Hedya Hübner
Type species: salicella Linnaeus
DIAGNOSIS
External characters:
Venation: (Hedya pruniana)
Forewing: All veins separate.
Hindwing: M 3 and CuA 1 connate, R and M 1 in close proximity basally.
Forewing shape and markings:
examples of Hedya spp.
Forewing relatively broad; apical part of forewing pale coloured in several species.
Additional characters:
Hindwing with anal fold; hind tibiae with brush of piliform scales developed to varying degrees.
Genitalia:
Male:
male genitalia H. ochroleucana ; male gen. Hedya nubiferana
Uncus species specific, usually folding along middle ventrally, expanding in posterior part ventro-posteriorly, setose of hairy; socius hairy, elongate or short drooping. Base of tuba analis a delicate, transverse band, often expanding submedially, in a few cases scarcely aciculate or accompanied by anterior sclerite; posterior part of tuba membranous. Cucullus slender with weak angle; fold variable; the two parts spined continuously or posterior part of neck with small spined patch; sacculus with row of long setae forming one or two (median and posterior) groups, exceptionally a group beyond posterior edge of basal opening. Aedeagus short; caulis short, often forming a broad collar around aedeagus, occasionally fusing with tuba analis.
Female:
female gen. H. ochroleucana ; female gen. Hedya nubiferana
Sterigma a weak aciculate plate extending around ostium bursae to form a collar-like structure, or cup-shaped, in some cases bulbous, expanding posteriorly to embrace the distal portion of ductus bursae; very often the plate-shaped parts of sterigma atrophies or membranises so lateral or very weak posterior sclerites remain. Colliculum slender, provided with inner sclerite, or thick, bent or enlarged medially; ductus seminalis situated dorsally, anterior to colliculum. Signa two small funnels or shallow scobinate pits, often of different sizes. Posterior part of subgenital sternite occasionally with median groove.
Early stages:
Swatschek, 1958, provides a diagnosis for the larvae of over 20 species of 'Olethreutes'' (in fact larvae of several genera such as Hedya, Celypha, Pseudosciaphila, Olethreutes, Phiaris, Argyroploce, Apotomis, Stictea, Pseudohermenias, Eudemis and Orthotaenia).
Crochets on abdominal prolegs biordinal; D1 and SD1 on separate pinacula on A9, or SV group bisetose on A7. Sutura coronalis significantly longer than greatest width of adfrontals, or L1 and L2 more or less equal in length.
Biology:
Larvae feed in buds and spun leaves of Salicaceae, Rosaceae, Betulaceae etc., often being polyphagous. Hibernation in early larval stages. One or two generations yearly.
Distribution:
Palaearctic, Nearctic and Oriental Regions.