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Exeliopsis
Prout
Type species: ansorgei Warren, W. Africa,
This genus, previously only recognised in the Afrotropical Region and
Madagascar, must now be extended in concept to include E. hibernaria Swinhoe
comb. n. (S. India) and a number of new taxa from the Oriental tropics. It is
related to other African genera where the species have similar facies and
genitalic features such as Biclavigera Warren and Omphalucha Warren.
The group is in need of revision; association of the Oriental species with Exeliopsis
is on grounds of similiarities in the structure of the male genitalia,
particularly the valve.
The male antennae are strongly bipectinate. A small forewing fovea is
present. There is no setal comb on the male third sternite. The forewings are
narrow, rather produced, the hindwings also often somewhat produced apically.
The facies is usually a dark blackish grey, the markings obscure apart from
darker discal spots.
The male genitalia are relatively heavily sclerotised, the uncus and
gnathus robust, though the former is often very short. The valves are somewhat
elongate with both costal and saccular margins broadly sclerotised and with
zones of setae. The valve is longitudinally somewhat scrolled as costa and
sacculus sometimes overlap, or form a tube. The aedeagus is long, slender, the
vesica small, usually with a single cornutus.
In the female genitalia (Fig 374; E. hibernaria Swinhoe) the
ovipositor and segment 8 and other apodemes are elongate, telescopic. The
sterigma is expanded into an ovate, sclerotised pouch. The ductus is narrow,
sclerotised, the bursa distally rounded with a prominent, central, squarish
dentate signum, unstalked.
The only named Oriental species is E. hibernaria but several more
taxa are found from Sri Lanka to the N.E. Himalaya, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra
(three or more species), Borneo and the Philippines. There are three in Borneo,
all best diagnosed on genitalic features. Boarmia exelisia Semper from
Luzon is probably a member of the genus. Semper (1896-1902) referred to the
larva as being light brown with fine black longitudinal stripes. It feeds on Quisqualis
(Combretaceae).
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