Tachuda, SCHAUS, 1901

39. TACHUDA SCHAUS, 1901 View in CoL

Tachuda Schaus, 1901 . ibid.: 278. Type-species: Lochmaeus albosigma Druce, 1887 . Biologia cent.-am. Lepid-Heterocera 1:236; 1898, ibid. 2: pi. 90, Fig. 17.

Adults. ( Figure 4B View FIGURE 4 , 11L View FIGURE 11 ) Head: male and female antennae simple filiform; antennal tufts absent; third segment of labial palpi short; ocelli present. Thorax: male prothoracic leg without scent pocket; tarsal claws bifid. Wings: males 36 to 40 mm; color pattern variable, most species present a distinctive yellow circle or spot in the apex of the forewing; accessory cell present; hindwing with Sc-Rs stalked. Abdomen: on first sternite with double apodemes (crown shape) ( Figure 4K View FIGURE 4 ). Male terminalia ( Figure 7K, L View FIGURE 7 ): eighth tergite with midplate; eighth sternite with a small, sclerotized U-shape; valvae membranous; SSO well developed. Uncus almost fused with the socii, both very short and sclerotized, similar in shape to a duck’s head. Aedeagus long and thin, vesica with deciduous cornuti, callosum foot-like.

Diagnosis. Tachuda can be recognized by the uncus and socii combination forming a duck shape face, also the yellow or white spot found on the apex of the forewing and the double apodemes found on the second sternite. In general, though, these are rather nondescript moths and many species are quite similar.

Comments. Weller synonymized Tachuda with Antiopha in her thesis (1989) due to the presence of double apodemes on the second sternite. However, we consider them as separate taxa, since their habitus and terminalia are very different. Several hostplants have been recorded in Costa Rica, many of which come from Cupania sp. ( Sapindaceae ) (ACG database). Like several other genera in the subfamily, this one contains several morphologically divergent groups which suggests a species-level revision is warranted to determine the monophyly of the genus. Becker (2014) incorrectly assigned Pseudantiora rufescens Schaus, 1905 to both Calledema and Tachuda , but it belongs in Calledema and is returned accordingly here.

Distribution. From Mexico to Brazil.

Species included (18).

Tachuda albosigma (Druce, 1887) *

Tachuda bipartita (Herrich-Schäffer, 1854)

Tachuda carema (Schaus, 1905)

Tachuda discreta Schaus, 1905

Tachuda indiscreta (Dognin, 1923)

Tachuda folia (Jones, 1912)

Tachuda forfex Dognin, 1908

Tachuda laurena (Schaus,1920)

Tachuda lignea (Schaus, 1901)

Tachuda longicornis (Felder, 1874)

Tachuda lophocera (Dyar, 1914)

Tachuda nefanda Draudt, 1932

Tachuda olivescens (Dognin, 1916)

Tachuda pachydexius Forbes, 1939

Tachuda plumipes (Schaus, 1901)

Tachuda punctum Forbes, 1939

Tachuda serrata (Schaus,1920)

Tachuda stellata (Dognin, 1914)