Marthula, WALKER, 1856

26. MARTHULA WALKER, 1856 View in CoL

Marthula Walker, 1856 . Type species: Marthula quadrata Walker, 1856 . List Spec. lepid. Insects 9: 164.

Adults. ( Figure 3C View FIGURE 3 , 11E View FIGURE 11 ) Head: male and female antennae filiform; antennal tufts absent; third segment of labial palpi short in both sexes; ocelli reduced. Thorax: male prothoracic leg lacks scent organ; tarsal claws bifid. Abdomen: male second sternite with elaborate antecostal area. Wings: males 32 to 50 mm, females 33 to 50 mm; usually brown with yellow or orange washes across forewing; forewing with accessory cell present; hindwing with Sc-Rs stalked. Male terminalia ( Figure 7B View FIGURE 7 , 8D View FIGURE 8 ): male eighth tergite with midplate; eighth sternite with two apical apodemes usually forming a W shape; caudal edge with scent hairs, some elaborate projections. Valvae with SSO elaborate and highly pleated; saccular base enlarged, extending nearly to distal edge of valve; costa a sclerotized rod extending to distal edge or beyond. Pleated costulae. Uncus short, shape variable; socii sclerotized and shape variable but very small, usually two sclerotized short arms or V shaped; juxta usually flat, shape variable. Aedeagus callosum and distiphallus shapes variable; vesica with deciduous cornuti or non-deciduous small spines. Female terminalia: Eighth tergite mid-dorsal region desclerotized; usually curved but shape variable; eighth sternite variously shaped and ornamented; papillae anales membranous, short setae mixed with long curved setae; posterior and anterior apophyses long; ostium bursae wide; lamellae antevaginalis sclerotized or membranous. Ductus bursae membranous, or sclerotized and dorso-ventrally flattened. Corpus bursae membranous, sometimes a sclerotized shield present; one signum usually present; various internal sclerotized projections in some; ductus seminalis arising from caudal surface of corpus bursae.

Diagnosis. Species usually possess contrasting orange, white or metallic markings, and tend to be smaller, thinner bodied moths. The male eighth sternite may have cuticular projections with androconial hairs and glandular surfaces associated with them. The male genitalia are rather homogeneous throughout the genus and are easily recognizable due to the elaborate SSO and related processes of the saccular base fused to the valvae, the short uncus and the arm shape of the socii.

Comments. Marthula quadrata has extremely setose genitalia and this trait may be widespread in the genus. Female genitalia illustrated in Weller (1989).

Distribution. From Mexico to South Brazil.

Species included (16).

Marthula agathanzela Schaus, 1933

Marthula castrensis Schaus, 1905

Marthula concinna (Walker, 1862)

Marthula cynrica Schaus, 1928

Marthula grisescens Schaus, 1905

Marthula hirsuta Schaus, 1905

Marthula luteopunctata (Dognin, 1904)

Marthula minna Schaus, 1905

Marthula minor Thiaucourt, 1980

Marthula multifascia (Walker, 1856)

Marthula ochreata (Schaus, 1905)

Marthula pleione Schaus, 1892

Marthula porioni Thiaucourt, 1980

Marthula quadrata Walker, 1856 *

Marthula rufescens Schaus, 1910

Marthula thoreda Schaus, 1928