Noctuide - Cuculliinae

Cucullia asteroides

Cucullia charon male genitalia

Cucullia charon male aedoeagus

Cucullia charon female genitalia

Cucullia external tympanum

Cucullia internal tympanum

This segment on the Cuculliinae is a modified and shortened version of the revision of the North American Cuculliinae found in:

Poole, R.W. 1995. The Moths of America North of Mexico. Noctuoidea: Noctuidae (Part). Fascicile 26:1.

Checklist of the Species of the Cuculliinae

The subfamily Cuculliinae, as used here, consists almost entirely of the single genus Cucullia. A few other genera have been grouped with Cucullia, but not with much confidence. The sister group of the Cuculliinae may be the Oncocnemidinae, although I make this statement without much justification. Other possible sister groups to the Cuculliinae occur outside of North America. One group is a collection of Palearctic genera without a formal name but including Metopoceras and Calophasia. A large group of species and genera in southern South America, primarily in Patagonia, also seems to bear some relationship with the Cuculliinae and the Oncocnemidinae. This group of genera includes the genera Desertullia, Neuquenia, and Metacullia. Unfortunately the generic limits in this Patagonian group are not well defined at present and most of the species in the group are incorrectly placed in Palearctic genera. The species of Cucullia have a distinctive superficial appearance and are readily reconized. Both the superficial and external features of the genus are discussed under the generic heading. The formal description of the subfamily is given below. The subfamily description also serves for the generic description of Cucullia because only the genus Cucullia is undoubtedly placed in the subfamily at present. Comments on the larvae and their biologies are also reserved for discussion under the generic heading.


Head: antenna of male simple, laminate, or serrate, but most commonly simple; antennal base with tuft of scales; frons smooth or roughened, sometimes with a conspicuous raised ridge or triangular region above the clypeus; clypeus usually slightly projecting; pilifer strong, sclerotized; proboscis well developed; gena trapezoidal, well developed; ocelli present; eye lashed below antenna and from posterior margin of eye.

Prothoracic leg: tibia usually somewhat shortened, with or without a tibial claw; tibial spines absent; tarsal spines of all three legs arranged in three equal rows.

Wing venation: forewing usually elongate; venation distorted by elongation of forewing; accessory cell present; R1 arising from main radial vein, R2 arising from two thirds length of accessory cell; R3, R4, and R5 from apex of accessory cell, R3 and R4 stalked about half way to apex.

Thorax: with long, hair like scales; patagia capable of elevation into a pointed hood.

External tympanic region: see screen on left; hood not greatly developed and its edge flush with abdominal sternite 1+2; tergo-pleural groove continued by a sclerotized invagination of the second abdominal membrane separating the sternite and tergite.

Internal tympanum: see screen on left; pocket IV large and triangular. Abdomen: weak tufts on first three or four abdominal segments; male abdomen with or without basal hair pencils and Stobe's Glands; eighth sternite with sclerotization u-shaped and with or without a linear, internal setal patch.

Male genitalia: Valve usually elongate; clasper and basal process of the sacculus normally present; clasper oriented perpendicular to long axis of valve; rudimentary digitus present in scattered North American and Palearctic species; free pleurite present, rounded, articulation with tegumen simple; penicillus absent; corona usually present on apex of valve but sometimes reduced or absent; vesica of aedoeagus with one to three strong spines borne on diverticula, sometimes minutely spined as well and/or with a strap like sclerotized area near the base of the vesica.

Female genitalia: see screen on left; ovipositor lobes usually unmodified; ductus bursae of variable length, usually with sclerotized ridges; corpus bursae apparently absent; ductus seminalis arising from bottom of appendix bursae.

The Genera of the Cuculliinae

Cucullia

Dolocucullia

Opsigalea

Emariannia

The Plates

Plate 1

Plate 2

Plate 3

Plate 4

Plate 5