Prays

Cong, Peixin & Li, Houhun, 2017, Review of the genus Prays Hübner, 1825 (Lepidoptera: Praydidae) from China, with descriptions of twelve new species, Zootaxa 4263 (2), pp. 201-227 : 205-206

Key to species of Prays from China based on male genitalia

Adults of some species are hardly distinguishable by superficial characters and females are unknown for several species. The key is based on the male genitalia that have distinct characters to make species identification easier. The key excludes P. kalligraphos whose male is still unknown.

1. Sacculus more or less S-shaped......................................................................... 2

- Sacculus not S-shaped................................................................................ 8

2. Socius extended straightly outwards, with an apical spine curved upwards ( Fig. 38)........................... P. alpha

- Socius curved inwards..................................................................................3

3. Valva with one or two processes on dorsal margin distally.................................................... 4

- Valva without procecss on dorsal margin.................................................................. 5

4. Valva with a triangular process at about dorsal 1/5; socius without tooth in distal half ( Fig. 34)..... P. dorsiprotrusa sp. nov.

- Valva with two small processes at about dorsal 1/5; socius with several teeth in distal half ( Fig. 33)............. P. lobata

5. Valva acinaciform; socius without tooth ( Fig. 37)............................................ P. acinacea sp. nov.

- Valva not acinaciform; socius with teeth................................................................... 6

6. Socius narrowly apart, slightly oblique outwards ( Sohn & Wu 2011: Fig. 5)................................. P. delta

- Socius widely apart, distinctly arched inwards...............................................................7

7. Saccus stout, nearly same length as socius ( Fig. 36)........................................ P. helanshana sp. nov.

- Saccus slender, about 1.5 times length of socius ( Fig. 35)........................................... P. inconspicua

8. Sacculus shorter than valva............................................................................. 9

- Sacculus nearly same length as or longer than valva........................................................ 15

9. Socius with a spinous process at about distal 1/4 produced ventrad ( Fig. 24).................... P. spiniprocessa sp. nov.

- Socius without such process as mentioned above............................................................10

10. Valva covered with dense strong setae distally.............................................................. 11

- Valva without any strong setae.......................................................................... 13

11. Socius with a strong thorn; sacculus semicircular ( Fig. 32)................................ P. semicircularis sp. nov.

- Socius with two strong thorns; sacculus not semicircular......................................................12

12. Socius broadly sub-ovate; sacculus narrowly rounded at apex ( Fig. 27)........................ .. P. bisechinata sp. nov.

- Socius elongately narrowed; sacculus pointed at apex ( Fig. 31)....................................... P. tineiformis

13. Valva truncate apically ( Fig. 23)....................................................... P. orthacantha sp. nov.

- Valva bluntly rounded or pointed apically................................................................ 14

14. Valva bluntly rounded apically; socius with dense denticles ( Fig. 25).......................... ... P. erromera sp. nov.

- Valva pointed apically; socius without denticles ( Fig. 3).............................................. P. cingulata

15. Sacculus longer than valva ( Fig. 29).................................................... P. longisaccula sp. nov.

- Sacculus nearly same length as valva.................................................................... 16

16. Valva sub-rectangular, apex shallowly concave medially ( Fig. 26).............................. P. rectangula sp. nov.

- Valva not rectangular, bluntly rounded apically............................................................ 17

17. Socius thumb-like; saccus about two times length of socius ( Fig. 30)............................ P. semilunata sp. nov.

- Socius oxhorn-shaped; saccus 2/5 length of socius ( Fig. 28).................................. P. tauricornis sp. nov.