Marimatha Walker, [1866]

Ferris, Clifford & Lafontaine, Donald, 2010, Review of the North American species of Marimatha Walker with descriptions of three new species (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae, Eustrotiinae) and the description of Pseudomarimatha flava (Noctuinae, Elaphriini), a new genus and species confused with Marimatha, ZooKeys 39 (39), pp. 117-135 : 119-121

Marimatha Walker, [1866]

Type species: Marimatha dinumeratalis Walker, [1866] .

Note. Marimatha dinumeratalis is a junior subjective synonym of M. botyoides ( Guenée, 1852) as is Marimatha alboflava ( Walker, 1862) . All three type specimens were examined. Th e types were not dissected (that of M. dinumeratalis lacks an abdomen), but specimens comparable with the types in appearance and locality were.

Xanthoptera Guenée, 1852 , syn. n.

Type species: Xanthoptera nigrofimbria Guenée, 1852 .

Preoccupied by Xanthoptera Sodoffsky, 1837 .

Thioptera Franclemont, 1950 , syn. n.

Type species: Xanthoptera nigrofimbria Guenée, 1852 .

Objective replacement name for Xanthoptera Guenée, 1852

Flavula Berio, 1966, syn. n.

Type species: Xanthoptera nigrofimbria Guenée, 1852 .

Unnecessary replacement name for Xanthoptera Guenée, 1852

Diagnosis. Adults. Males and females of similar size (FWL: 8.5–11 mm), similar in range for all species. Head – male antenna almost filiform, but very slightly swollen between segments, ventrally minutely setose; female antenna filiform, ventrally minutely setose; head yellow with brown spot in front of eye; palpus upturned, outer surface brown speckled with yellow, inner surface yellowish speckled with brown, terminal segment yellow tipped; frons brown, rounded in some species (only M. nigrofimbria in North America), or bulging into transverse ridge with flat tubercle-like surface on lower side of ridge (four species in North America). Thorax – bright yellow. Wings: DFW with lustrous or glossy aspect, usually bright yellow with dark blackish brown shading on wing margin and fringe and on three dark-brown spots, one at position of reniform and two at position of antemedial line (a small one below costa and a larger one below cubital vein), and usually with some dark shading on postmedial line; DHW pale fuscous to dark fuscous, usually darker on veins and toward wing margin. Male genitalia – tegumen triangular when viewed laterally, wider dorsally and tapered to point at junction with vinculum; uncus cylindrical, 1/3–1/2 × length of valva, blunt at apex or with short sclerotized hook; saccus elongate, tapered anteriorly, 1/3–2/3 × length of valva; valva somewhat triangular, broad at base and narrow toward blunt or spine-tipped apex; valva with large, dorsally rounded sacculus, right sacculus larger than left one in some species; clasper a thickened area on ventral margin of valva distal to sacculus, with triangular ampulla-like process near base of clasper in most species; pollex a costal process 1/4–1/3 distance from apex; aedeagus 1–2 × length of valva, usually ending in blunt spine at apex ventrally; vesica tubular or slightly inflated, basal part more rigid in some species because of longitudinal sclerotized ridges, apical part membranous with one to several clusters of heavily sclerotized cornuti in most species. Female genitalia – corpus bursae without signa, irregularly oval and tapered posteriorly in most species; ductus seminalis on left side of corpus bursae, toward posterior end in most species but anterior to middle in M. tripuncta group; ductus bursae long and sinuate, lightly to heavily and irregularly sclerotized; ostium bursae heavily sclerotized with ventral plate projecting posteriorly over opening of ostium in most species; abdominal segment eight (A8) short and weakly sclerotized, especially dorsally; anterior apophyses thin, moderately sclerotized, about as long as A8 and 1/2 as long as posterior apophyses; anal papillae lightly sclerotized and setose, quadrangular in lateral profile.

Key to North American species of Marimatha

1. Head without frontal protuberance; forewing usually with no trace of postmedial line; eastern United States....................................... M. nigrofimbria

– Head with frontal protuberance with raised transverse ridge; postmedial line usually indicated by dark scales; southern Florida and southern Texas westward to Arizona and southward to Costa Rica............................................ 2

2. Male genitalia ............................................................................................ 3

– Female genitalia ......................................................................................... 6

3. Prominent single projection arising about mid-length from dorsal margin of valva; postmedial line evenly curved around position of reniform spot....... 4

– Multiple narrow dentate projections along dorsal margin of valva; postmedial line deeply curved around position of reniform spot .................................. 5

4. Projection truncated apically to form squarish process ............. M. quadrata

– Projection sharply pointed and triangular .................................... M. squala

5. Preapical diverticulum in vesica with several large cornuti with basal tooth; Carribean and southern Florida ............................................... M. tripuncta

– Preapical diverticulum in vesica with several smaller tapered cornuti; Texas and Arizona to Costa Rica....................................................... M. piscimala

6. Ostial plate minute, slightly concave mesially; ductus bursae with 360 degree loop ......................................................................................... M. quadrata

– Ostial plate prominent, cleft mesially; ductus bursae slightly sinuate.......... 7

7. Ostial plate wedge-shaped with concave sides and small u-shaped notch; ductus seminalis near posterior end of corpus bursae ......................... M. squala

– Ostial plate heart-shaped and deeply incised; ductus seminalis anterior to middle of corpus bursae ............................................................................. 8

8. Corpus bursae with shallow, angled diverticulum posteriorly on right; Carribean and southern Florida ..................................................... M. tripuncta

– Corpus bursae evenly tapered posteriorly; Texas and Arizona to Costa Rica............................................................................................... M. piscimala