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Crithote Walker
Type
species: horridipes Walker,
Borneo.
Synonym: Crusiseta
Schultze
(type species basipuncta Schultze,
Philippines = pannicula
Swinhoe).
There is
strong sexual dimorphism throughout this genus, males having long, narrowly
bipectinate antennae, elongate hindlegs densely invested with black scales, and
forewings more or less a uniform black except for paler areas basally that may
extend along the costa and vague ripple-marks more distally. Females have more
variegated forewings with facies that resemble somewhat that of the genus Tephriopis,
with paler grey basal, costal and medial areas dividing the black into a broad
marginal area and an irregular patch antemedially that is based on the dorsum.
The male
abdomen has a slight corema in the eighth sternite but is otherwise not strongly
modified. The uncus is simple, apically hooked, but may have a dorsal triangular
crest. There is no scaphium. The juxta appears to be a simple plate, ovate to
rectangular, rugose or spined in the anellar region, but probably not typically
‘catocaline’ as discussed on p. 18. The valve is simple, narrow, with a
distinct costa that has a central angle or spur. The aedeagus vesica is broader
than long, slightly convolute, and bears one to three clusters of moderate
spines.
In the
female (horridipes), the bursa is pyriform and divided into three
sections; a basal, sclerotised, scobinate one; a central zone of small, fine
spicules; an immaculate distal third.
Bell
(MS) reared the larva of an undescribed S. Indian species that appears closely
related to pallivaga sp. n. but with, in the male genitalia
(slide 18529), slightly shorter valves and uncus, and with the three groups of
spines in the aedeagus vesica dissimilar (one group robust, one group reduced
relative to the third which is as in pallivaga).
Bell noted a similarity to the larva of Plecoptera recta Pagenstecher. The prolegs of A3 are
absent, those of A4 are reduced to small cylinders. The head and body are green,
tinted yellowish or greyish by small subcutaneous dots, with a subspiracular
yellow band.
The egg
is light green, disc-like, slightly domed, with a thickened rim and many
vertical ridges. Eggs are laid singly on the underside of leaflets, where the
larva also lives, often resting highly looped or occasionally in a figure eight.
Pupation is in a cell of leaves on the host plant, and the larva turns red-pink
before pupating. The pupa has no bloom.
The host
plant is Dalbergia (Leguminosae); see also Robinson et
al.
(2001).
In
general features of facies and particularly the male genitalia, such as the
valve costa and crest to the uncus, the genus shows affinities to Anoba
and
is therefore included in the Anobini. The larval feeding record for Leguminosae
is also consistent with this.
In addition to the species discussed below,
the genus includes C.
prominens Leech (China) and C. crinipes Snellen stat.
rev. (Sulawesi). C.
crinipes has been regarded as a
synonym of horridipes,
but the holotype male (RMNH) Leiden) has genitalia that match the Sula Is. male
noted below under C. pannicula Swinhoe.
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