Athetis Hübner, [1821] 1816

Han, H. L. & Kononenko, V. S., 2011, Twelve new species of Athetis Hübner, [1821] 1816 from China (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Zootaxa 3068 (1), pp. 49-68 : 50

Genus Athetis Hübner, [1821] 1816

Athetis Hübner, [1821] 1816 , Verzeichniss bekannter Schmetterlinge: 209. Type-species: Noctua dasychira Hübner, [1817] = furvula Hübner, [1808] [Europe].

SYNONYMY: Hydrilla Boisduval, 1840 ; Proxenus H.–S., 1845; Hydrilla Guenée, 1852 , preocc. (Boisduval, 1840 [ Lepidoptera , Noctuidae ]); Elydna Walker, 1858 ; Radinacra Butler, 1878 ; Dadica Moore, 1881 ; Strepselydna Warren, 1911 ; Hydrillula Tams, 1938 , repl. name.

Diagnosis. Medium sized, rarely small trifinae noctuids, usually with dull wing coloration and uniform characteristic wing pattern, which, however, is similar to some other related groups of Xyleninae . Morphologically the genus is well characterized by structure of male genitalia with missing or rarely vestigial uncus, high tegument, short vinculum, lobe like (in some groups very large) valva with parallel costal and ventral margins, hairly cucullus without corona, relatively small, flattened, often furcated harpe, located in most cases in apical part of valva and short digitus. Vesica varied in different groups, in most cases tube like, armed by single or numerous cornuti, rarely without cornuti. Males of some species have developed coremata (pair of lateral hair brushes and pockets in the base of the abdomen), but in many cases male hair brushes are missing or vestigial. By habitus and structure of genitalia the genus can be divided into 18–20 species groups. Here we describe five species, belonging to the A. cinerascens group, two species belonging to the A. fasciata (Moore, 1867) group, and five species apparently represented by monotypic species-groups.