Cidariini Duponchel, 1845

Viidalepp, Jaan, 2011, A morphological review of tribes in Larentiinae (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), Zootaxa 3136, pp. 1-44 : 23-25

Tribe Cidariini Duponchel, 1845

( Figs 78–80, 82–83 )

Pierce (1914) discussed the genera, now placed in the tribes Cidariini and Hydriomenini , together, listing the common characters as follows: “a rather compact group, composed of a few closely allied genera. The large simple valva, and the extended anellus lobes. Often with clavate scales, … manica finely spined. The signum … small, scobinate”. However, concerning the first included genus, Lampropteryx Stephens , it is added that there is a “hinge” between the ninth and the tenth segments (i.e. between tegumen and uncus), and Pierce described the labides attached to the point of connection of transtilla and tegumen. Labides of Lampropteryx Stephens and Nebula Bruand have labides bipartite, with a hinge between.

Pierce separated the subfamily Therinae for the species with ”costa well developed, sacculus extended, aedeagus ctenoid at orifice and anellus lobes strong, with spatulate scales.” Forbes (1948) has collected an over-heterogenous assemblage of genera under his equivalent of Cidariini (Hydriomenini) .

Choi (e.g. 1997), Viidalepp and Kostjuk (2005) and Viidalepp (2003) have analyzed different sets of cidariine genera using cladistic methodology. Choi (1997) found seven strict synapomorphic characters to support the monophyly of the tribe: bulged postmedial line of the forewing; long male eighth abdominal segment; oblong or posteriorly broad male eighth sternite; absence of calcar; membranous female eighth tergite; ostium with sclerotized short cingulum, which is open dorsally; SV4 seta of larval third abdominal segment outside the L1–SV1 line; moderate and rounded paraprocts in larva.

Choi (2007) found four characters discriminating Thera Stephens : valve costa with medial projection; cucullus large; cornuti, a few in number, arranged corona-like around the aedeagus mouth.

He paid attention to characters of anellus and relations of tegumen and vinculum in male genitalia, and synonymized Therini Pierce with Cidariini , Viidalepp and Kostjuk (2005) analyzed a case of character reduction on the cidariine background. Retrograde evolution of morphological characters, if occurs, then in several sections of a group, and will be ignored by cladistic methodology. Another case study of the Mediterranean genus Protothera ( Viidalepp 2003) demonstrated how essential it is to include more than one representative species of each group into a matrix for cladistic analysis to be sure that their synapomorphic traits will be revealed. These studies revealed the presence of four main clades within Holarctic Cidariini , characterized by synapomorphic traits: conifer-feeding genera with male genital capsule well sclerotized and valva a plate ,,with sacculus tip projecting scelerotized” ( Thera Stephens and allies); presence of specialized thick setae (hamuli) on labides ( Nebula Bruand and allies); valva with a subcostal furrow on inner side, between costa and valvula, associated with vestiture on medial wall of valva long and springing from ring-like ornamentation; thick vestiture to labides, consisting of clavate hairscales, associated with long palpi in moths.

The variation of putative cidariine genera in Neotropical fauna (e.g. Brabirodes cerevia Druce , Fig. 82 ) is considerably larger than in boreal fauna.

Scarce data on Erateina indicate a kind of similarity to Cidariini (see also discussion under Eratenini). The genus Hagnagora Druce has some similarities to Cidariini as well:

However, Sihvonen et al. (2011) showed Hagnagora clustered with Hydriomena . This may be correct as H. vittata Philippi has more setae on proleg of mature larva than typical to cidariine larvae studied ( King & Parra 2011; Viidalepp 2006). Hagnagora clustimena Druce ( Figs 149, 150 ) has a solid male genital armature with putative clusters of androconian hairscales at uncus base and bases of valvae. H. ephestris Felder and Rogenhofer ( Figs 151, 152 ) has a pyriform bursa with well defined cingulum and with two longitudinal bands of flat signa. King & Parra (2011) described the biology and larval characters of Hagnagora vittata Philippi.

Distribution: Neotropical, Holarctic.

Figures

FIGURES 78 – 83, Male genitalia of Cidariini and Solitaneini. 78, Male genitalia and aedeagus of Pennithera taigana (Djakonov) (Primorye); 79, male genitalia and aedeagus of Gandaritis pyraliata (Denis & Schiffermüller); 80, male genitalia and aedeagus of Cidaria fulvata (Forster); 81, male genitalia and aedeagus of Solitanea mariae (Stauder) (Italy); 82, male genitalia and aedeagus of Brabirodes cerevia Druce (Nicaragua); 83, male genitalia and aedeagus of Colostygia kitschelti (Rebel) (Switzerland).

FIGURES 149 – 152, Male and female genitalia, ansa and posterior abdominal segments of Hagnagora Druce. 149, Male genitalia and aedeagus of Hagnagora clustimena (Druce) (Bolivia); 150, posterior abdominal segments of H. clustimena (Druce) (Bolivia); 151, female genitalia of H. ephestris (Felder & Rogenhofer) (Bolivia); 152, ansa of H. ephestris (Felder & Rogenhofer) (Bolivia).