Revision of the genus Metura (Lepidoptera: Psychidae) with description of two new species
Author
Beaver, Ethan P.
text
Zootaxa
2020
2020-10-16
4861
2
188
210
journal article
8223
10.11646/zootaxa.4861.2.2
1077fd63-c43e-4a3e-a41c-883132e4f22d
1175-5326
4414734
9616FBB9-6A81-4052-B085-08E6A17E33D0
Genus
Metura
Walker, 1855
Type
species:
Oiketicus saundersii
Westwood, 1854
, by monotypy.
Diagnosis.
Adults distinctive among the
Psychidae
by presence of both bright yellow-orange and black scales on the thorax, and abdomen with black scales above and yellow-orange below. The following combination of characteristics may be useful in identifying
Metura
however many are plesiomorphic features. In males, head with appressed scales, antennae bipectinate with apical flagellomere filiform, palps (where present) labial, two palpomeres; tentorial pits deep, proboscis absent. Anterior tarsomere of forelimb elongate, twice that of the same structure in the hindlimb. Foretibial epiphysis and tarsal claws on mid and hindleg may be present or entirely absent. The condition in which the epiphysis may be present or absent among
Metura
species is a unique feature within the
Oiketicinae
. Wings black, venation (
Fig. 5J
) differs little between species. Wing-scale class (Following
Sauter 1956
and
Arnscheid & Weidlich 2017
): forewing dorsal mainly class 6, class 1 along tornus margin, ventral class 6, class
1 in
basal area, hindwing dorsal class 5 becoming class 4 towards apex, ventral class 6. Fore- and hindwing with one discal cell and intercalary cell, with M present in discal cell. Forewing Rs
2
+Rs
3
fused, M
2
and M
3
arise from the same stalk, CuP and A fused. Hindwing Sc+R+Rs
1
fused, M
2
and M
3
arise closely, CuP free, 3 anal veins. Abdomen telescopic, sternite VIII anterior margin forked with paired anterior apophyses, diagnostic to species. Tegumen and uncus fused, posterior margin narrowly bifurcate, margin shape diagnostic to species. Gnathos and juxta absent. Transitellar arm narrow. Valva apices bifurcate to two lobes, ventral lobe spined, position of spines along valvae, as well as shape of sacculus diagnostic to species. Phallus long, shape of vesica diagnostic to species. Antennae and mouthparts in female vestigial, eyes present, wings absent, all limbs with single tarsal claw, scaleless except for corethrogyne on SVII and TVII, corpus bursae short, round, apophyses short, ovipositor unmarked. Additionally, larvae (where known) highly sclerotised with orange and black markings on thorax; larval bags very large to enormous (
80–240 mm
) though larval characteristics and biology are unrecorded for most psychid genera and for several species treated herein. With a wingspan of
40–63 mm
, they are the largest of the
Psychidae
.