Roepkiella Yakovlev & Witt

Taxonomic note

Paracossus thaika Yakovlev was described by Yakovlev (2006) from S. Thailand. The illustration in the original description appears externally similar to chloratus Swinhoe and javanus Roepke, but no comparison was made with these species (Yakovlev, 2006), only with two others that are considerably larger. The male genitalia appear to be similar to those of chloratus.

Subsequently (Yakovlev & Witt, 2009), thaika and javanus have been placed in a new genus, Roepkiella Yakovlev & Witt, together with five other Oriental species, including two more described in Paracossus by Yakovlev (2006), and celebensis Roepke for Sulawesi. Yakovlev & Witt indicated that typical Paracossus males have bipectinate antennae, and certainly the taxa grouped in the genus by Schoorl show great variety of male antenna as mentioned in the earlier note. However, no mention is made of other taxa currently still in Paracossus, such as speideli and microgenitalis (see above), nor is chloratus referred to. One can only concur with the statement made by Yakovlev & Witt that ‘a complete revision of Indo-Malayan Cossinae must be undertaken’, but with a preference for ‘sooner’ rather than ‘later’, and employing cladistic methodology before any more genera are added to the plethora currently to hand.