Eschata Walker, 1856

Léger, Théo, 2024, Half of the Diversity Undescribed: Integrative Taxonomy Reveals 32 New Species and a High Cryptic Diversity in the Scopariinae and Crambinae of the Philippines (Lepidoptera: Crambidae), Bulletin of the Society of Systematic Biologists 3 (2), pp. 1-93 : 52

Eschata Walker, 1856

Eschata Walker, 1856 .

Type species: Eschata gelida Walker, 1856

= Chaerecla Walker, 1865 b: 633 . Type species: Chaerecla chrysargyria Walker, 1865 . Hampson 1896: 961 (syn.)

= Myeza Walker, 1863 b: 190 . Type species: Myeza tonsalis Walker, 1863

DIAGNOSIS

The Palaearctic fauna of Eschata was revised by Błeszyński (1965). Forewings are shiny snow white, generally with one postmedian and one subterminal line (pers. obs.). Male genitalia with the following characteristics: parrot-beak shaped uncus and beak-shaped gnathos; valva with costal arm; sacculus not marked; juxta notched or bifid as in other Chiloini ( Léger et al., 2019; pers. obs.); vesica often with patch of short cornuti. Female genitalia are characterized as follows: papillae anales large, coalesced ventrally and dorsally; posterior apophyses roughly as long as length of tergite VIII; anterior apophyses roughly twice as long as length of tergite VIII; antrum membranous; posterior half of ductus sclerotized as in Chilo species; corpus bursae often with one signum.

DISTRIBUTION

Known from the Oriental region. One species, Eschata sp. cf. rififi Błeszyński, 1965 , is reported here from the Philippines.

PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS

Although the genus was not included in the molecular phylogeny of Léger et al. (2019), it can be confidently placed in the Chiloini based on the bifid juxta in male genitalia as well as the thick venulae secundae on the tympanal organs.