Teliphasa Moore, 1888

Liu, Linjie, Wang, Yiping & Li, Houhun, 2016, Taxonomic review of the genus Teliphasa Moore, 1888 from China, with descriptions of four new species (Lepidoptera, Pyralidae, Epipaschiinae), ZooKeys 554, pp. 119-137 : 120-122

Taxon classification Animalia Lepidoptera Pyralidae

Genus Teliphasa Moore, 1888

Teliphasa Moore, 1888: 200. Type species: Teliphasa orbiculifer Moore, 1888.

Sultania Koçak, 1987: 119. Type species: Macalla lophotalis Hampson, 1900.

Generic characters.

Adult (Figs 1-4): Large sized. Head with thick chaetosema. Labial palpus in male (Fig. 1) often stronger than in female (Fig. 2), with diameter of second segment longer than three times length of female, upturned far above vertex of head, even extending back to thorax (Fig. 3), third segment thin, very short, hidden in scales of second; in some species, both male and female labial palpus slender, upturned beyond vertex of head, second segment slightly stronger than third, third segment slender. Antenna thicker in male than in female, male with a row of short cilia along anterior margin. Forewing broad; discal and discocellular spots conspicuous, bearing scale tufts; scale tuft usually set below lower margin of cell near base; antemedian line narrow; postmedian line relatively broad, usually curved outward to form an angle medially; subrectangular spots uniformly placed along inner side of terminal line, in terrupted by pale color at veins; hindwing broad triangular, with discocellular spot. Venations (Fig. 4): Forewing with Sc to 2/3 of costa, R1 and R2 stalked, R3 and R4 long stalked, R5 stalked with R3+4, M1 from upper angle of cell, M2 and M3 from lower angle of cell and adjacent in basal 1/4, CuA1, CuA2 and M3 parallel, CuP degenerated, 1A+2A furcated basally; hindwing with Sc+R1 and Rs connected at middle of Sc+R1, M2, M3 and CuA1 from lower angle of cell, CuA2 nearly parallel to CuA1.

Male genitalia. Uncus various in shape. Gnathos separated, being paired long processes, lateral arms slender. Scaphium columnar, usually narrowed gradually from base to apex. Valva extremely broad, roundly expanded, with numerous long setae. Costa well-developed, varied in shape. Transtilla banded, extending backward to base of uncus, joined medially. Sacculus narrowly banded, sometimes ill-defined. Saccus separated, broad, inverted triangular, or complete, only protruding in short triangle, or ill-defined. Phallus stout, with one or two complicated cornuti.

Female genitalia. Apophyses anteriores about same length as apophyses posteriores, occasionally longer than apophyses posteriores. Antrum usually strongly sclerotized. Ductus bursae shorter than or as long as corpus bursae. Corpus bursae pyriform or elliptical; signum paired, often ridged medially.

Diagnosis.

This genus is much similar to Termioptycha Meyrick, 1889 superficially by having both discal and discocellular spots with scale tufts, the postmedian line relatively broad and curved outward to form an angle medially, and the subrectangular spots set uniformly along the inner side of the terminal line. Teliphasa can be easily separated from Termioptycha by the costa of forewing without a stigma in the median area, and the hindwing with a discocellular spot; in Termioptycha , the costa of forewing has a distinct stigma in the median area, and the hindwing lacks the discocellular spot.

Remarks.

Differences within a species exist in Teliphasa , including the variations of the wing color and the degree of scale density. For example, Teliphasa elegans is divided into a blackish form and a whitish form due to such variations ( Inoue and Yamanaka 1975).

Key to Chinese species of Teliphasa based on male genitalia