Genus of moths
Scirpophaga is a genus of moths of the family Crambidae described by Georg Friedrich Treitschke in 1832. Asian species include significant rice stemborer pests.
Taxonomy.
The genus "Scirpophaga" was first introduced by Treitschke in 1832 as a monotypic genus; including as single species "Scirpophaga phantasmatella" (which he misspelled as "S. phantasmella", and which is now known as "S. praelata").
During most of history this genus has been completely confused, with most specimens being wrongly identified and most taxa being based on a type series containing numerous species. Males and females of the same species were often recognised as two independent species. Almost two centuries after the first species was described, in 1960 the Australian entomologist was the first to examine the genitalia (for centuries the standard method by which one determines species in Lepidoptera) of the Australian specimens in this group, recombining and splitting the then defined genera into a number of new genera. He created the new genus "Tryporyza", in which he incorporated two species: "Chilo incertulas" and "Tipanaea innotata" (of which DNA research in 2019 has shown should be synonymised with "Scirpophaga nivella"). In 1980 P. Wang also classified "Scirpophaga nivella" within the genus "Tryporyza", only to have , after an exhaustive study of the genitals of over 6000 specimens from throughout the range of the group, to retire the genus "Tryporyza" as a synonym of "Scirpophaga" in the following year (1981).
Treitschke gives as etymology for the generic epithet the word "Scirpus", a type of plant commonly known as a "rush", and the Ancient Greek word φαγεῖν (transliterated "phageîn"), which means "to eat".
Description.
Palpi porrect (extending forward) extending from once to twice the length of head, slightly hairy, and with downcurved third joint. Maxillary palp rather short and dilated with scales. A slight rounded frontal projection can be seen. Antennae of male minutely serrated, and ciliated. Patagia of male with spreading upturned hair. Tibia with outer spurs about half the length of inner. Abdomen long, where in female expanding at extremity and with very large anal tuft. Wings long and narrow. Forewings with vein 3 from before angle of cell. Veins 4 and 5 from angle and vein 7 straight and well separated from veins 8 and 9. Veins 10 and 11 free, or vein 11 becoming coincident with vein 12. Hindwings with vein 3 from near angle of cell. Veins 6 and 7 from upper angle.
References.
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