Chrysopolominae Hering, 1937

Taberer, Tabitha R., 2023, Revision of the family Chrysopolomidae Aurivillius, 1895 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenoidea) with the description of three new genera, Bonn zoological Bulletin 72 (1), pp. 1-23 : 14-15

Subfamily Chrysopolominae Hering, 1937

Annals of the Transvaal Museum 17: 237–238.

The subfamily Chrysopolominae consists of medium-sized brown or beige moths with broad, rounded wings and bipectinate antennae. In the male genitalia, the most typical feature is the medially fused anterior processes of the transtilla but they also all possess a well-developed juxta.

The two tribes described by Hering (1937), Chrysopolomini and Achroceridini , were not recovered as monophyletic in the DNA analyses and lacked support from morphological investigations. This is unsurprising considering these two tribes were erected based on the numbers of spurs of the hindtibia, Hering (1937) having clearly provided a caveat that this character was “irrelevant for phyletic inferences” and that the tribal divisions were more for “convenience”. It has been shown that this character is homoplastic and although not diagnostic at the tribal level, it nevertheless holds true at the generic level throughout Chrysopolomidae . Zolotuhin et al. (2014) however maintained the tribal system based on the similarities of wing pattern, number of tibial spurs and the structure of the transtilla without critically investigating the rather arbitrary nature of Hering’s tribes, while Kurshakov & Zolotuhin (2016) used a similar argument to place Diquisha within Achroceridini focusing on genital similarities rather than the “spur formula” which was not in keeping with other members of the tribe.

It is possible that from a cursive look, Strigivenifera and Achrocerides could be placed within the same tribe due to similarities in the male genitalia but these genera did not cluster together in the phylogenetic analyses. Furthermore, it could be surmised that Diquishia would be more suited to the tribe Chrysopolomini as opposed to Achroceridini based on distinctions in the external morphology. With the alternative being to erect numerous new tribes, it is concluded herein that Hering’s tribal system is unreliable and is thus dismissed.

In the results of the phylogenetic analyses, clade E consisted of Chrysopoloma and Scotinocerides s.s. In the male genitalia, members of both clusters share many affinities, namely a transtilla with two large, medially fused posterior lobes and two large, medially fused, square or rounded anterior lobes, as well as a juxta comprised of a central process with two lateral processes and a near-identical phallus. A distinction was identified however, whereby the uncus of Scotinocerides is noticeably longer and pointier than in the related genus. Externally, all members of clade E are recognisably similar, with broad, rounded, beige wings, although members of Scotinocerides are larger and typically possess a postmedial forewing line whilst Chrysopoloma display a rounded discal spot. An additional distinctive feature between the two genera can be seen in the number of hindtibia spurs, wherein Scotinocerides possesses two pairs whilst Chrysopoloma , and indeed all other members of clade C only have one pair. As such, based on the aforementioned evidence, Scotinocerides and Chrysopoloma are maintained as distinct genera. One taxon, Chrysopoloma restricta Distant, 1899 possesses all of the characteristics of Scotinocerides and is thus transferred into this genus: Scotinocerides restricta ( Distant, 1899) comb. n.

The recovery of species of Hamartia from Ethiopia within Chrysopoloma s.l. in the phylogenetic analyses was considered surprising at first. Despite externally being very similar to Chrysopoloma species, these are typically slightly smaller, with a smaller, more defined discal spot and can thus be readily distinguished. However, the male genitalia of these Hamartia specimens were found to be identical in structure to Chrysopoloma . Hamartia medora moulini Rougeot, 1977 is hence raised to species level, and transferred to Chrysopoloma thus: Chrysopoloma moulini ( Rougeot, 1977) comb. n. The taxon Hamartia paupera johanni Rougeot, 1977 was described in Hamartia despite its nominotypical subspecies having been described as a Chrysopoloma ; it is hence assumed that Rougeot (1977) implicitly transferred C. paupera Hering, 1925 to Hamartia . Both H. p. paupera and H. p. johanni are thus transferred to Chrysopoloma : Chrysopoloma paupera paupera Hering, 1925 stat. rev., Chrysopoloma paupera johanni ( Rougeot, 1977) comb. n.

The remaining Hamartia species, H. medora Hering, 1937 and H. clarissa Hering, 1937 , were found in both genetic and morphological analyses to be distinct from other Chrysopoloma . It is likely that this genus, containing species distributed in southern and eastern South Africa are only found in these regions which exhibit unique fynbos and upland habitats that are home to many endemic taxa.

Scotinocerides nigrociliata was recovered in the DNA analyses as sister to Achrocerides . Although this species is close in appearance to Scotinocerides , it can be distinguished by the following characters: it is noticeably smaller and more compact than other Scotinocerides that possess a postmedial line on the forewing whilst in the male genitalia it possesses a very large, broad transtilla, the valve is much wider at the base and the gnathos lobes are narrower and not fused apically. Based on the position of this taxon in the phylogeny and the markedly different male genitalia, a new genus is founded thus: Auripoloma gen. n.

Strigivenifera and Achrocerides were recovered in the Chrysopolominae and are quite distinct from the Ectropinae (contra Zolotuhin et al. (2014)). In the male genitalia, they possess medially fused anterior processes of the transtilla typical of the Chrysopolominae , whilst the juxta is comprised of two caudal processes. Although Diquishia was not included in the phylogenetic analyses, the external morphology (especially that of D. ansorgei ( Bethune-Baker, 1911) is much more reminiscent of Chrysopolominae than other members of the Ectropinae . For instance, D. ansorgei is considerably larger in size than all members of Ectropinae and it also possesses a faint discal spot on the forewing as seen in the vast majority of Chrysopolominae species. In the male genitalia, the anterior processes of the transtilla are medially fused and not separated as in the Ectropinae . However, it is likely that Diquishia is a derived genus within Chrysopolominae possessing finely marked black veins on the wings, as well as a uniquely shaped phallus which is extremely broad in the anterior half but strongly constricted medially (both synapomorphies of this genus). In addition, both species of the genus appear to be endemic to Angola.

The following list comprises the genera and species contained within Chrysopolominae , with brief genus re-descriptions and diagnoses: