Agrisius Walker, 1855

Volynkin, Anton V. & Saldaitis, Aidas, 2022, Taxonomic review of the Agrisius guttivitta Walker species group with transfer of the genus Agrisius Walker to the family Nolidae Bruand and descriptions of five new species (Lepidoptera: Nolidae: Eligminae), Zootaxa 5190 (2), pp. 241-256 : 242-243

Genus Agrisius Walker, 1855

Agrisius Walker, 1855 , List of the specimens of lepidopterous insects in the collection of the British Museum, 3: 723

(Type species: Agrisius guttivitta Walker, 1855 , by monotypy).

The Agrisius guttivitta species-group

Diagnosis. Species of the species-group are characterised by the white ground colour of both wings with the brownish-grey or black pattern presented as rows of spots in the subbasal and medial areas, the intense brownishgrey or black suffusion along veins in the outer half of the forewing and along the veins of the hindwing. The male genitalia are characterised by the combination of the following features. (1) The uncus consists of a dorso-ventrally flattened basal plate and two elongate and slender, more or less straight distal branches. (2) The sacculus is relatively broad with two elongate and narrow processes, the ventral one of which is longer and thicker in most species. (3) The phallus has a short carina directed distally. The female genitalia of the species-group are characterised by the presence of a heavily sclerotised, lobe-like postvaginal plate, and the heavily sclerotised antrum.

Description. External morphology of adults. Forewing length 19–28 mm in both sexes. Head white with black spot on frons. Palps relatively long, straight, blackish with white rings at bases of segments. Antenna ciliate in males and filiform in females. Thorax white with two black spots: one anteriorly and one medially. Tegula and patagia white with one black spot each. Abdomen black with white narrow longitudinal stripe dorsally and white transverse rings on posterior edges of segments. Forewing broad, triangular with rounded apex and evenly arched tornus. Forewing pattern brownish-grey or black. Subbasal and medial area with several transverse rows of spots of various sizes and shapes between veins. Postmedial line strongly curved outwards in cell, interrupted into spots of various shapes and sizes between veins. Veins in postmedial and subterminal areas intensely suffused with brownish-grey or black scales. Cilia white with blackish spots opposite veins or monotonous blackish. Hindwing white with brownish-grey or black suffusion along veins, more extensive subterminally and terminally. Cilia white with blackish spots opposite veins or monotonous blackish. Male genitalia. Uncus complex, dorso-ventrally flattened, with trapezoidal base and two elongate and slender, more or less straight distal branches. Tegumen narrow with large penicular lobes bearing very long androconial hairs. Vinculum shorter than tegumen, sclerotised, narrowly U-shaped. Dorsal section of valva membranous, broad bubble-like with bunches of extremely long hairs apically, costa vestigial. Sacculus short but broad, heavily sclerotised, trapezoid basally, with two elongate, narrow but heavily sclerotised processes the dorsal one of which shorter (in almost all species) and directed dorsad or distad while ventral one broader, directed distally and densely setose in certain species. Saccular shield three-dimensional, rectangular, heavily sclerotised. Phallus tubular with narrow and apically rounded coecum and distally elongate carina. Vesica with elongate and narrow, membranous distal diverticulum and gelatinous vesica ejaculatorius originating subbasally and directed dorsad, bearing small cornutus in certain species. Female genitalia. Ovipositor short. Papilla analis trapezoid with rounded corners. Apophyses elongate and thin, apophysis posterioris longer than apophysis anterioris. Postvaginal plate heavily sclerotised, lobe-like, connected to ovipositor at base of papillae analis. Antrum caliciform or champagne glass-shaped, heavily sclerotised. Anterior section of ductus bursae narrow, tubular, membranous. Corpus bursae extremely long, membranous. Posterior section of corpus bursae narrow and short. Medial section of corpus bursae relatively short, broader than posterior section, its connection with anterior section somewhat constricted. Anterior section of corpus bursae large, elongate teardrop-shaped, its posterior half with two elongate spearhead-shaped plate-like serrulate signa with narrow medial longitudinal groove.

Distribution. Members of the species-group are known from the Himalayas, northern Indochina, and Northwest, Southwest, South and East China.

Species content of the guttivitta species-group

– A. guttivitta Walker, 1855

– A. soror sp. n.

– A. witti sp. n.

– A. epidela Orhant, 2015

– A. cernyi sp. n.

– A. kachina sp. n.

– A. vernalis Dubatolov, Kishida & Wang, 2012

= fangchenglaiae Orhant, 2015 , syn. n.

– A. aestivalis Dubatolov, Kishida & Wang, 2012

– A. frater sp. n.

– A. similis Fang, 1991