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The Saroba
group
of genera
This
generic grouping appears to be more cohesive and defined by a potentially more
satisfactory suite of synapomorphies than the Episparis group
(p. 292). It may therefore merit tribal status, but formal recognition should
perhaps be delayed until a more exhaustive exploration of the Neotropical fauna
and of associated family-group names has been undertaken. Potential affinities
with the Boletobiini discussed on p. 372 also merit further investigation.
The
often moderately colourful facies of the forewings is generally replicated on
the hindwings, though some of the smaller representatives have the latter more
uniform. The fasciation tends to be irregular or, in the postmedials, angled,
the angle of the forewing more subcostal, and enclosing distad a lens of paler
colour on the costa in a few species (e.g. “Saroba”
ceylonica
Walker). The male antennae are usually
ciliate or fasciculate.
The male
abdomen has an eighth segment that is usually of the framed corematous type or a
modification thereof, but it is the structure of the valves that provides one of
the better definitive features. These are usually narrow, with two or more
processes centrally between the costa and the sacculus. The valve is often
constricted and slightly articulated at this point, from which the distal part
of the valve is tongue-like and can be considerably reduced. The valve processes
probably engage in the sterigmal pocket of the female during copulation. The
juxta is usually broad, plate-like, sometimes with ridges that converge
dorsally. The tegumen in some species has obtuse lateral projections, and
articulation with the vinculum is through a paratergal sclerite in several cases
(e.g. in Trichoblemma Hampson and Tamba
Walker.
In the
female genitalia the ostium is within a complex sterigma associated with the
eighth segment, the apodemes of which are usually short or vestigial (Condate
Walker
is an exception; see p. 345). The sterigma is usually a shallow, pouchlike
structure that is finely scobinate throughout, though this may involve more
complex structures such as spines (e.g. Sarobides inconclusa Walker). The ductus bursae is moderate
to short, and the corpus bursae may be twisted slightly at its base. It is
usually pyriform. If a signum is present, it frequently consists of an complete
ring or rings of small spines subbasally (e.g. as in some Saroba
and
Sarobides
Walker
species and Tamba Walker).
The
definition of the first four genera is very unsatisfactory, and some of the taxa
currently placed in them are probably unrelated to any of them (e.g. antecedens
Walker), and albopunctata
Semper
has been placed in a new genus on p. 147. The complexes around Attonda
Swinhoe
and Singara
Walker
will be discussed first, then features of the type species of Sarobides.
The type species of Saroba itself is highly modified, so the species remaining
from Sarobides and Saroba will
be listed under “Saroba” pending a revision of the complex as a whole. A similar
approach has been taken to the complex of genera around Olulis
Walker
(see p. 366). Dunira Moore is tentatively associated with the Saroba
group
despite significant differences in features of the male abdomen, as features of
the female may indicate some affinity (see p. 370).
Biological
data are sparse, but a pupal bloom has been recorded in Attonda
(see
below).
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