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Neochera Hübner
Type species: dominia Cramer.
Synonym: Philona Walker (type species inops
Walker).
This genus contains four named species that fall into two pairs: dominia
Cramer and marmorea Walker; inops Walker and privata Walker.
All four share the following features: white longitudinal markings restricted to
the veins (seen also in some Asota species), not in the spaces also; a
patch of what may be small scent scales on the hindwing above, centred just
distal to the anterior angle of the cell-end; a conspicuous patch of
sclerotisation in the ductus ejaculatorius of the aedeagus. In all four the
eighth segment coremata are well developed. The sacculus of the valve is bilobed
in all species except N. marmorea.
The first species pair has rather elongate, glossy, grey-blue wings with
large, blackish discal patches on the hindwing. Black spots associated with
orange are restricted to the anterior half of the base of the forewing.
The second pair has pale grey or brownish grey forewings and dark brown
bordered yellow or white hindwings with a yellowish discal patch. The black
dotting at the base of the forewing extends from costa to dorsum. Both species
share distinctive features of the male genitalia: tapering valves with an
angular process in the centre of the costa and strong curvature at its base; the
aedeagus is basally tapered; the aedeagus vesica has at least three lobes,
scobinate to varying degrees of coarseness, and a basal zone of very coarse
scobination.
In marmorea and dominia the female genitalia are similar
in general structure to those of the previous two genera with the additional
feature of a weakly bilobed seventh sternite separated from the tergite by a
groove which it overlaps somewhat. In privata and inops the ostium
opens into the anterior section of a disc-like lamella vaginalis and is covered
by two long processes directed posteriorly from the margin of the seventh
sternite. In the latter there is also a sac-like expansion of the membrane
dorsal and anterior to the ovipositor lobes.
There is an undescribed species from Sulawesi related to inops and
privata. It has white hindwings as in privata but male genitalia
with a strong central process to the valve as in inops, and is
distinguished from both by a broad central white zone on the forewing.
The blue-grey colour of the rather elongate wings and the banded signa
of the bursa copulatrix suggest a sister-relationship with Peridrome +
Euplocia. The relationships of the Aganainae are thus summarised in Figure
7.
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