Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 80. (Budapest 1988)
Ronkay, G. ; Ronkay, L.: Taxonomic studies on the Palaearctic Cuculliae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Part IV
ANNALES HISTORICO-NATURALES MUSEI NATIONALIS HUNGARICi Tomus 80. Budapest, 1988 p. 91-103. Taxonomic studies on the Palaearctic Cuculliae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Part IV. by G. RONKAY & L. RONKAY, Budapest G. RONKAY & L. RONKAY: Taxonomic studies on the Palaearctic Cuculliae (Lepidoptera, Noctuidae), Part IV. — Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. hung. 1988 80: 91-103. Abstract — Two new species - Cucuîlia ( PseudocopicucuUia ) jakesi sp. n. (Iraq) and Cucullia marci sp. n. (Mongolia) are described. The taxonomic status of PseudocopicucuUia DUMONT, 1928 and the species previously placed into this genus is analysed. With 28 figures and 2 photoplates. 1. THE PSEUDOCOPICUCULLIA PROBLEM The division of the genus Cucullia s.l. began with the more detailed studies of the Nearctic species at the end of the last century and resulted in the erection of the genera Nycterophaeta SMITH, 1882, Rancora SMITH, 1892, and Copicucullia SMITH 1894. The main distinctive features were the presence of claw(s) on the fore tibiae and the structure of the antennae of the males. The second important work from our point of view was the large monograph of HAMPSON (1906) in which he separated —on the basis of the structure of the antennae and the frons, the presence or absence of claw(s) on the fore tibiae and the thoracal and abdominal pubescence —the genera Nycterophaeta, Copicucullia, Cheligalea (nov.), Argyromata (nov.), Cucullia (including Rancora), Argyrogalea (nov.), Opsigalea (nov.) and Empusada (nov.). In his opinion the genus Copicucullia contains —beside some Nearctic taxa —the following species: syrtana MABILLE, naruenensis STAUDINGER (with ab. dimorpha STAUDINGER and ab. eumorpha ALPHÉRAKY) and sublutea GRAESER. In the series of SEITZ, WARREN (1910) followed HAMPSON in placing the above-mentioned three Palaearctic species into the genus Copicucullia but he arranged the species of the genera Argyrogalea and Empusada into the genus Cucullia. Furthermore, he synonymized C. scopariae DORFMEISTER with fuchsiana EVERSMANN, consequently the latter species was regarded by him as the generotype of Cheligalea. DUMONT (1928) modified — using the characters of tibial spining, the structure of antennae and the abdominal pubescence — the system set up by HAMPSON and erected two new genera, Metlaouia (type: oberthüri CULOT = autumna CHRÉTIEN) and PseudocopicucuUia (type: syrtana MABILLE). As a result of his studies, the Palaearctic and Nearctic species of "Copicucullia" were separated into two distinct genera. DRAUDT (in SEITZ 1934) accepted the conclusions of DUMONT without any comment, as well as he clarified the distinctness of scopariae and fuchsiana and restated the status of generotype of the former as well. JANSE (1939) followed HAMPSON closely and relegated yet another African species into the genus Copicucullia and listed several other taxa as the members of Empusada. BOURSIN (1941) considered the distinction of Argyrogalea, Cheligalea and Empusada as unacceptable and transferred the species of these genera into Cucullia, but he did not make changes in the systematic status of Argyromata and PseudocopicucuUia. VARGA (1976) transferred the only species of Argyromata into the genus Cucullia and mentioned dimorpha STAUDINGER as a distinct species in the genus PseudocopicucuUia, referring to the (unpublished) work of BOURSIN and SHELJUZHKO.
