Opoptera Aurivillius 1882

Genus Opoptera Aurivillius, 1882

Seven unambiguous character changes support the monophyly of Opoptera (Fig. 3 C, character illustrations in Fig. 1–2, 4–6). As a group, Opoptera is not homogeneous in either wing shape or color (Fig. 1–2). The FW apex can be rounded (syme, sulcius, fruhstorferi), mildly pointed (staudingeri) or angular (aorsa, hilaris, arsippe, bracteolata; character 2). FW with three apical white spots and intersected by an incomplete ‘Yshaped’, usually orange, postmedial band (white in fruhstorferi, character 7:2), a pattern element that is shared with most brassolines. The proximal arm of this band can be either continuous or broken (bracteolata, character 6). Ventral FW with an eyespot at cell M1, discal cell intersected by two bands. Ventral HW broadly rippled and with well developed eyespots in cells Sc+Rs and Cu1. The HW contour can be nearly smooth (staudingeri, arsippe), but it is usually mildly scalloped with or without a tail at M3 (character 10). HW precostal cell arched-out and large within the context of Brassolini (Fig. 2 H, see Stichel 1909 for a comparison with other genera). There is no sexual dimorphism in color, but females may be slightly larger and paler than males, and may have a faint HW iridescence (Fig. 1–2).

Depending on the species, male HW androconial organs may vary. A patch of androconial scales is located immediately adjacent to vein Cu2 (character 15), where the wing membrane is folded over to form a ‘scent-pocket’ (15:2, Fig. 1 K). Within Brassolini, this scent-pocket is unique to Opoptera, and it is present in all species of the genus except for O. arsippe in which it constitutes a shallow depression on the wing membrane (15:1, Fig. 1 L). Some species (syme, sulcius, fruhstorferi, bracteolata) possess a thin hairpencil inside the discal cell that crosses over vein Cu1-Cu2 (character 12:1). This hairpencil is formed by thin, elongate scales closely joined together, as can be seen by their insertion sockets, and it fits inside the scent-pocket (see Fig. 1 A and B). In species lacking this hairpencil, different hairbrushes can be found. Elongate, dense HW discal cell ‘hairs’ form a ‘discal cell hairbrush’ present in two Opoptera species (staudingeri, arsippe; character 13:1; Fig. 1 K). Furthermore, elongate, dense HW ‘hairs’ in cells Cu1 and Cu2 form two hairbrushes that are in close proximity to the scent-pocket (aorsa, hilaris, Fig. 1 J). Finally, HW ‘hairs’ in cell Cu2 form a long ‘Cu2 hairbrush’ (character 14:1, aorsa, hilaris, Fig. 1 J). The hairpencil and hairbrushes are both associated with the Cu2 androconial organ.

The male valva has two defining characters: a sclerotization of the dorsal edge that encircles the valva tip (i.e., sclerotized carena), and bears minute ribbed serrations (characters 21:2 and 22:0; Fig. 4). The female sterigma is highly variable in shape (Fig. 6), and has a continuous anterior section (character 33:0). The corpus bursa lacks signa (Fig. 6).

Species groups