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Orgyia
Ochsenheimer
Type species: antiqua Linnaeus, Europe.
Synonyms: Apterogynis Guenée (type species antiqua);
Micropterogyna Rambur (type species antiqua); Notolophus Germar (type
species antiqua).
The genus is here defined principally on male genitalic characters that
are consistent over the species discussed by Maes (1984a), Ferguson (1978) and
here. However, most species have rather delicately built males with wings that
are generally deeper than in the more robust species in the genera following.
Females may be winged (tropical species) or wingless (some tropical species and
all temperate ones).
The genitalic features include: a long, slender, rod-like uncus; valves
relatively deeply divided, with the arms of equal length, relatively slender; a
deeply notched, heart-like juxta with a digitate process just basal to the end
of the notch (seen also in Numenes Walker); a flexed aedeagus that
extends apically in dorsal and ventral arms that somewhat are reminiscent of
jaws, and are often externally serrate or rugose with small, backwardly pointing
spines. It is the aedeagus characters that are most clearly definitive.
Dall’Asta (1988) indicated the male lacked tymbal organs but these occur in
all Bornean species except postica Walker.
The female (osseata Walker) has a bicornute signum and an
extensively setose, expanded, U-shaped sterigma.
The larvae are typically orgyiine in character, and are mostly highly
polyphagous: a number are described below.
The genus is widely distributed in the Old World including temperate
latitudes, and extends to North America.
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