Stericta Lederer, 1863

Rong, Hua & Li, Houhun, 2017, Taxonomic study of the genus Stericta Lederer (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae: Epipaschiinae) from China, Zoological Systematics 42 (4), pp. 463-475 : 464-465

Stericta Lederer, 1863

Stericta Lederer, 1863: 340 . Type species: Glossina divitalis Guenée, 1854 , by subsequent designation.

Glossina Guenée, 1854: 124 . Type species: Glossina divitalis Guenée, 1854 , by subsequent designation.

Matalia Walker, 1866: 1727 . Type species: Matalia concisella Walker, 1866 , by monotypy.

Phialia Walker, 1866: 1736 . Type species: Phialia gelechiella Walker, 1866 , by monotypy.

Oncobela Turner, 1937: 72 . Type species: Oncobela philobrya Turner, 1937 , by monotypy.

Diagnosis. Stericta is similar to Lepidogma Meyrick, 1890 superficially in having a small to median sized body. Stericta can be separated from the latter by the hindwing with Sc+R 1 and Rs adjacent, while Sc+R 1 and Rs of the hindwing are anastomosing in Lepidogma .

Generic characters. Head ( Fig. 1 ). Labial palpus slender, upturned; first segment usually thicker than second; second segment reaching vertex apically; third segment tapering. Maxillary palpus short in both male and female, or long brushlike in male, short and compressed in female. Antenna usually becoming paler from base to tip, with black annulations on dorsal surface. Male with scape extension thickening from base to tip. Forewing ( Figs 3–10 ) usually without antemedian line (except in S. sinuosa ); postmedian line wavy, arched outward medially; discal and discocellular spots usually with erect tuft; terminal line with evenly spaced dark spots along its inner side. Hindwing usually darkening from base to apex; postmedian line usually obscure. Wing venation ( Fig. 2 ). Forewing with R 1 and R 2 from cell, R 3, R 4 and R 5 stalked, M 1 from upper angle of cell, M 2 and M 3 from same point on lower angle of cell, CuA 1 from before lower angle of cell. Hindwing with Sc+R 1 and Rs adjacent, M 1 and Rs shortly stalked, M 2, M 3 and CuA 1 from lower angle of cell.

Male genitalia ( Figs 11–18 ). Uncus subrectangular, or large square. Gnathos joined from middle or beyond middle, often hooked distally (except distally trifurcate in S. sinuosa ). Valva elongate rhombic, with or without a harpe in middle; sacculus with developed distal process in some species. Juxta often with developed lateral lobes. Saccus present (except in S. sinuosa ). Aedeagus slightly curved, with or without cornutus.

Female genitalia ( Figs 19–25 ). Apophyses anteriores and apophyses posteriores usually curved inward near base, or expanded triangularly near base in some species. Ductus bursae membranous or in part weakly sclerotized, longer than corpus bursae, usually with weakly sclerotized basal ring. Corpus bursae ovate; two heavily sclerotized signa present.

Remarks. The geographical distribution of the two genera are also showed differences: Stericta mainly occurs in the Australian, Nearctic ( Costa Rica, Porto Rico and Trinidad), Neotropical and Oriental Regions, while Lepidogma is mainly distributed in the Oriental, Palaearctic and Afrotropical Regions as well as in the Nearctic Region ( Guatemala and Panama).

Key to Stericta species in China based on superficial characters (excluding S. angustalis , S. centralis and S. lactealis ).

1. Forewing with antemedian line ( Fig. 7 ) ................................................................................................................................ S. sinuosa

Forewing without antemedian line .......................................................................................................................................................2 2. Forewing with discal spot ....................................................................................................................................................................3

Forewing without discal spot ............................................................................................................................................................... 4 3. Forewing with distal area grayish green ( Fig. 3 )...................................................................................................... S. digitata sp. nov.

Forewing with distal area grayish black ( Fig. 4 ) ................................................................................................... S. corollina sp. nov. 4. Hindwing with a spot on CuA 2 distally ................................................................................................................................................ 5

Hindwing without a spot on CuA 2 distally ...........................................................................................................................................6 5. Forewing with an inverted trapezoidal reddish brown patch on median area ( Fig. 8 )................................................................ S. kogii

Forewing without an inverted trapezoidal reddish brown patch on median area ( Figs 9–10 ) ........................................ S. flavopuncta 6. Forewing with postmedian line ( Fig. 6 ) .................................................................................................................................. S. hoenei

Forewing without postmedian line ( Fig. 5 ) ......................................................................................................................... S. asopialis

Key to Stericta Lederer species in China based on male genitalia.

1. Valva with a harpe in the middle..........................................................................................................................................................2

Valva without a harpe in the middle..................................................................................................................................................... 3 2. Aedeagus with a bunch of spine-shaped cornuti ( Fig. 12 ) .................................................................................... S. corollina sp. nov.

Aedeagus with a nail-shaped cornutus ( Fig. 13 ) ................................................................................................................. S. asopialis 3. Gnathos hooked distally.......................................................................................................................................................................4

Gnathos trifurcate distally ( Fig. 15 ) ...................................................................................................................................... S. sinuosa 4. Sacculus with a distal process ..............................................................................................................................................................5

Sacculus without a distal process .........................................................................................................................................................6 5. Juxta with lateral lobes dentate on lateral margin ( Fig. 16 )........................................................................................................ S. kogii

Juxta lateral lobes not dentate on lateral margin ( Figs 17–18 ) ....................................................................................... S. flavopuncta 6. Juxta with two short thumbed processes posteriorly ( Fig. 11 ) ................................................................................. S. digitata sp. nov.

Juxta with lateral lobes narrowed from base to apex ( Fig. 14 ) ................................................................................................ S. hoenei

Figures

Figures 1–2. Morphology of Stericta asopialis. 1. Head. 2. Venation. Scale bars: 1=1.0mm; 2=4.0mm.

Figures 3–10. Adults of Stericta spp. 3. S. digitata sp. nov., paratype, male. 4. S. corollina sp. nov., paratype, male. 5. S. asopialis, male. 6. S. hoenei, male. 7. S. sinuosa, female. 8. S. kogii, male. 9. S. flavopuncta, male, from Yunnan. 10. S. flavopuncta, male, from Sichuan. Scale bars=2.0mm.

Figures 11–18. Male genitalia of Stericta spp. 11. S. digitata sp. nov., holotype, slide No. RH15466. 12. S. corollina sp. nov., holotype, slide No. RH15475. 13. S. asopialis, slide No. RH15479. 14. S. hoenei, slide No. RH16143. 15. S. sinuosa, slide No. RH16143. 16. S. kogii, slide No. RH16146. 17. S. flavopuncta from Guangxi, slide No. RH15199. 18. S. flavopuncta from Sichuan, slide No. RH15484. Scale bars=0.5mm.

Figures 19–25. Female genitalia of Stericta spp. 19. S. digitata sp. nov., paratype, slide No. RH16066. 20. S. corollina sp. nov., paratype, slide No. RH15476. 21. S. asopialis, slide No. RH15196. 22. S. hoenei, slide No. RH16144. 23. S. sinuosa, slide No. RH16154. 24. S. kogii, slide No. RH16112. 25. S. flavopuncta, slide No. RH15200. Scale bars=0.5mm.