Eterusia Hope

Type species: tricolor Hope, China, Sikkim, Bhutan, Assam, Burma.

Synonyms:

• Devanica Moore (type species cingala Moore = aedea Clerck, Sri Lanka)
• Sephisa Moore (type species cingala) praeocc.

The genus was recovered largely intact by the analysis of Yen et al. (2005) except for a species discussed under Opisoplatia Jordan and one group displaced to Clade 18 (see the subfamily account, but not shown in Fig 1: one species attached to the Psaphis subclade). It was placed in a sister-relationship to a partially recovered Soritis Walker to form Clade 14. Both Bornean species are included in this clade. The clade is defined particularly on wing pattern features but also on the shape of the eighth tergal projections in the male, and, in the larva, fusion of cuticular pores for the opening mechanism for chemical release. Prominent lateral depressions in the elevated part of the frontoclypeus of the adult are shared with Clade 13.

Typically (though there is some overlap in facies features with Soritis), species of this genus have rather long, narrow forewings, apically produced hindwings, and antennae that can appear apically clubbed in females, though are more continuously bipectinate in males. Many species have a medial band of creamy white or yellow on a black forewing. The hindwing can have an orange or yellow band or be more entirely of this colour with a blackish border. There may also be bluish iridescent areas on the black. Other species have the forewing arrayed with antemedial, discal and postmedial spots of pale yellow to white in positions much as in Psaphis Walker. The dark border of the hindwing may contain spots of the same colour.

Despite the similarities of facies, there are structural differences that distinguish between Eterusia and Soritis. In Eterusia, forewing vein M1 is stalked with the posterior radial sector veins. In the male genitalia, the valves are very much larger in Eterusia, with the cucullus setose and distinguished from the saccular part of the valve by a slight constriction. The sacculus has a mediobasal process directed interiorly that does not occur in Soritis. The anellus is distinctly loop-like in Eterusia. The protuberance of the aedeagus is near the apex in Eterusia and more central in Soritis.

The genus is widespread and diverse (about 20 species) in the Oriental Region, though is not recorded from Sulawesi. Two closely related species occur in Borneo; these belong to the risa Doubleday group of Yen et al. 2005. These authors also recorded subcyanea Walker from Borneo, but this is probably based on an erroneous type locality designation in the original description as indicated by Jordan (1907). The species appears to be restricted to Java as indicated by Endo & Kishida (1999). There is some biological information for both Bornean species: Yen et al. (2005) illustrated the larva of E. aedea.

Robinson et al. (2001) recorded larval hosts for the genus from Buddlejaceae (on flowers; possibly an adult feeding record), Lythraceae, Symplocaceae and Theaceae.