Ariolicini

This tribe is only weakly supported (Holloway, 1998) by a series of characters that overlap one another in the sequence of genera following. The moths are rather delicate in build compared to the Careini, but most have deeper forewings than the majority of Sarrothripini. Tymbal organs occur in several of the genera (Figs 360-364, 396), those of Sinna Walker, Gabala Walker, Asinduma Walker and Lophothripa Hampson being of the rather elongate sarrothripine type. Those of Ariolica Walker and Titulcia Walker resemble each other in being broad and lacking a distinctly carinate zone, perhaps trending towards the Chloephorini. Cossedia Walker has carinae in a longitudinal scaleless zone of the hindwing. The apodemes of the male eighth tergite are often very long.

The first three genera, Ariolica, Sinna and Titulcia, have a satiny white ground colour, and the valves of the male genitalia each have a strong, basal, exterior hair-pencil. Such a hair-pencil is seen also in the next genus, Chandica Moore; this is also the first genus in the sequence to have a field of rows of peg-like setae on the valve. Siglophora Butler has coremata in the position of the hair-pencils of the previous genera and also has peg-like setae on the valve. Chandica, Siglophora and Cossedia have rather similarly marked yellow and reddish brown forewings and all have peg-like setae on the valves. These occur also in the next six genera, Lophothripa, Lasiolopha Turner, Labanda Walker, Tathothripa Hampson, Plagiograpta Hampson and Ariola Walker. The genera from Labanda onwards have a distinctive gnathal and scaphial structure in the male genitalia, as well as a more slender build with elongate forewings and abdomen, the latter particularly in males.

Paracrama Moore and the genera following all have paddle-shaped, rather careine valves in the male genitalia, often slightly bilobed and usually with a subbasal costal process. However, they lack the typical careine tymbal structures, and in Asinduma, the only member of the sequence having such structures, they resemble those of other ariolicines such as Sinna and Lophothripa. This ‘careine’ sequence is only loosely associated with the rest of the tribe through the presence in Arachnognatha Hampson, Maceda Walker and Detounda Walker of a gnathal and scaphial structure similar to that of Labanda and allies.

Many of the genera have a scattering of small spines in the aedeagus vesica, though there is a single cornutus in Titulcia, Cossedia, Tathothripa and Asinduma. The bursa copulatrix of the female, though sometimes with general or local scobination, lacks a signum except possibly in Asinduma (a small, dense, scobinate patch) and Labanda (a basally directed cluster of spines in the centre).

There are no common larval features; Lasiolopha has a swollen, berry-like thorax as in the careines. No strong host-plant specialisation is evident either, though the few records for the ‘careine’ sequence are all from the Malvales.

Kobes (1997) noted Gabala roseoretis Kobes from Borneo but has not subsequently (pers. comm.) been able to confirm this or locate the material. Borneo is not included in the distribution for the species (Sumatra, Himalaya, Taiwan) given by Sugi (1991).