Further morphological characters for a phylogenetic classification of the Noctuidae (Lepidoptera).

Abstract

The authors describe seven characters which provide useful information for phylogenetic analyses in the family Noctuidae and which had not been sufficiently evaluated by previous authors. These characters include (1) the microscopic and submicroscopic structure of the tip of the proboscis, (2) the structure of the male subcostal retinaculum, (3) the position of the male genitalic muscle 4, (4) development of the dorsal phragma on the second abdominal segment, (5) presence of sclerotized ridges on the abdominal tergites and sternites, (6) the presence of pre-abdominal brush-organs, and (7) certain modifications of the internal female genitalia. Using these characters, the authors provide arguments for the monophyly of the camptolomine-chloephorine- sarrothripine-noline lineage, and for the probable monophyly of a complex consisting of the so-called 'trifine' noctuids, including the Bryophilinae and possibly the Acronictinae and Pantheinae.