Metarbelodes Strand 1909
Creators: name: Lehmann, Ingo
name: Zahiri, Reza
name: Husemann, Martin
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Arthropoda
Insecta
Lepidoptera
Cossidae
Metarbelodes

description: Metarbelodes Strand, 1909   
 Deutsche Entomologische Zeitschrift Iris 22: 119   
 Type species: Metarbela ? umtaliana Aurivillius, 1901 (Entomologisk Tidskrift 22 (2): 127, Fig. 29), by monotypy.   
 Diagnosis. Metarbelodes is considered monotypic at present. The male genitalia can be distinguished from other metarbelids by a long, hollow, well sclerotized, thorn-like process that originates at the costal margin and is bent strongly downwards towards the ventral edge of valva (autapomorphy). The base of the thorn-like process has a broad, long, open slit dorsally, with a weakly-sclerotized projection attached to it. The forewing has a strong, continuous, tubular CuP fold. Based on the latter, M. umtaliana is likely more closely related to Zambezia than to Lukeniana.   
 Description. Head: Rough-scaled, with light ochre hair-like scales below compound eyes on fronto-clypeus in male; a pair of pits absent from lower fronto-clypeus, a pair of conical projections present on lower fronto-clypeus; pits behind labial palpi ovoid; labial palpi long, almost as long as eye diameter, consisting of three segments, 2 nd segment longest, 1.5–2.3 longer than the basal segment, 3 rd segment shortest, 0.5 length of basal segment; antenna bipectinate in male, branches narrow, 3.5 width of shaft, densely scaled cream; flagellum scaled, cream colored.   
 Thorax: Densely covered with light ochre hair-like scales on patagia and tegulae, slightly glossy, tegulae not pronounced; crest on metathorax small, light ochre. Forelegs and midlegs ochre with long dense hair-like scales. Epiphyses absent. Hindlegs with one pair of narrow tibial spurs, slightly unequal in length (outer spur 1.4 mm, inner spur 1.3 mm); pretarsus with a pair of pulvilli. Forewing upperside with ground colour dark ochre mixed with cream, not glossy, with dark brown, sometimes almost black (= sepia) vertical striae along costa and on the outer half of the forewing upper side; a geometric design is absent (a geometric design was defined by Lehmann 2010b, e.g., the occurrence of any triangular-like or leaf-like patterns); a simple, not contrasting pattern is present and comprises a straight sepia terminal line, not parallel to termen, from near apex to dorsum, strongly bent towards base of wing at M 3; 1A+2A and discocellular vein sepia; CuA 2 is distinctly marked white or cream, narrow edged sepia above. Hindwing cream-coloured, glossy. Fringe long, cilia up to 1.5 mm, cream-coloured, glossy. Forewing venation (Fig. 1d; Fig. 9f) with 1A+2A long forked at base; CuP a strong, tube-like, continuous unsclerotized fold; basal part of CuA 2 originating from two-thirds of lower median; CuA 1 originating from hind margin of posterior cell , M 3 and M 2 originating from apical angle of posterior cell, both are separated at base; M 1 originating from anterior angle of median cell and close to base of a relatively large areole; R 5 originates from posterior angle of areole; R 4 +R 3 +R 2 on a long stalk that is originating from anterior angle of areole close to base of R 5; R 1 originating from anterior part of median cell; Sc more or less parallel to R 1. Hindwing—3A present; 1A+2A rudimentary; CuP present but weak; CuA 2 originating from two-thirds of lower median of posterior cell; CuA 1 originating from hind margin of posterior cell; M 3 and M 2 originating from apical angle of posterior cell, separated; M 1 +Rs originating from apical angle of anterior cell, long-stalked; a short bar present from Rs to Sc+R 1; a discocellular vein on both forewing and hindwing present. Retinaculum and frenulum absent.   
 Abdomen: Externally primarily covered by cream and light ochre, hair-like scales; abdominal tuft cream, short, up to 0.25 length of abdomen. Male genitalia (Fig. 11c) with tegumen fused to vinculum, forming a firm ring. Uncus large, ovoid, comprised of a pair of narrowly rounded lobes, short setae ventrally, basal edge of uncus is not straight but has a crescent-shape in horizontal position at middle. Gnathos short, well above costa, covered with short toothlike processes at distal end, hand-shaped, not connected by a sclerotized band basally. Valva ovoid with broad base, costa lacking setae, inner side of median sector with few setae; large, setose, weakly-sclerotized projection attached to thorn-like process from near base of valva and along costal margin; thorn-like process prominent and hollow; at end of its base with long open slit dorsally where it is connected by a thin membrane to weakly-sclerotized projection; thorn-like process originating from outer side of valva near costa, and strongly bent downwards towards ventral edge of valva. Sacculus strongly reduced to one-third near base of valva. A short emargination (less than 25% length of valva) extending between weakly-sclerotized projection and thorn-like process. Transtilla absent; semi-transtilla short, rectangular with a somewhat leaf-shaped, attached to costa of valva and opposite of vinculum, without setae. Juxta nearly twice as large as saccus with two acuminate tips and a short process at each tip, deeply emargination between tips (90% the length of juxta). Vinculum broad at saccus, twice as large as the saccus, forming a plate-like structure. Saccus digitate, gently rounded caudally. Phallus simple, 1.5 longer than basal width of valva, slightly trumpet-shaped, bilobate, with a cleft at each end. Female postabdominal structure and genitalia unknown.   
 Species richness. As defined herein, the genus includes only the type species, M. umtaliana.
description: Published as part of Lehmann, Ingo, Zahiri, Reza & Husemann, Martin, 2023, Revision of the Metarbelodes Strand, 1909 genus-group (Lepidoptera: Cossoidea: Metarbelidae) with descriptions of two new genera and 33 new species from high elevations of eastern and southern Africa, pp. 1-106 in Zootaxa 5267 (1) on pages 8-9, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5267.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/7840783