Microchilo Okano, 1962

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 : 76

Microchilo Okano, 1962

Microchilo Okano, 1962 a: 129 .

Type species: Microchilo inouei Okano, 1962

DIAGNOSIS

Species of Microchilo exhibit short greyish forewings. Okano (1962) provides a diagnostical description of the genus. Forewing very small (4-8 mm), greyish white, brown or grey; antemedian and postmedian lines present. Male genitalia with the following characters: uncus wide at base, medially narrowed, apex rounded; gnathos with very short, pointed projection; tegumen arms relatively short; valva narrow, costa sclerotized, produced at apex into a spine pointed upwards or outwards; saccus conspicuously protruding anterad; vesica with or without cornuti ( Okano, 1962; pers. obs.). Female genitalia have the following characters: papillae anales minute, connected dorsally, free ventrally; posterior and anterior apophyses very long; intersegmental membrane VIII-IX roughly 2 X length of tergite VIII; antrum membranous or sclerotized, tubular; ductus bursae rather short, in some species covered with minute spines, often straight; corpus bursae often with short, streak-like signum ( Okano, 1962; pers. obs.).

DISTRIBUTION

Distributed in Eastern Palearctic (Japan, continental China) and Oriental regions. Four species are newly described here for the Philippines: Microchilo bundoki sp. n., Microchilo cebuano sp. n., Microchilo spinosus sp. n., Microchilo imminutela sp. n.

PHYLOGENETIC RELATIONSHIPS

Microchilo has been placed by Gaskin in the Diptychophorini ( Gaskin, 1971), but molecular analyses suggest the genus belongs to the “narrow-winged clade,” sister to the Diptychophorini ( Léger et al., 2019).