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Anticarsia Hübner
Type
species: gemmatalis Hübner,
Surinam.
Synonym: Azazia
Walker
(type species rubricans Boisduval = irrorata Fabricius).
Most
species currently in this genus (Poole, 1989) have a facies similar to that seen
in Hypospila Guenée and Tochara Moore
(pp. 264-267), but are somewhat more delicate, with deeper wings, the forewings
with an acute subcostal angle to the postmedial that also has a secondary
continuation to the apex, the two lines defining a lens-shaped area at the
apical part of the costa. The forewing reniform is considerably enlarged and
consists of two black dots enclosed by a fine dark line that defines the stigma.
The male antennae are filiform. The apodemes of the basal abdominal sternite are
well separated, rather pincer-like.
Despite
facies similarities, the male genitalia are diverse in structure, those of gemmatalis
being
relatively robust with relatively small ovate valves that have an 4obtusely
angled longitudinal ridge centrally that bears fine setae.
The
female of gemmatalis has the ostium between the seventh and eighth
segments. The ductus is basally flimsy and tapers to a constriction from which
the elongate and generally pyriform bursa expands. There is a long band of
sclerotisation in the basal part and a signum centrally in the broader part that
consists of a scobinate umbo within several irregular rings of corrugation;
there is also corrugation elsewhere in the bursa. In irrorata,
type species of Azazia,
the ornamentation of the bursa is similar, supporting the generic synonymy.
The type
species and irrorata both favour Leguminosae in their larval host plants
and are pests. The genus includes further species across its pantropical range
and is in need of revision (see below).
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