Oreocerura, St Laurent & Goldstein & Miller & Markee & Staude & Kawahara & Miller & Robbins, 2023

St Laurent, Ryan A., Goldstein, Paul Z., Miller, James S., Markee, Amanda, Staude, Hermann S., Kawahara, Akito Y., Miller, Scott E. & Robbins, Robert K., 2023, Phylogenetic systematics, diversification, and biogeography of Cerurinae (Lepidoptera: Notodontidae) and a description of a new genus, Insect Systematics and Diversity 7 (2), pp. 1-25 : 7

Oreocerura and Cerurella

Oreocerura stat. rev. (type species Cerura dissodectes Kiriakoff, 1958 ) is reinstated as a valid genus with the sole species being Oreocerura dissodectes , comb. rev. There is a rather significant (~10 Ma) divergence between Oreocerura and the sister genus Cerurella (type species Cerurella natalensis Kiriakoff, 1962 ) with which it had been synonymized by Schintlmeister and Witt (2015). This divergence is greater than that between most other pairs of sister genera in the Cerurinae . We note that the terminalia of Oreocerura are remarkably morphologically distinct from those of Cerurella (compare Figs. 6C, D and 7C, D ) and from other cerurine genitalia, being one of the most complex genitalia structures in the subfamily. We did not sample Cerurella whittakeri ( Kiriakoff, 1981) the only other named taxon expected to fall within this clade, but, based on its genitalia, this South African endemic appears to be a close relative of C. natalensis (Schintlmeister and Witt 2015) . Oreocerura is the only cerurine genus for which food plant information is unknown. Cerurella natalensis , on the other hand, has been recorded from Homalium rufescens (Salicaceae) ( Kroon 1999).

Figures

Fig. 6. Male genitalia of each genus of Cerurinae, type species shown unless otherwise indicated.The excised phallus is shown below the ventral aspect of the genitalia.A, Pararethona hierax, gen. prep. ANHRTUK00105411 (ANHRT); B, Pseudorethona albicans, gen. prep. ANHRTUK00006221 (ANHRT); C, Cerurella natalensis, gen. prep. STAUDE001 (HS); D, Oreocerura dissodectes, gen. prep. LEP33752 (MGCL); E, Notocerura spiritalis, gen. prep. LEP33758 (MGCL); F, Hampsonita esmeralda, gen. prep. LEP33751 (MGCL); G, Neoharpyia pulcherrima, not the type species, gen. prep. LEP33766 (MGCL); H, Furcula gigans, not the type species,gen.prep.LEP33768 (MGCL);I, Cerurina marshalli argentata, gen. prep. NHMUK010316654 (NHMUK);J, Afrocerura leonensis, gen.prep.6-21-22:2 (MGCL); K, Neocerura liturata, gen. prep. 5-14-21:1 (MGCL); L, Kamalia tattakana, gen. prep. LEP33760 (MGCL); M, Cerura vinula, gen. prep. LEP33762 (MGCL); N, Americerura scitiscripta, gen. prep. 5-12-22:6 (USNM). Scale bar = 1 mm.

Fig. 7. Male eighth sternite of each genus of Cerurinae,all sternites correspond to specimens figured in Fig. 6. A,Pararethona hierax, B, Pseudorethona albicans; C,Cerurella natalensis; D, Oreocerura dissodectes; E,Notocerura spiritalis; F,Hampsonita esmeralda; G, Cerurina marshalli argentata; H, Afrocerura leonensis; I, Neoharpyia pulcherrima; J, Furcula gigans; K, Neocerura liturata; L, Americerura scitiscripta; M, Kamalia tattakana; N, Cerura vinula. Scale bar = 1 mm.