical catocaline form. In Avitta,
the forewing reniform is relatively large and open-centred, forming a letter
‘B’ in some species. The rest of the forewing has a series of fine,
irregular, darker fasciae. The hindwings are uniform above, but may have pale
borders of varying width. There is a discal spot on the hindwing underside, and
the stigmata of the forewing may also be prominent. In the male abdomen, the
eighth sternite is distally bidentate. The eighth tergite has short, robust,
well separated apodemes. The genitalia have the uncus moderate, apically hooked,
but the scaphium is absent or weak. The tegumen is slightly longer than the
vinculum. The valves are tongue-like distally and have a massive, free process
at the base of the costa. There may be additional processes from the interior of
the sacculus. The juxta is broad and may be spined distally. In some species it
has some semblance to an inverted ‘V’ . The aedeagus vesica is simple to
bilobed, unornamented.
The
female genitalia have the ostium within the anterior of a complex modification
of the eighth segment that is mostly a postvaginal plate, but with finely
scobinate areas associated with it (often including two lobes flanking, and
posterior to the ostium), including a patch between the ovipositor lobes. The
ductus is usually relatively short and flimsy, and the corpus bursae is set
asymmetrically on it and is elongate, narrow, with some fine scobination where
it joins the ductus. The ductus seminalis arises from the base of the ductus
bursae close to the ostium.
Bell
(MS) reared the type species in India, comparing the larva to that of Hyperlopha cristifera (see
p. 211) in shape. It is elongate, with the prolegs on A3 reduced, but those on
A4 only slightly smaller than those to the rear. The head is black, with the
brownish white lines of the body continuing on to it. The body is brownish white
with a treble olive-green dorsal band, and a series of similar bands down each
side. The ventral surface is not banded, but a similar colour.
The
larva frequents the undersides of leaves and eats the tender ones; it can rest
also on twigs and stalks. It pupates on the ground in a silken cell that
incorporates detritus. The pupa does not have a bloom.
The host
plants are in the Menispermaceae: Cyclea and
Stephania.
This family is also recorded for fasciosa Moore
below.
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