Laspeyria Germar

Type species: flexula [Denis & Schiffermüller], Europe.

Synonyms:

• Aventia Duponchel (type species flexula)
• Colposia Hübner (type species flexula)
• Euteles Gistl (type species flexula), unjustified replacement name for Laspeyresia Herrich-Schäffer
• Laspeyresia R.L. [Reichenbach] (type species flexula), unjustified emendation of Laspeyria
• Perynea Hampson (type species subrosea Butler, Japan), syn.  n.
• Nacerasa Walker (type species nana Walker, Queensland, = concavata Walker), syn. n.
• Sophta Walker (type species concavata Walker, Queensland, New Guinea, New Caledonia), syn. n.
• Trogatha Hampson (type species poecilota Turner, Queensland), syn. n.

Laspeyria and the generic names brought into synonymy share distinctive features of facies (except the type species of Perynea) and of the male abdomen that widen the concept and range of the genus considerably (see also Holloway (1979)). The forewings are bifalcate, and all wings are generally shades of grey, pink or reddish brown with darker-edged,  paler postmedials that are linear and straight or shallowly curved. The forewing postmedial has a marked angle subcostally, distal to the often extensive dark discal spot; this is formed of two transverse spots joined by two weaker spots to form a square. The discal mark of the hindwing is usually bipunctate. The ground colour of the wings darkens from the postmedial to the margin in many species. The phragma lobes of the second abdominal tergite are present but shallow. The apodemes of the basal abdominal sternite are short and balloon-like in many species but not in flexula or the type species of Sophta and Trogatha. The feature is present in the type species of Perynea. Males may have this feature more strongly developed.

The male abdomen has several distinctive features but only one is present in all species examined: the eighth sternite is broad, distally bilobed, divided in half longitudinally by a notch that extends anteriorly as a line of thinning to the anterior margin. The anterior margin is modified into obtusely angular pockets on each side of the divide. The tergite is about half the area of the sternite, and its apodemes are usually widely separated. The valves of the genitalia are distally tapering, usually with a more sclerotised and slightly modified costa. The basal half of the valves exteriorly is often shallowly corematous, pocked with the bases of numerous hair setae. This feature is very shallow in flexula and subrosea, vestigial in concavata. The uncus is slender, broadest centrally, tapering apically, but with its strongest curvature over the basal half. The aedeagus is short, the vesica small, without cornuti.

The female genitalia have the apodemes of the eighth segment short, flanking small pockets in flexula, though these are shallow and the apodemes moderate in ruficeps Walker. The ventral lip of the ostium is notched; tongue-like processes extend posteriorly on each side in flexula and some other species. The ductus bursae is generally sclerotised, but usually tapers to a more lightly sclerotised constriction towards its distal end. The neck of the corpus bursae has a definite coil, and there is often rugosity or scobination in the broader part, distally in flexula, but more basally in concavata and most of the Bornean species.

The larva of the type species (Bretherton et al., 1983; Goater et al., 2003) has the first two pairs of prolegs considerably reduced. The body is rugose, with a transverse ridge on A8 and a subspiracular ridge bearing fleshy filaments. The under surface is flattened. The larva feeds on lichens and algae growing on the branches of trees. Pupation is in a tough cocoon. The pupal cremaster has four short, apically incurved spines.