Cicadomorphus, Martinez, 2020

Martinez, Jose I., 2020, Revision of the South American genus Gaujonia Dognin (Noctuidae, Pantheinae) with descriptions of five new genera and twenty-one new species, ZooKeys 985, pp. 71-126 : 71

Cicadomorphus gen. nov.

Gender.

Masculine.

Type species.

Cicadomorphus lilianae sp. nov.

Etymology.

Cicadomorphus refers to how similar is this genus to Cicadoforma .

Included species.

The genus contains four new species, Cicadomorphus chicharra sp. nov., Cicadomorphus chuya sp. nov., Cicadomorphus falkasiska sp. nov., and Cicadomorphus lilianae sp. nov., which were placed at first into Cicadoforma , but the molecular analyses place them as a sister group.

Diagnosis.

Cicadomorphus is closed related to Cicadoforma genetically and morphologically (see Cicadoforma diagnosis).

Description.

Sexually dimorphic in size, female slightly larger than male; cells of forewing with some semi-hyaline areas in male, whereas in female forewing covered by scales; line pattern conspicuous in both sexes. Antenna in both sexes dark brown, filiform with a stripe of sulfur-yellow scales basally; haustellum functional but reduced. Forewing with orbicular spot varying in size, reniform spot narrow. Hindwing semi-hyaline presenting scales only on margins and veins. Male genitalia with simple valva, lightly sclerotized lacking clasper; cucullar region with apex and ear-shaped lobe extremely narrow; saccular region with a long and narrow harpoon-shaped process; uncus hooked, broad and long; aedeagus short with simple vesica with a narrow patch of spines on upper side. Female genitalia with sterigma large, rounded, lightly sclerotized; appendix bursae rugose and sclerotized; corpus bursae transparent, not sclerotized.

Immature stages.

Egg. Circular with soft surface with the chorion forming small square cells, which is consistent across the entire Gaujonia genus group. Larva. Passes through five to seven instars. Late instars with remarkably short secondary setae, which leave some spaces completely naked; they also present some scattered long setae especially on the prothorax, which cover the head capsule. Pupa. Covered by a dense cocoon. The three pair of legs are visible along with the antenna, but prothoracic legs are slightly concealed and micro-setae on the abdomen as in other pantheines, including in the other genera of the Gaujonia genus group.

Biology.

Currently known only for Cicadomorphus falkasiska (see C. falkasiska diagnosis).