|
Chonopla
Lajonquière
Type
species: tecta Lajonquière.
The hindwing venation resembles that of Bharetta Moore (type species
cinnamomea Moore) but, as in Odontocraspis, The wing is deeper, with small
angles on the anterior margin; the venation is as in Kasala and Alompra,
with R4 and R5 having a common stalk rather than R5 and M1. The forewing
is not bifalcate as in Bharetta or Odontocraspis. The ground colour is
dark brown, and the forewing fasciation is as in Odontocraspis, though
lacking the subapical and discal markings of that genus.
Diagnostic features are in the male genitalia. The tegumen is reduced but
strongly sclerotised. The valves are long, slender, undulant, with a long,
slender, curved process arising dorsally from the centre. The cubile is
simple but articulates with a highly modified eighth sternite as
illustrated for the Bornean species. The aedeagus is very broad with a
terminal ventral spur and a broad, tapering vesica. In Bharetta the
tegumen is weak, as is the cubile; the valves are divided, the lower
portion massive with an apical hook.
In Kosala Moore the hindwings are similar, the forewings with fasciae as
in Odontocraspis and discal white patches (but not subapical ones) as in
that genus. The male eighth sternite is weakly modified, articulating with
a massively pouched cubile. The aedeagus is slender, acutely spurred,
weakly scobinate. The valves are simple, rod-like. The tegumen is only
weakly sclerotised. Bharetta flammans Hampson (Himalaya) shares genitalic
characters with Kosala such as the pouched cubile and acutely spurred
aedeagus but has a bifalcate forewing with venation as in typical Bharetta
and other typical Lasiocampidae, and lacks white discal spots.
The four genera and Alompra Moore may be related but there is no one
derived feature evident at the moment that unites them all. Alompra,
Kosala and Chonopla are united by atypical forewing venation; B. flammans
shares with these a strongly pouched cubile and modified eighth sternite;
typical Bharetta and Odontocraspis may thus be more distantly related.
Homology of the modified eighth sternite with that in Odonestis is
unclear.
Females of Chonopla are not known. Kosala modulata Swinhoe (Burma) also
belongs to this genus, comb. n., as discussed in the
account of tecta.
<<Back
>>Forward <<Return
to Contents page
|
