Grammia, RAMBUR, 1866

Schmidt, B. Christian, 2009, Taxonomic revision of the genus Grammia Rambur (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Arctiinae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 156 (3), pp. 507-597 : 517

GENUS GRAMMIA RAMBUR

Grammia Rambur, 1866: 261 . Type species: Bombyx quenseli Paykull.

Orodemnias Wallengren, 1885: 315 . Type species: Bombyx quenseli Paykull.

Mimarctia Neumögen & Dyar, 1894: 9. Type species: Phalaena arge Drury.

Diagnosis: Morphological characters defining the genus Grammia include an undivided, flat and slightly concave male valve which is usually broadly rounded, (occasionally spatulate or crescentic); juxta not scobinate and approximately as wide as long; uncus simple, with a broad base and abrupt constriction defining apical portion; aedeagus short and stout, lacking apical spinules or cornuti, apical opening of aedeagus directed right laterad; vesica with three poorly differentiated, spherical or kidney-shaped chambers; highly reduced coremata with stout, minute corematal setae. The female genitalia exhibit a ductus bursae that is unsclerotized basally; bursae copulatrix spherical or pear-shaped, with four signa; ductus seminalis swollen and coiled proximally, but distinctly smaller than corpus bursae. Although the wing pattern is highly variable, it is based on a ‘groundplan’ pattern unique to Grammia , as discussed by Ferguson (1985).

Description: Head – Male antennae bipectinate, rami simple to slightly clavate, 1.5 to 5¥ longer than segment length ( Fig. 1C ); female antennae slightly biserrate to slightly bipectinate ( Fig. 1C ); dorsal antennal scales black, dark brown or pale buff; eyes range from strongly reduced and ellipsoid to well developed and hemispherical ( Fig. 1A ); vestiture of palpi, frons, and vertex ranging from entirely dark brown to black, pale buff, or buff and brown/black. Thorax – Vertex of thorax, patagia, and tegulae usually brown/black centrally, bordered with pale to yellowish buff, occasionally entirely brown/black; thorax brown/black ventrally, often with pale central tuft at base of coxae, sometimes brown/black; legs variably pale buff, black, or combinations thereof. Forewing – Forewings potentially with set of five transverse bands, consisting of basal, antemedial, medial, postmedial, and subterminal elements ( Fig. 1B ); longitudinal elements consisting of pale vein lines, postcubital ( Fig. 1B ) and costal band (Figs 3, 4); ground colour chocolate brown to black, pale markings buff-white to yellowish or pink-buff. Hindwing – Usually with antemedial, medial, postmedial, and subterminal elements ( Fig. 1B ); ground colour highly variable, ranging from pinkish white to orange, yellow, pink, black, or variations thereof; markings dark brown to black. Abdomen – Abdomen with longitudinal series of lateral and dorsal dark spots, sometimes confluent into bands, rarely entirely dark; ventrally with two rows of medial spots, sometimes confluent, or ventrum brown/black entirely; coremata highly reduced, represented by a pair of setose patches between abdominal sternites 7 and 8; corematal setae sparse, short, translucent, and deciduous. Male genitalia ( Fig. 2A, B ) – male valve consisting of simple valve and sacculus; distal portion of valve slightly concave, apex broadly rounded, spatulate, or crescentic; apex often with minute setae; distal region of sacculus forming poorly defined to well-developed medial median ridge; median ridge developed as poorly differentiated broad, rounded flange; clasper ranging from short, broad, and triangular to obsolete; uncus simple, gradually tapering to apex, straight in lateral view, or slightly curved ventrally at apex; base of uncus with flat, rounded lobes in one species ( G. hewletti , Fig. 2A ); juxta as wide or wider than long, ventral margin convex or slightly cleft, dorsal margin concave and u- to v-shaped; aedeagus three to six¥ longer than wide, cylindrical to slightly compressed laterally, distal end curving dorsad beyond middle, opening directed right laterad to dorsolaterad; aedeagus lacking cornuti and spinules; vesica approximately equal in length to aedeagus, produced right laterad and dorsad, often curving cephalad; vesica here defined as threechambered with four variably developed diverticula ( Fig. 2B ); distal chamber scobinate with short stout spinules; medial chamber unarmed to finely scobinate; spermatophore a- shaped. Female genitalia ( Fig. 2C ) – antevaginal pouch simple concave pocket; ductus bursae unsclerotized with two sclerotized lateral plates near ostium in subgenus Grammia (completely unsclerotized in subgenus Mimarctia ); corpus bursae pear-shaped to globose, with four rounded signa, consisting of concentric rings of small stout cornuti; appendix bursae coiled approximately 1.25 revolutions.

Figures

Figure 1. External morphological features of Grammia. A, typical eye of nocturnal Grammia (left, Grammia incorrupta) and reduced, ellipsoid eye of diurnal species (right, Grammia quenseli) (scale bar = 1 mm). B, wing pattern terminology used herein, following Ferguson (1985). C, posterior antennal rami showing variation in branch length from (top to bottom) reduced, moderate and well developed in males, and serrate (females). D, generalized wing venation of Grammia.

Figure 2. Terminology of genitalic structures in Grammia. A, male genitalic capsule (ventral view). B, male aedeagus and vesica (right lateral view). C, female genitalia (right ventrolateral view, eighth sternite omitted).