Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 79. (Budapest 1987)
Vojnits, A.: Falces and clavulus, hitherto, disregarded parts of the male genitalia in Eupithecia species (Lepidoptera, Geometridae)
180 A. M. VOJNITS Falces — The tegumen emits bilaterally a very peculiar structure, similar to which and, as characteristic of an entire taxonomic group, is not known elsewhere in the order Lepidoptera.* The two lateral and heavily sclerotized branches fuse medially to constitute an unpaired structure which still shows clearly the formerly discrete halves. On both sides of the line of fusion the surface of the plate is sculptured and is ismilar to a war hammer; actually its stalk is like a half tube which usually flattens out on the slide; its tapering apical part is more or less spinose and thereby displays, in contrast to the entire structure, a certain amount of diffcrentation per species group. I designate it as clavuius (Plate I: Figs 1-9, Plate II: Figs 10-18, Plate HI: Figs 19-27). Transtilla — The dorsal arc of the anellus embracing the aedoeagus. The shape of the paired auricular lobes is largely dependent on imbedding. These too have never been discussed in detail. Vinculum — The vinculum and the saccus are confused in several publications, or rather the vinculum remains unmentioned and the saccus is mistakenly cited as vinculum. The vinculum is situated between the tegumen and the saccus, effecting the articulation of the valvae. A highly uniform part of the male copulatory organ, without any special differentation excepting the two minute ampullae (elsewhere papillae) on both sides of the aedoeagus. They have not been examined in detail so far. Their shape, ratio of length and width, as well as their size and pilosity (shorter or longer, denser or scarcer) are characteristic for the speciesgroups. Saccus — The antipodal part of the uncus in the male copulatory organ. It is usually short and wide, ending either rounded or truncate. In some species it appears rather elongated. In mainly the East Palaearctic species it is wide with obtuse angles (repetita VOJNITS, bohatschi STGR.). The wide base of the saccus may be incised (yiidaleppi VOJNITS). Also the Nearctic species show examples of both elongated and wide sacci. The shape of the saccus is much influenced by the imbedding process. In general, it should also be studied laterally, because it bears an androconial tuft of hairs in certain groups. Anellus — So far not studied in detail. The sculpture of its median part is characteristic for certain groups. V a 1 v a — The "typical" valva of the West-Palaearctic and Nearctic species is simple: the base is of varying length, the apex moderately pointed or rounded, generally more or less ear-shaped. Among the East-Palaearctic species they are more of a different shape, but such occur also among the West-Palaearctic and Nearctic species. The valva can be quite short and wide (undata FREYER and cimicifugata PEARSALL), or, in contrast, very narrow (pi ni RETZER and alpi nat a CASSINO). The ventral margin (= ventrum) of the valva bears appendices of diverse shape and development. Those which have a "striking" appearance are called sacculus in the American literature, and the valva itself as asymmetric (lanceata HBN., and segregata PEARSALL). Valvae which are deeply excised or rather constricted between the ventrum and the dorsal margin are generally wide (exiguata HBN., centaureata DEN. et SCHIFF., abbreviata STEPHENS, lariciata FRR). Neither these valvae nor the "typical" ones are naturally asymmetrical. No case is known among the Eupithecia species with incongruent right and left valvae. Such really dissymmetrical valvae occur among the Noctuids, as the apomorphic and allometric distortion of the symmetrical basic configuration. * A similar structure occurs also in some species belonging to the subfamily Larentiinae (Geometridae), e.g. in the genus Entephria HBN. However, its origin is quite different and thus cannot be homologus with the falces of the Eupithecia taxa.
