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Hypephyra Butler
Type species: terrosa Butler, India.
Synonym: Visitara Swinhoe (type species brunneiplaga
Swinhoe).
These two genera were brought into synonymy by Yazaki (1993b). They
share unusual features of the male genitalia, notably the trifid structure of
the valves: a ventral rod-like arm, with a lateral digitate process; a ligulate
central lobe (the valvula) overlapped interiorly by a subbasal spur from the
dorsal arm, larger than the other processes, setose. The uncus is narrow,
horned. The aedeagus has a lateral cornutus associated with fine spicules (Visitara)
or a lateral tuft of long, fine spicules (Hypephyra).
The male antennae are strongly ciliate but not bipectinate. The
chaetosemata are normal rather than typically macariine. The upperside tends to
have a brown or yellowish brown variegated pattern. The underside is much paler
with a broad dark border to one or both wings. Species currently referred to Visitara
have the hindwing tailed at M1; more typical Hypephyra have the
hindwing smoothly rounded.
The female genitalia of terrosa have a short sclerotised ductus,
a narrow basal third of the bursa, unsclerotised, and a pyriform distal two
thirds containing a typical ennomine ‘spiny mushroom’ signum that is large
and strongly asymmetric.
The typical group is largely restricted to mainland Asia, though with
taxa in Sumatra and Java. The Visitara group is restricted to Sundaland
(the species below), the Philippines (H. charitopis Prout and H.
speciosa Yazaki) and Sulawesi (H. undilinea Bastelberger). A group of
species misplaced in Hypephyra is discussed under Serratophyga.
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