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Episothalma Swinhoe
Type species: sisunaga Walker =
robustaria
Guenée.
The facies of the upperside bears some resemblance to that
of Euxena species (Euxena
Warren), as does the wing shape, with strongly
crenulate margins, but the fasciation of the underside is much weaker on a pale
green ground. The male antennae are ciliate, filiform. The hindwing venation has
both Rs and M1, and M3 and CuA1 stalked.
In the male abdomen there are no setal patches on the third
sternite. The genitalia have an uncal structure typical of the Hemitheiti. The
valves have coremata, and dorsal blade-like extensions to the transtillae. The
valves are elongate, apically rounded, with numerous setae in the central part.
There is a crescent-shaped flap or pocket in the centre of the valve that tapers
away distally towards a small lobe set just in from the ventral margin.
The female has ovipositor lobes of the modified type. The
ostium and ductus are narrow, sclerotised, the bursa almost spherical from a
fluted, funnel-like basal part. There is a bicornute signum.
The larva of the type species is described below. The head
is square, not conspicuously bifid as in typical Hemitheiti, though the vertices
are somewhat conical.
The genus consists of three Oriental species. E.
robustaria is the only one to extend to Sundaland. Three New Guinea taxa
placed in Episothalma should be transferred to Hemithea
Duponchel : H. subaurata Warren comb. n.; H. obscurata Warren comb. n.;
H.
sequestrata Prout
comb. n.
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