TRIBE DESMOBATHRINI
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Derambila Walker

Type species: punctisignata Walker, W. Africa.

Synonyms: Chionopteryx Snellen (type species alucitaria Snellen, Principe I.); Corium Prout (type species puella Butler, Madagascar); Holostixa Swinhoe (type species manca Swinhoe) syn. n.; Rambara Moore (type species lumenaria Geyer).

The genus consists of small, slender, delicate sometimes translucent white species. The wing markings usually consist of black discal dots and transverse fasciae in medium brown on the veins. Some species have small black dashes along the margin in the spaces between the veins. These markings are represented more weakly, if at all, on the underside.

In the male abdomen there are several features that appear to define the genus. The pair of elongate zones of setae on the third sternite are close together, convergent posteriorly, sometimes even totally fused into a central, elongate patch. The valves have an angle or digitate process arising from the valve costa; centrally, subcostally, there is a finely, densely setose lobe. The uncus is basally slender, distally spatulate or divided and invested with numerous fine, short setae. The aedeagus vesica often bears cornuti: in several Bornean species, including D. manca Swinhoe comb. n., there are one or two large ones.

In the female, the ornamentation of the bursa is extremely variable, its shape and the localisation of its spining often diagnostic. In D. lumenaria Geyer and D. gertraudae Sommerer the ovipositor lobes are considerably extended, telescopic: this is not a general feature of the genus.

The genus Holostixa is brought into synonymy as, although the hindwing venation of the male is extremely modified to accommodate an excavate feature on the costa (Fig 2), it otherwise has features typical of the genus. There is also a case for bringing the Australasian tropical genus Derxena Walker into Derambila as, despite the pale blue translucent wings ornamented only with black discal spots, the male genitalia have the features listed above for Derambila.

The genus is found throughout the Old World tropics but shows it greatest diversity on the Sunda Shelf.

The only host record located is that of Vitex (Verbenaceae) for D. fragilis Butler as mentioned for that species below.

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