Ancylis Hübner
Type species: laetana Fabricius
DIAGNOSIS
External characters:
Venation:
venation Ancylis laetana
Forewing: All veins are separate; M 3 and CuA 1 more or less bent anteriorly; chorda weak, originating at 2/3 distance R 1-R 2, terminating before base of R 5 or atrophying; M -stem absent.
Hindwing: M 3 and CuA 1 stalked or fused, M 2 strongly approaching M 3-CuA 1 or connate.
Forewing shape and markings:
examples of Ancylis spp.
Forewing often falcate; markings variable.
Genitalia:
Male:
male genitalia A. comptana ; male genitalia A. selenana
Tegumen slender; pedunculus long, broadening anteriorly or provided with strong process anteriorly; uncus well developed, bifurcate or preserved as a small process or completely atrophied; socii drooping, often with long free end or broadly fused with tegumen, broad, rarely very weak or heavily sclerotized; tuba analis membranous. Angle of sacculus distinct, more or less projecting, with few setae; neck well developed; cucullus variably angulate, often slender, bristled; basal opening reaching end of sacculus. Aedeagus simple; caulis usually short; cornuti numerous short spines, deciduous, arranged in an oblique row.
Female:
female genitalia A. tineana
Sterigma rather weakly sclerotized posteriorly, often cup-shaped, lamella antevaginalis variably expanding outwards and often with lateral prominences; dorsal portion of cup-shaped part usually membranous. Signa large, base of signa strongly elongated.
Early stages:
Swatschek, 1958, provides the following diagnosis for the larvae based on chaetotaxy.
Setae D1 and SD1 on separate pinacula on the ninth abdominal segment; sutura coronalis not longer than width of adfrontals at tip of clypeus, or larvae light green, greyish-green dorsally, with two pale longitudinal bands and pale pinacula. Prothoracic plate often with blackish spots.
Other characters shared by the species in this genus are:
On prothorax SD1 closer to XD2 than to SD2, and the distance between L1 and L3 is twice the distance between L1 and L2; on mesothorax SD2 situated dorso-cranial to SD1 and V1 very close to coxa. Setae long, L1 and L2 often of same length and set diagonally. SV group often trisetose on first to seventh abdominal segment and bisetose on eighth and ninth abdominal segment. L1, L2 and L3 share one pinaculum on the ninth abdominal segment, V setae not further apart on this segment then on the eighth abdominal segment. Spiracle very small, often elliptical.
Biology:
There are usually two generations yearly; hibernation occurs in the larval stage. Larvae spin leaves of deciduous trees, often Betulaceae and Salicaceae, or feed on fruits.
Distribution:
Known from the Palaearctic, Nearctic and Neotropical Regions.