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Brunia
Moore Gen. rev.
Type species: antica Walker,
Sri Lanka.
This genus is revived from
synonymy with Eilema and defined on male genitalic characters, though a
number of the species have a small areole in the forewing venation, and most
have sexual dimorphism of forewing facies. The uncus is relatively short, with a
dorsal ridge and is slightly expanded at the base as in Eilema, but the
saccus is much shorter, narrow, rather acute and has no membrane with hairs or
coremata. The valve tapers distally to a rounded apex that is downturned; the
saccular process is always shorter but usually robust, and the ventral margin of
the sacculus is often angled. The aedeagus apex is usually extensively spined,
the spines short, broad, directed apically. The vesica has several broad
diverticula that can be scobinate or bear robust cornuti, one of which at least
is usually very shallow and asymmetric.
The females usually have the
bursa elongate, the basal half sclerotised and having a small basal appendix,
and the distal half containing two small scobinate signa.
Apart from the type species
and those transferred below, the genus also includes B. cucullata Moore comb.
n. (Andamans), B. dorsalis Walker comb. n. (Sula Is., New
Guinea, N. Australia), B. ekeikei Bethune-Baker comb. n. (New
Guinea) and B. testacea Rothschild comb. n. (Solomons).
Australasian taxa may be numerous and in need of revision.
The first two species
discussed below were placed in synonymy (e.g. Hampson, 1900) with the African
taxon vicaria Walker. The male and female genitalia of vicaria have
the generic features just described, and there is sexual dimorphism similar to
that in sarawaca Butler and apicalis Walker, the male having a
darker border to the forewing. The African species is distinguished by a robust
bifid saccular process in the male genitalia, but should also be assigned to Brunia,
comb. n.
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