Brunia Moore, 1878

Volynkin, Anton V. & Černý, Karel, 2025, On the taxonomy of the Brunia Moore generic complex with the description of a new genus, a new subgenus and four new species (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Arctiinae: Lithosiini: Lithosiina), Ecologica Montenegrina 87, pp. 46-76 : 48

Genus Brunia Moore, 1878

Brunia Moore, 1878 , Proceedings of the general meetings for scientific business of the Zoological Society of London, 1878: 15 (Type species: Lithosia antica Walker, 1854 ( Figs 1, 2 , 54 , 89 ), by subsequent designation by Watson et al. (1980)).

= Ovenna Birket-Smith, 1965 , Haile Sellassie I University (Addis Ababa), Papers from the Faculty of Science, (C) 1: 93 (Type species: Eilema subgriseola Strand, 1912 [a junior subjective synonym of Brunia agonchae (Plötz, 1880) ( Figs 3, 4 , 55 , 90 )], by original designation).

Diagnosis. Many species of the genus display a moderate sexual dimorphism: males have intense dark suffusion on the forewing distally whereas females have a more unicolorous forewing, in many species with pale suffusion along the costal margin. However, in certain Asian species sexual dimorphism is limited. The male genitalia of the genus are characterised by the combination of the following features. (1) The scaphium area is setose. (2) The subscaphium is broad and moderately or weakly sclerotised. (3) The processus momenti and tendon form a conjuga. (4) The lamella centralis is present, fold-like and setose. (5) The vesica with several diverticula bearing large cornuti of various shapes. In the female genitalia, the postvaginal region of the 8 th sternite is heavily sclerotised and may bear various swollen and setose sculptures; and the posterior sclerotised section of the corpus bursae is broad and bears various protrusions.

Distribution. The genus is widely distributed in the Afrotropical, Indomalayan and northern Australasian realms.

Note. The taxonomy of the genus worldwide is under revision by Volynkin (in prep.).

Figures

Figures 1–18. Adults of Brunia spp. Depositories of the specimens: 1, 2 and 10–16 in MWM/ZSM; 3 and 4 in ANHRT; 5–8 and 17, 18 in CKC; 9 in HUFA (photo by V. Zolotuhin, courtesy of V. Dubatolov).

Figures 54–56. Male genitalia of Brunia spp. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 54 in MWM/ZSM; 55 in ANHRT; 56 in CKC.

Figures 89–94. Female genitalia of Brunia spp. Depositories of the specimens dissected: 89, 93 and 94 in MWM/ZSM; 90 in ANHRT; 91 and 92 in CKC.