O. Merkl szerk.: Folia Entomologica Hungarica 68. (Budapest, 2007)

MATERIAL AND METHOD The main problem is the reliable identification of the two species due to their high external similarity, which requires the study of their genitalia. The author examined the genitalia of 55 male and 26 female specimens belonging to the H. bicruris/H. capsincola species complex. RESULTS The great majority of the male specimens was proved to belong to the typical H. capsincola. The clasping apparatus of certain males showed a transitional stage between H. capsincola and H. bicruris according to their narrow valvae (Figs 1-2) but the vesica showed the features of//, capsincola. Only two males have the vesica displaying the specific characters of H. bicruris (e.g. strong cornuti field and/or lack of a chitinised subbasal bar; see the Figs 3-4). The situation was somewhat different in the female genitalia, as four specimens showed the distinctive features of H. bicruris in the structure of the ovipositor (Figs 5-6). On the other hand, the material contained specimens displaying transitional structures, too (Fig. 7). Fig. 1. Clasping apparatus of Hadena capsincola ([DENIS et SCHIFFERMÜLLER], 1775). - Fig. 2. Bicruris-like clasping apparatus. Scale = 4 mm