Gargela Walker, 1864

Song, Shimei, Chen, Fuqiang & Wu, Chunsheng, 2009, A review of the genus Gargela Walker in China, with descriptions of ten new species (Lepidoptera: Crambidae, Crambinae), Zootaxa 2090, pp. 40-56 : 41

Gargela Walker, 1864

Gargela Walker, 1864 , Cat. Lep. Het. Br. Mus., 29: 815 (in Gelechiidae ); Hampson, 1906, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., (7)18: 374. (in Hydrocampinae). Type species: Gargela subpurella Walker, 1864 , by monotypy.

Mixophyla Meyrick, 1887, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond, 1887: 269. Type species: Crambus ermineus Moore, 1886 .

Mixophila Hampson, 1896, Fauna Br. India (Moths), 4: 190; Hampson, 1897, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond, 1897: 132, 134. Type species: Mixophila renatusalis ( Walker, 1864) .

Angonia Snellen, 1893, Tijds. v. Ent., 36: 54; Hampson, 1897, Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond, 1897: 132, 134; Pagenstecher, 1900, Teil Die Nachtfalter Zoologica, H.29: 171. Type species: Angonia crambidalis Snellen, 1893.

Description. Body. Head, thorax and abdomen white to yellow; labial palpi upturned, the 2nd segment suffused with smooth scales, the 3rd well developed and acuminate; maxillary palpi long and upturned; frons rounded; tibiae with the spurs long.

Venation ( Fig. 34 ). Forewing with the apex rectangular; vein R5 straight and well separated from R2+3+4; M2 and M3 well separated at origin; Cu1 from well before the lower angle of cell. Hindwing with vein Sc+R1 stalked with R5, M1 from the higher angle of cell; M2, M3 well separated at origin; Cu1 from before the lower angle of cell.

Wing patterns. Forewing usually silvery white, with curved medial and submarginal lines; medial line arising from middle of costa to discocellulares, then bent to inner margin; submarginal line from costa to vein M1 then bent inwards to anal angle; marginal line usually from apex to middle of outer margin; marginal area usually with yellow longitudinal fasciae along the veins; cilia silvery white. Hindwing white or ochreous, without fasciae; cilia white.

Male genitalia. Uncus with a tuft of thick setae ventrally; gnathos tapering pointed; tegumen simple, elongate; valva usually with strong costal arm.

Female genitalia. Anal papillae fused, with dense setae; ductus bursae relatively long, often partly seclrotized or swollen; corpus bursae usually with two signa.

Biology. There is no further information about the genus except when the adults occur. Most adults examined are sampled by light traps, seldom by web-catching from ground flora. We presume the species of this genus may feed on the ground weeds or mosses. Otherwise, the genus is mainly found in south China, it may signify that the species of this genus like higher humidity.

Distribution. Oriental Region to Australia.

Figures

FIGURES 31 – 34. Female Genitalia & Venation. 31, G. albidusa sp. nov.; 32, G. distigma sp. nov.; 33, G. fu rc a sp. nov.; 34, venation of Gargela.