Aphelia Hübner
Type species: viburnana Denis and Schiffermüller
DIAGNOSIS
External characters:
Venation:
venation Aphelia viburnana
Forewing: All veins are separate; CuP usually well developed.
Hindwing: All veins are separate, or M 3 and CuA 1 connate.
Forewing shape and markings:
examples of Aphelia adults
Costa gradually arced in males, or more strongly curved basally in females. Termen oblique or obliquely convex. Markings often ill-defined or absent.
Sexual dimorphism:
In the majority of species sexual dimorphism is expressed in the size and shape of the forewing. It is slender in females, the apex is more elongated and the termen more oblique. The differences in colouration are smaller; the shape of the markings may vary or markings may be absent in females.
Genitalia:
Male:
Uncus well developed, provided with sparse ventral hairs; gnathos strong, in many species armed with various prominences or processes; socius small or very small. Basal sclerite of disc of valva variably developed, followed by oblique area of minute folds; pulvinus ill-defined or absent; sacculus with postmedian fold or small free termination. Transtilla strong; juxta simple; aedeagus with collar-shaped sclerite.
Female:
Sterigma rather short, with distinct or atrophying antevaginal portion; antrum variable, provided with internal sclerite and occasionally forming small anterior sac, membranously connected to, or fused with, sterigma; cestum present in many species; signum species specific, in the majority of species with atrophied or strongly reduced capitulum.
Taxonomic note:
The genus is divided into three subgenera.
1. Aphelia s. str.
type species: viburnana Denis and Schiffermüller
male genitalia A. viburnana
female genitalia A. viburnana
Male genitalia: Gnathos with distinct terminal plate, gnathos arms provided with large dentate processes; transtilla broad, with small lateral parts and a large median portion which is dentate distally and dorsally; sacculus with free termination.
Female genitalia: Sterigma large, densely spined, with weak or atrophied antevaginal portion; antrum represented by strong tubular sclerite anterior to sterigma; signum reduced to concave, dentate plate.
2. Zelotherses Lederer
type species: albociliana Herrich-Schäffer
male genitalia A. paleana
female genitalia A. paleana
Male genitalia: Uncus simple or bifurcate; gnathos provided with more or less distinct lateral or (and) ventral processes devoid of spines or dents. Transtilla a transverse, plate-shaped structure, occasionally emarginate dorsally, in some species marked with minute spines or expanding in middle posteriorly.
Female genitalia: Antrum membranously connected to sterigma; signum with large dagger-shaped part and basal plates, occasionally with rudimentary capitulum.
3. Sacaphelia Razowski
type species: disjuncta Filipjev
male genitalia A. disjuncta
female genitalia A. disjuncta
Male genitalia: Processes of gnathos arms naked, terminal plate large; sacculus with small free termination; transtilla with ventral fold and dentate posterior edge, provided with large, dentate basal sclerite fused with valva.
Female genitalia: Sterigma reduced to small dorsal and lateral portions and large tubular part around ostium bursae, and membranously connected to antrum; the latter provided with large internal sclerite; signum with well developed capitulum.
Early stages:
Larva: Crochets of abdominal prolegs biordinal. SV group trisetose on the seventh abdominal segment, bisetose on the ninth. The V setae are not or only slightly further apart on the ninth abdominal segment than on the eighth. On the mesothorax, V1 is clearly distanced from coxa; spiracle of second abdominal segment clearly bigger then basal ring of seta SD1. The second stemma is situated closer to the third than to the first.
Biology:
There is only one generation yearly. Eggs or larvae hibernate. Larvae are polyphagous and live in spun leaves and flowers.
Distribution:
The genus occurs in the Palaearctic and Nearctic Regions.