Tarema Schaus, 1896: 55

St Laurent, Ryan A., Herbin, Daniel & Mielke, Carlos G. C., 2017, Revision of the genus Tarema Schaus, 1896 (Lepidoptera, Mimallonoidea, Mimallonidae) with the description of a new species from southeastern Brazil, ZooKeys 646, pp. 119-137 : 121-123

Tarema Schaus, 1896: 55

Type species.

Tarema rivara Schaus, 1896: 55, by original designation.

Diagnosis.

The genus Tarema is recognized among the family Mimallonidae by generous amounts of light gray scales present over the entirety of the dorsum and ventrum of the wings, as well as on the thorax and abdomen, giving the species of this genus a hoary appearance. The genitalia of Tarema are unique in the family. Male genitalia have short, ovoid valves and spike-covered projections emanating from near the base of the valves that may be associated with the transtilla and/or the gnathos. The gnathos itself is reduced to a flat, movable plate that covers the base of the uncus. Long setae emanate from above the phallus in paired, horsetail-like bunches. The phallus is thick and broad, and has two lengthwise processes terminating in a sharp tip and a curved tip respectively. Female genitalia are robust structures with a medium to large coiled ductus-corpus bursae complex. The sclerotized portion of abdominal segment VIII is broad; appearing wrinkled ventrally, and is covered in thick, branched setae. The genus Alheita Schaus, 1928 is somewhat similar to Tarema in overall small size, wing shape, and minor resemblance of male genitalia, namely the ovoid valves and odd shape of the uncus which is usually more deeply bifid in Alheita .

Description.

Male.Head: Eyes large, more than two thirds area of head; antenna bipectinate to tip, though pectination reduced along distal fifth of antennal length; labial palpus reduced, three segmented, palpus usually not extending beyond frons, scales generally darker brown dorsally. Thorax: Appearing hoary due to banded gray or pale khaki scales interspersed amongst darker ones, prothorax with more heavily concentrated light gray or khaki scales. Legs: Coloration as for thorax, though lighter gray, vestiture finer, bushier. Tibial spurs narrow, sharp, mostly clothed in scales. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 9-16 mm, wingspan: 21.5-32.0 mm. Short, triangular, outer margin nearly straight but slightly convex mesally. Ground color ranging from brown or pale clay-orange to nearly black, overall generously shaded by cream or gray scales giving the wing a hoary, layered appearance. Antemedial line absent or nearly so, faint dark band may be present. Postmedial line nearly straight but may be somewhat inwardly or outwardly bent, line preapical such that submarginal area mostly uniform in width from tornus to apex. Apical half of submarginal area with postmedial lunule. Costa appearing lighter than most of wing due to high concentration of gray or khaki scales. Discal spot a thick streak spanning width of discal cell. Forewing ventrum: Antemedial line absent, postmedial line never straight, bulging outward toward wing margin mesally. Hindwing dorsum: Submarginal area with orange to reddish patch of scales mesally, discal mark present but smaller. Hindwing ventrum: Following same pattern as forewing ventrum. Frenulum as single bristle. Venation: Rather typical for Mimallonidae , discal cell quite broad, distal edge sharply slanted (see Schaus 1896). Abdomen: Short, barely or not extending beyond anal angle of hindwing. Genitalia: Complex; vinculum somewhat ovoid or almost circular, ventrally with reduced sac cus. Uncus robust, sharp, parrot beak-like and dorsolaterally flattened or reduced to slightly triangular stump with slight bidentation terminally. Gnathos a flattened or curved plate concealing fingerlike sclerotization of anal tube. Valves short, rounded, weakly sclerotized mesally. Base of valves with pair of fingerlike projections, weakly sclerotized knobby area may be present above fingerlike projections. Valves with or without more heavily sclerotized, spined accessory arms that may or may not be attached basally to valves. Diaphragm with pair of horsetail-like seatal patches consisting of setae of variable length that extend outward over phallus below gnathos plate. Juxta partially fused to phallus, encircling it, lightly sclerotized, with ventral lip connecting phallus to base of vinculum (severed to excise phallus). Phallus broad, large, with two elongated accessory projections. Vesica balloon-like, slightly scobinate, separated into fairly distinct diverticula. Female.Head: Similar to male, but broader, antennae and labial palpi smaller. Thorax: As in male. Legs: As in male, though tibial spurs thicker. Forewing dorsum: Forewing length: 10.0-18.5 mm, wingspan: 22.0-34.5 mm. As in male but slightly broader, postmedial line usually more noticeably bent. Forewing ventrum: Similar to forewing ventrum of male, but veins usually lined with contrasting yellow scales. Hindwing dorsum: Coloration and markings as for forewing dorsum. Hindwing ventrum: Follows same pattern as forewing ventrum. Frenulum absent. Abdomen: As in male but slightly more robust. Tergite VIII as three posteriorly directed lobes or as single broad plate, sternite VIII as wrinkled mass consisting of one or two pieces, covered in thick, branched setae. Genitalia: Stout, robust or quite narrow overall; apophyses anteriores highly reduced, apophyses posteriores elongate, spanning length of segment IX. Lamella indistinct due to large sclerotization of sternite VIII. Corpus bursae large, bag-like, coiled, broadly connected beneath sternite VIII /ostium complex, no clear ductus bursae present, occasionally with large, snake-like spermatophore present within corpus bursae. Papillae anales typical of Mimallonidae , appearing rectangular laterally; papillae anales covered with fine setae.

Key to species of Tarema *

*The female of Tarema bruna sp. n. is unknown.