Editum Fibiger, 2010

FIBIGER, MICHAEL, 2010, Revision of the Micronoctuidae (Lepidoptera: Noctuoidea) Part 3, Taxonomy of the Tactusinae, Zootaxa 2583 (1), pp. 1-119 : 73-74

Genus Editum Fibiger , new genus

Type-species: Editum editoides Fibiger , new species.

Taxonomic notes. The genus Editum contains two known species. The extremely unusual features of the genitalia make it difficult to relate the two species of Editum to other species in the tribe Obscurini , except perhaps the type-species of the following genus, Asytegumen . Some of the features that characterise the two Editum species are indeed shared with other genera of Obscurini . These characters are relatively weak, although they are apomorphic. Another problem is the fact that many species of Obscurini are only known from one specimen. The species are distinct, but knowledge of both sexes would undoubtedly give a better picture of their interrelationship. The genus Editum is characterised by many unique features in the genitalia.

Diagnosis. Imago (external). Wingspan: 10–12 mm (type-species).

Labial palps: porrect; second segment brown outside, beige inside, roughly scaled apically, vertically both sides; third segment 1/3.5 of second, narrow, cylindrical, beige (apo.).

Head, patagia, anterior part of tegulae, prothorax, basal part of costa, costal part of medial area, subterminal and terminal areas, including fringes: blackish brown; costal-medial area triangular.

Forewing: ground colour beige or light brown.

Abdomen: grey, with dorsal tuft on basal segment.

Crosslines: untraceable, except terminal line: well marked by black interneural dots.

Reniform stigma: white, indistinct.

Hindwing: grey, with discal spot.

Underside: forewing brown; hindwing grey, with discal spot.

Male genitalia. Tegumen: extremely thin, threadlike; thinnest of all recognised Micronoctuidae (apo.) [partly lost in E. editum during genitalia preparation; complete in type-species].

Peniculus: platelike; 1.5 times (type-species) or 5 times higher than wide (apo.).

Vinculum and saccus: stout, 3 times broader than apical part of tegumen (apo.).

Saccus: very short, V shaped.

Diaphragm: almost circular between valvae and lower part of tegumen (apo.).

Fultura superior: across diaphragm barlike; laterally fused basally to tegumen; apically free as two asymmetrical, prominent rodlike processes; at tip two or five spined (apo.).

Valvae: short and very wide basally, slightly longer than wide, asymmetrical (apo.).

Clasper: barlike, oblique to valva margins.

Ampulla: very large, bilobed, slightly asymmetrical, dorsal lobe slightly larger than ventral (type-species), almost as long as wide (apo.).

Editum : present on both valvae, huge on right valva, almost half as large as whole of valva; setose; (apo.).

Juxta-anellus plate: small, asymmetrical, conelike, located close to saccus in diaphragm (apo.).

Phallus: long and narrow; almost equally wide; bent upwards at 2/3 (type-species); coecum very short, half width of rest of phallus (apo.).

Vesica: with spicules.

Differential diagnosis. No other species of Micronoctuidae resembles the two Editum species (see autapomorphies above), but several apomorphies are shared with other genera in the Obscurini (see also under Taxonomic notes.). Distribution. Species of Editum known only from Vietnam.