TRIBE OPHIUSINI
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Mocis Hübner

Type species: virbia Cramer (= undata Fabricius), India.

Synonyms:
Baratha Walker (type species acuta Walker, [Panama] = disseverans Walker); Cauninda Moore (type species archesia Cramer, India = undata); Pelamia Guenée (type species phasianoides Guenée, Uruguay, Paraguay); Remigia Guenée (type species latipes Guenée, Guadeloupe I.).

This genus as currently treated (Poole, 1989; Zilli, 2000b) includes a diversity of rather dull, slightly variegated medium to pale brown species found throughout the tropics. Most resemble Trigonodes that lack the black forewing triangles, though some, including the type species, have more irregular patterning. Larvae of the first group favour Gramineae and those of the second group favour Leguminosae (e.g. Common, 1990; Robinson et al., 2001). One of each is represented in Borneo. Apart from Cauninda, all three other genus-group names in synonymy are based on New World taxa that belong to the Trigonodespatterned type.

However, the two groups share features of the male genitalia that may indicate monophyly of the genus, particularly relatively distal bifid or trifid processes to the valves that often show bilateral symmetry, though shorter processes associated with their bases may not. There are no coremata. The uncus is usually slender, accompanied by a scaphium. The juxta is typically ophiusine though it may extend above the anellus as a rugose, calcar-like rod in the grass-feeding group, though the type species has shorter processes on each side of the anellus. The eighth abdominal sternite has a small anterior lacuna as in Trigonodes.

In the female genitalia (type species) the ostium is set well within the seventh segment and covered by a narrow, bilobed antevaginal plate produced from the sternite; there are small pockets flanking its base. The ductus is sclerotised, folded as in the
Parallelia complex, and the elongate-ovate corpus bursae is generally and densely scobinate. The ductus seminalis arises from the base of the corpus bursae.

The most diversity is seen in the Indo-Australian tropics, one species below being widespread throughout, and the other having an eastern sister-species.

The biology of both these species is described below.

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