Eupoecilia Stephens
Type species: angustana Hübner
DIAGNOSIS
External characters:
Venation:
venation Eupoecilia angustana
Forewing: All veins are separate or R 4-R 5 stalked and M 3-CuA 1 separate or connate
Hindwing: R-M 1 stalked; M 3-CuA 1 stalked.
Forewing shape and markings:
Eupoecilia ambiguella adults
Moths small. Ground colour of forewings yellow, with light grey or brown fasciae.
Sexual dimorphism:
Sexual dimorphism only slight.
Genitalia:
Male:
male genitalia E. ambiguella
Distal part of tegumen rather slender; remainder of uncus very small, a weak subterminal prominence may be present on terminal part of tegumen; socii slender, distinctly sclerotized in distal part in majority of species, postbasal prominence broad. Vinculum divided medially. Valvae rather slender; sacculus simple or provided with terminal spines or small free termination; transtilla with well-developed central part, armed with minute dents apically and broad lateral lobes. Aedeagus large, coecum penis broad, often with dorso-posterior lobes armed with spines or teeth, caulis small. Cornuti in form of numerous spines of various sizes and often large capitate spine.
Female:
female genitalia E. ambiguella
Anterior part of sterigma often represented by a narrow sclerite, posterior part variably broad. Ductus bursae broad, anterior portion in some species swollen and provided with spines; sclerites of bursa well-developed.
Early stages:
A diagnosis is provided for the larvae based on chaetotaxy of four European species.
SV group trisetose on the first and second abdominal segment, bisetose on the eighth. Setae L1 and L2 set diagonally on eighth abdominal segment, if horizontal, setae D2 on a shared pinaculum on the ninth abdominal segment and SV group bisetose on the seventh, eighth and ninth abdominal segments.
Biology:
There are two generations yearly in the Palaearctic region; the number of generations is higher in the more southern areas. Hibernation occurs in the larval or pupal stage. Larvae feed on leaves, flowers or seeds of various plants belonging to several families.
Distribution:
The genus occurs in the Palaearctic, Oriental and Australian regions.