Nothris Hübner, 1825: 411

Karsholt, Ole & Šumpich, Jan, 2015, A review of the genus Nothris Hübner, 1825, with description of new species (Lepidoptera: Gelechiidae), Zootaxa 4059 (3), pp. 471-498 : 472-473

Nothris Hübner, 1825: 411

Type species: Tinea verbascella [ Denis & Schiffermüller], 1775 by subsequent designation by Meyrick (1925) (see Sattler 1973: 229).

Description. Adult. Wingspan 16–36 mm. Segment 2 of labial palpus with a distinct ventral brush; segment 3 longer than segment 2, thin. Forewing rather slender with rounded apex; three black spots in fold and at ½ and 2/ 3 in middle of wing. Hindwing greyish, broadly trapezoidal, with hardly sinuate termen. Tergum I–IV with yellowish scales.

Male genitalia. Sternum VIII and tergum VIII a united ring; tegumen subrectangular, lateral margins subparallel, anterior margin with emargination; uncus large, partly setose, apex rounded; gnathos with a large hook; valva long, slender, straight, setose, ventrobasally with small bulge; sacculus digitate or thumb-like, curved, dorsally set with strong spines; juxta lobes rounded, setose, fused with anellus embracing phallus; saccus mostly short and slender; phallus slender, with oval base, apically flagellate; vesica without cornuti.

Female genitalia. Ovipositor short; papillae anales different in shape; apophyses posteriores about double length of apophyses anteriores; segment VIII broad, cylindrical, with strongly sclerotized band around posterior margin, ventromedially membranous; antrum tubular, membranous, more or less transversely wrinkled, ostium bursae broadening; ductus seminalis from the middle of ductus bursae; colliculum absent; ductus bursae long and narrow, variously coiled from ductus seminalis to corpus bursae; corpus bursae oval, spinose; signum an irregular plate of different shape.

Bionomics. Larva on Scrophulariaceae and Globariaceae. Nothris species seem to prefer open, sunny biotopes. Adults are attracted to light.

Distribution. Western Palaearctic, with only one species extending to southern Siberia. Most species occur in Greece and Turkey.

Remarks. The convolutions of ductus bursae should be observed before transferring the female genitalia into strong alcohol because they thereby become distorted.