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Article

Re-Examination: No True Tabidia Snellen, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in China, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Three New Species

by
Jia-Xin Wang
1,2,
Jun Wu
2,3,
Wan-Lu Liu
4,5 and
Yun-Li Xiao
1,*,†
1
Hubei Key Laboratory of Economic Forest Germplasm Improvement and Resources Comprehensive Utilization, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang 438000, China
2
School of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
3
School of Ecology, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin 150040, China
4
Laboratory of Tropical Forest Ecology, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Xishuangbanna 666303, China
5
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
†
urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:77CB5D6A-5CA5-449C-92AB-8865F9E08D8E.
Insects 2026, 17(2), 149; https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17020149
Submission received: 18 December 2025 / Revised: 16 January 2026 / Accepted: 18 January 2026 / Published: 28 January 2026
(This article belongs to the Section Insect Systematics, Phylogeny and Evolution)
Browse Figures
Versions Notes

Simple Summary

Based on morphological and molecular evidence, this study revises the crambid genus Tabidia Snellen, 1880, confirming that no true species of this genus are distributed in China. Two new genera, Scintilla gen. nov. and Melanoleuca gen. nov., are established and assigned to the tribe Agroterini Acloque, 1897. Additionally, three new species are described within Melanoleuca gen. nov. This study clarifies the taxonomic boundaries of this group in China and provides a foundation for related systematic research.

Abstract

Many species within the genus Tabidia Snellen, 1880 exhibit significant differences in wing pattern and genital morphology, which are inconsistent with the definition of Tabidia, indicating that the genus is not monophyletic. To address this, the present study revises the taxonomy of the Chinese species previously placed in Tabidia based on wing morphological characteristics, differences in male and female genitalia, and phylogenetic relationships inferred from the mitochondrial COI gene and mitochondrial genomes. As a result, two new genera are established: Melanoleuca gen. nov. and Scintilla gen. nov. These new genera are confirmed to belong to the tribe Agroterini Acloque, 1897. Furthermore, three cryptic new species are discovered: Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., Melanoleuca qianshanensis sp. nov., and Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov. Based on the morphological characteristics of adult appearance and genitalia, an identification key to the species of these two new genera is provided. Illustrations of adult specimens and their genital structures are provided, along with a world catalog of the species for the three relevant genera: Tabidia, Melanoleuca, and Scintilla.

1. Introduction

The genus Tabidia Snellen, 1880 belongs to the subfamily Spilomelinae (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). It was established by Snellen (1880) [1] with Tabidia insanalis as the type species; however, its taxonomic placement at the tribal level remains unstudied [2]. To date, 13 species are known worldwide, primarily distributed in the Oriental and Australasian regions [3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15,16]. Apart from the original descriptions, taxonomic research on this genus has been limited globally, with most studies focusing on Chinese fauna. Du & Li (2014) revised the Chinese species of Tabidia, describing the new species T. obvia Du & Li, 2014 and redescribing T. strigiferalis Hampson, 1900 and T. candidalis (Warren, 1896) [15]. Recently, Wang et al. (2024) described T. longatuba Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024 [16]. Consequently, four species of Tabidia are currently recorded in China.
Significant differences in external appearance and genital morphology were observed among the species of this genus, indicating that it might not be monophyletic. This suspicion is supported by traditional morphological characteristics: Hampson (1896) mentioned in the generic diagnosis that males possess a tuft of large, decumbent scales on the dorsum at the base of the median vein on the forewing [5]. However, Du & Li (2014) found that this character is present only in some species, such as T. insanalis Snellen, 1880, T. aculealis (Walker 1866), and T. craterodes Meyrick, 1894, but is absent in T. candidalis (Warren, 1896), T. fuscifusalis Hampson, 1917, T. strigiferalis Hampson, 1900 and the newly described T. obvia Du & Li, 2014 [15].
To address these taxonomic uncertainties and test the hypothesis of non-monophyly, the present study conducted a comprehensive re-examination of the Chinese species previously assigned to Tabidia. We integrated evidence from adult morphology, genitalia structure, mitochondrial COI barcoding, and complete mitogenome phylogenetics. The primary aims of this work are to: evaluate the monophyly of Tabidia with respect to Chinese fauna; clarify the phylogenetic relationships and tribal placement of these taxa; and establish a robust taxonomic framework for this group in China. The findings are expected to provide a foundation for a future global revision of Tabidia and related genera.

2. Materials and Methods

2.1. Taxon Sampling

Specimens examined in this study were collected mainly with light traps in the Chinese provinces of Hubei, Anhui, Henan, and Yunnan. Legs were removed from freshly collected individuals for molecular analysis. We generated COI DNA barcode data for the Chinese species formerly assigned to Tabidia, in addition to sequencing the complete mitochondrial genomes of the type species of the two new genera: Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov. (PQ821889) and Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov. (PQ631180). All newly produced sequences have been deposited in GenBank, with the mitogenomes accessible under the accession numbers provided above, and COI barcode sequences under accession numbers OR371985–OR371989, OR596415, OR596416, PQ801142, PQ801143, and PQ817972 (see Table 1 for further details). To complement the dataset, additional sequences of related genera were obtained from BOLD (http://www.boldsystems.org, accessed on 22 September 2025) and GenBank (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/genbank/, accessed on 22 September 2025) for phylogenetic reconstruction. Detailed collection information, BOLD sample IDs, and GenBank accession numbers are listed in Table 1 and Table 2. The holotype and paratype specimens of the new species described in this work are deposited in the Biological Specimen Museum, Huanggang Normal University, Huanggang, China (HGNU).
Table 1. List of taxa used for reconstructing the COI-based phylogeny.
Table 1. List of taxa used for reconstructing the COI-based phylogeny.
TribeSpeciesLocationNCBI and BOLD Accession No.
OutgroupOstrinia nubilalis (Hübner, 1796)Italy, South TyrolTLMF Lep 17359
OutgroupOstrinia furnacalis (Guenée, 1854)Australia, QueenslandANIC Gen No. 001009
UnplacedDaulia arizonensis Munroe, 1957United States, ArizonaHM406212
WurthiiniCotachena alysoni Whalley, 1961China, ShanxiPyr000807
AgroteriniAgrotera basinotata Hampson, 1891Australia, QueenslandHQ952613
UnplacedTabidia insanalis Snellen, 1880Papua New Guinea, MadangUSNM ENT 00204919
UnplacedTabidia insanalis Snellen, 1880Papua New Guinea, MadangUSNM ENT 00704561
AgroteriniMelanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov.China, Hubei, WuxuePQ801143
AgroteriniMelanoleuca qianshanensis sp. nov.China, Anhui, QianshanOR371989
AgroteriniMelanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov.China, Hubei, YingshanPQ801142
AgroteriniMelanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov.China, Jiangxi, GuanshanPQ817972
AgroteriniMelanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov.China, Hubei, YingshanOR371985
AgroteriniMelanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov.China, Hubei, WuxueOR371986
AgroteriniMelanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov.China, Hubei, WuxueOR596416
TrichaeiniProphantis adusta Inoue, 1986China, HubeiPyr000776
UnplacedPycnarmon cribrata (Fabricius, 1794)China, HubeiPyr000683
AgroteriniPatania concatenalis (Walker, 1866)China, HainanKU143840
AgroteriniScintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov.China, Hubei, YingshanOR371988
AgroteriniScintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov.China, Anhui, LujiangOR371987
AgroteriniScintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov.China, Anhui, HuoshanOR596415
AgroteriniNagiella hortulatoides Munroe, 1976China, YunnanPQ463665
NomophiliniMecyna tricolor (Butler, 1879)China, TianjinPyr001404
WurthiiniMimetebulea arctialis Munroe & Mutuura, 1968China, HubeiPyr000232
NomophiliniDiasemia accalis (Walker, 1859)China, GuizhouPyr001026
UnplacedTabidia inconsequens (Warren, 1896)Australia, Queensland10ANIC-10498
HerpetogrammatiniHerpetogramma stramineata (Hampson, 1912)Costa Rica, GuanacasteJQ605852
HerpetogrammatiniMetoeca foedalis (Guenée, 1854)Australia, QueenslandHQ952650
UnplacedTabidia defloralis (Snellen, 1883)Indonesia, Kalimantan TimurRMNH.INS.19697
HerpetogrammatiniHerpetogramma platycapna (Meyrick, 1897)Malaysia, BangiKC881245
HerpetogrammatiniHerpetogramma luctuosalis (Guenée, 1854)China, HubeiPyr000626

2.2. Morphological Methods

Genitalia were dissected and prepared following the protocol established by Li and Zheng (1996) [17]. Morphological terminology conforms to the standards outlined by Maes (1995) [18] and Kristensen (2003) [19]. Adult and genitalia images were captured using a Canon EOS 70D camera (Canon Inc., Tokyo, Japan) equipped with an EF 180mm f/3.5L USM macro lens and a Nexcope NE930 microscope (Yongxin Optics Co., Ltd., Ningbo, China), respectively. Image refinement was performed using Adobe Photoshop® 2020 (Adobe Inc., San Jose, CA, USA).

2.3. DNA Barcoding Acquisition

Genomic DNA was extracted from the legs of dried adult specimens using the TIANamp Genomic DNA Kit (DP304, Tiangen Biotech Co., Ltd., Beijing, China). A 658 bp fragment of the cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene was amplified with the primers LepF1 and LepR1 [20]. PCR products were sent to Tianyi Huayu Gene Co., Ltd., (Wuhan, China) for bidirectional Sanger sequencing using the same primers. The PCR program included an initial denaturation at 95 °C for 3 min; 35 cycles of 95 °C for 30 s, 55 °C for 30 s, and 72 °C for 1 min, with a final extension at 72 °C for 5 min.

2.4. Mitogenome Extraction, Assembly, and Annotation

Total genomic DNA was isolated from specimen legs using a DNA extraction kit (CWBIO, Jiangsu Cowin Biotech Co., Ltd., Taizhou, China). Sequencing libraries with an average insert size of 350 bp were prepared using the Nextera XT DNA Library Preparation Kit (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA) and sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq 6000 platform (Illumina, San Diego, CA, USA). Raw reads were processed with the NGS QC Toolkit (National Institute of Plant Genome Research, New Delhi, India) [21] to obtain high quality clean data. Assembly was performed de novo using SPAdes v3.14.1 (Center for Algorithmic Biotechnology, St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia) [22]. The complete mitochondrial genome was annotated with MITOS (http://mitos.bioinf.uni-leipzig.de, developed by the research team at Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany, among others). Quality metrics including sequencing depth, GC content, Q20, and Q30 were assessed. Experimental procedures were conducted by Tianyi Huayu Gene Co., Ltd., (Wuhan, China) (https://www.tyhygene.com/).

2.5. Phylogenetic Analysis

Based on COI sequences, a phylogenetic tree was constructed, including 51 species across 51 genera from 7 tribes (excluding unplaced taxa) within Spilomelinae, using Ostrinia nubilalis and O. furnacalis as outgroups (Table 1). The COI gene tree was reconstructed using Bayesian Inference (BI) in PhyloSuite v1.2.3 (developed by the research team led by Dong Zhang at Lanzhou University, in collaboration with Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University and the Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China) [23,24]. The analysis was performed with MrBayes v3.2.7 (developed by Ronquist et al.) [25] under the GTR+I+G+F model for 2 million generations, with the first 25% of samples discarded as burn-in. Numbers in Figure 1 at nodes indicate Bayesian posterior probabilities. Habitus images of some Tabidia species were obtained from the BOLD database with permission. Pairwise genetic distances based on the COI sequences were calculated using the Kimura 2-parameter (K2P) model in MEGA v11.0.13 [26].
For mitogenome based phylogeny, 13 protein coding genes (ND2, COX1, COX2, ATP8, ATP6, COX3, ND3, ND5, ND4, ND4L, ND6, CYTB, ND1) and two rRNA genes (rrnS, rrnL) were used. Eight pyraloid species served as outgroups. Additional mitogenomes of crambid taxa, particularly from Spilomelinae, were retrieved from GenBank (Table 2). Maximum likelihood phylogenies were reconstructed using IQ-TREE v2.2.0 [27] under the Edge-linked partition model. Branch support was evaluated with 5000 ultrafast bootstrap replicates [28], along with the approximate Bayes test [29] and the Shimodaira–Hasegawa-like approximate likelihood-ratio test [30]. All analyses were performed using PhyloSuite v1.2.3 [23,24]. Phylogenetic visualization was performed using Chiplot (https://www.chiplot.online/) [31].
Table 2. List of taxa used for reconstructing the phylogeny based on mitochondrial genome sequences.
Table 2. List of taxa used for reconstructing the phylogeny based on mitochondrial genome sequences.
FamilySubfamilySpeciesGenBank Acc. No.References
PyralidaePyralinaePyralis farinalis (Linnaeus, 1758)MN442120[32]
Aglossa dimidiatus Haworth, 1809MW542312[33]
Endotricha olivacealis (Bremer, 1864)MZ823344[34]
EpipaschiinaeOrthaga olivacealis (Bremer, 1864)MZ823349[34]
Lista haraldusalis (Walker, 1859)KF709449[35]
PhycitinaeDioryctria yiai Mutuura & Munroe, 1972MN658208[36]
Plodia interpunctella (Hübner, 1813)KP729178[37]
Ephestia elutella (Hübner, 1796)MG748858[38]
CrambidaeGlaphyriinaeEvergestis junctalis (Warren, 1892)KP347976[39]
Hellula undalis (Fabricius, 1781)KJ636057[40]
OdontiinaePseudonoorda nigropunctalis (Hampson, 1899)MW732139[41]
Heortia vitessoides (Moore, 1885)MW732138[41]
Dausara latiterminalis Yoshiyasu, 1995MW732137[41]
ScopariinaeEudonia angustea Curtis, 1827KJ508052[42]
CrambinaeChilo infuscatellus Snellen, 1890OR288533[43]
Pseudargyria interruptella (Walker, 1866)KP071469[44]
Parapediasia teterrellus (Zincken, 1821)MK122627Unpublished
Crambus perlellus Scopoli, 1763OL350848[45]
SchoenobiinaeScirpophaga incertulas (Walker, 1863)KF751706Unpublished
AcentropinaeParapoynx crisonalis (Walker, 1859)KT443883[46]
Cataclysta lemnata (Linnaeus, 1758)MT410858Unpublished
Paracymoriza prodigalis (Leech, 1889)JX144892[47]
Elophila interruptalis (Pryer, 1877)KC894961[48]
PyraustinaeOstrinia furnacalis (Guenée, 1854)ON645200[49]
Sitochroa verticalis (Linnaeus, 1758)OK235314Unpublished
Loxostege aeruginalis (Hübner, 1796)MN635734[45]
Eumorphobotys eumorphalis (Caradja, 1925)OR459845[50]
Circobotys aurealis (Leech, 1889)OR459846[50]
Demobotys pervulgalis (Hampson, 1913)OR459847[50]
Crypsiptya coclesalis (Walker, 1859)OR459848[50]
SpilomelinaeOmphisa fuscidentalis (Hampson, 1896)ON644345[51]
Leucinodes orbonalis Guenée, 1854PP493058[50]
Tylostega tylostegalis (Hampson, 1900)OQ472993Unpublished
Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov.PQ821889This study.
Nagiella inferior (Hampson, 1899)MF373813[52]
Haritalodes derogata (Fabricius, 1775)KR233479[53]
Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov.PQ631180This study.
Patania balteata (Fabricius, 1798)OQ472989Unpublished
Notarcha quaternalis (Zeller, 1852)OQ472988Unpublished
Spoladea recurvalis (Fabricius, 1775)KJ739310[54]
Herpetogramma luctuosalis (Guenée, 1854)OQ472987Unpublished
Prophantis adusta Inoue, 1986OL753689Unpublished
Nomophila noctuella (Denis & Schiffermüller, 1775)KM244688[55]
Syllepte taiwanalis Shibuya, 1928OQ472992Unpublished
Pycnarmon lactiferalis (Walker, 1859)KX426346[56]
Marasmia exigua (Butler, 1879)MN877384[57]
Cnaphalocrocis patnalis (Bradley, 1981)OL449028[58]
Maruca vitrata (Fabricius, 1787)KJ623250[59]
Sinomphisa plagialis (Wileman, 1911)MZ823346[34]
Conogethes punctiferalis (Guenée, 1854)KX150457[60]
Pygospila tyres (Cramer, 1779)ON939556Unpublished
Parotis amboinalis (Swinhoe, 1906)OR195444Unpublished
Cydalima perspectalis (Walker, 1859)KX762287[52]
Polythlipta liquidalis Leech, 1889OQ439905[61]
Tyspanodes hypsalis Warren, 1891KM453724[62]
Glyphodes pyloalis Walker, 1859PP050457Unpublished
Omiodes indicata (Fabricius, 1775)MG770232[63]
Palpita hypohomalia Inoue, 1996MG869628Unpublished
Botyodes principalis Leech, 1889MZ823351[34]

3. Results

3.1. Phylogenetic Analysis Based on COI

A phylogenetic tree was constructed using available COI sequences (Table 1, Figure 1 and Figure 2). Tabidia insanalis (the type species of Tabidia) clustered with Agrotera barcealis (Agroterini). Tabidia inconsequens clustered with Patania concatenalis (Agroterini). The species now assigned to Scintilla gen. nov. (S. strigiferalis and S. obvia) formed a monophyletic clade. The species assigned to Melanoleuca gen. nov. (excluding M. candidalis (Warren, 1896) comb. nov. for which data was unavailable) also formed a monophyletic clade. The Scintilla gen. nov. and Melanoleuca gen. nov. clades were located on branches distinct from those containing T. insanalis and T. inconsequens.
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Figure 1. Phylogenetic relationships among Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., Tabidia, and related genera, inferred from COI sequences using Bayesian Inference (BI).
Figure 1. Phylogenetic relationships among Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., Tabidia, and related genera, inferred from COI sequences using Bayesian Inference (BI).
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Figure 2. Kimura 2-parameter genetic distances (as percent) calculated between Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., Tabidia, and related genera.
Figure 2. Kimura 2-parameter genetic distances (as percent) calculated between Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., Tabidia, and related genera.
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3.2. Mitogenome Characteristics

The complete mitochondrial genomes of the type species Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov. and the type species Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov. were sequenced and assembled (Figure 3, Supporting Information, Tables S1 and S2). The mitogenome of S. strigiferalis was a circular molecule of 15,351 bp, with a GC content of 19.3% and a gene repertoire of 13 PCGs, 22 tRNAs, and 2 rRNAs. The mitogenome of M. luteamacula was 15,443 bp in length, with a GC content of 19.5%, and contained the same set of 37 genes. The gene order in both mitogenomes was identical to the inferred ancestral arrangement for Lepidoptera. The A+T-rich control region was located between rrnS and trnM, measuring 360 bp (A+T content: 95.8%) in S. strigiferalis and 334 bp (A+T content: 94.9%) in M. luteamacula.

3.3. Phylogenetic Analysis Based on Mitogenomes

A higher-level phylogenetic tree was reconstructed using mitochondrial genome data (Table 2, Tables S1 and S2, Figure 3 and Figure 4). Within Crambidae, the eight subfamilies were divided into two major clades. Within Spilomelinae, the nine tribes formed a topology as follows: Lineodini + Agroterini + (((Hymeniini + Herpetogrammatini) + (Trichaeini + Nomophilini)) + (Spilomelini + Unplaced) + Margaroniini).
The type species of the two new genera, Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov. and Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., were both placed within the tribe Agroterini. Their relationship to other Agroterini was recovered as: (S. strigiferalis + (Nagiella inferior + Haritalodes derogata)) + (M. luteamacula + (Patania balteata + Notarcha quaternalis)). Tylostega tylostegalis formed a separate branch outside the core Agroterini clade in our analysis.
Geographically, the revised genus Tabidia exhibits a tropical Asia-Australasia pattern with no confirmed records in China, while Scintilla gen. nov. and Melanoleuca gen. nov. are primarily distributed within East Asia (Figure 5). Notably, the three new Melanoleuca species described herein are endemic to specific mountainous regions of Central, Southwestern, and Eastern China (Figure 6).
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Figure 4. Maximum likelihood phylogeny based on complete mitochondrial genomes, illustrating the positions of Scintilla gen. nov. and Melanoleuca gen. nov. within Crambidae.
Figure 4. Maximum likelihood phylogeny based on complete mitochondrial genomes, illustrating the positions of Scintilla gen. nov. and Melanoleuca gen. nov. within Crambidae.
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Figure 5. Distribution of Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., and Tabidia. Yellow, red, and blue symbols represent two species of Scintilla; five species of Melanoleuca, and nine species of Tabidia, respectively.
Figure 5. Distribution of Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., and Tabidia. Yellow, red, and blue symbols represent two species of Scintilla; five species of Melanoleuca, and nine species of Tabidia, respectively.
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Figure 6. Type locality map of three new species in the genus Melanoleuca gen. nov.
Figure 6. Type locality map of three new species in the genus Melanoleuca gen. nov.
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3.4. Taxonomic Treatment of Scintilla Wang & Xiao, gen. nov.

Type species. Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., redescription of the habitus and genitalia was provided by Du & Li (2014) [15].
Generic Characters. Adult (Figure 7A,C and Figure 8A): Body yellowish. Frons rounded. Labial palpus upturned and curved, third segment long, acuminate. Maxillary palpus minute, filiform. Male antenna ciliate ventrally. Wings pale yellow ground, scattered fine light brown striae. Forewing CuA2 origin near 3/4 distal discal cell, CuA1, M3, M2 separate from discal cell posterior angle; Rs4 straight, well separated from Rs2+Rs3; Rs1 approx to Rs2+Rs3. Hindwing CuA1, M3, M2 from discal cell posterior angle; M1 from discal cell anterior angle; Rs from distal 1/4 of Sc+R.
Male Genitalia (Figure 10A,B): Uncus and gnathos both reduced to a lip-like form; valvae well developed.
Female Genitalia (Figure 10C): Papillae anales narrow. Ductus bursae short and broad, wrinkled.
Distribution. This genus is mainly distributed in China, South Korea, and Russia.
Etymology. The genus name Scintilla is derived from the Latin word scintilla= spark, and refers to the spark like striped patterns on the wings.
Remarks. Phylogenetic trees constructed based on mitochondrial genomes revealed that Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov. clusters within the clade of the tribe Agroterini Acloque, 1897. Furthermore, this species conforms to the diagnostic characters of Agroterini as described by Mally et al. (2019) [64], namely: labial palps upturned and third labial palpomere directed dorsally; uncus with a broad base; head chaetae simple and undivided; and the ratio of saccus length to sacculus breadth greater than one. Therefore, we place this genus in the tribe Agroterini.
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Figure 7. Head and wing venation of the type species of Scintilla gen. nov. and Melanoleuca gen. nov. (A). Head of Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., male; (B). Head of Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., male; (C). Wing venation of Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., male; (D). Wing venation of Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., male.
Figure 7. Head and wing venation of the type species of Scintilla gen. nov. and Melanoleuca gen. nov. (A). Head of Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., male; (B). Head of Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., male; (C). Wing venation of Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., male; (D). Wing venation of Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., male.
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Insects 17 00149 g008
Figure 8. Habitus of Scintilla species (A). Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., female; (B). Scintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov., male. Scale bars: 1 cm.
Figure 8. Habitus of Scintilla species (A). Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., female; (B). Scintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov., male. Scale bars: 1 cm.
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Insects 17 00149 g009
Figure 9. Habitus of Melanoleuca species (A). Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., holotype; male; (B). Melanoleuca qianshanensis sp. nov., holotype; male; (C). Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov., holotype; male; (D). Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) comb. nov., male (after Du & Li, 2014); (E). Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov., holotype, male; (F). Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov., paratype, female (after Wang et al., 2024). Scale bars: 0.5 cm.
Figure 9. Habitus of Melanoleuca species (A). Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., holotype; male; (B). Melanoleuca qianshanensis sp. nov., holotype; male; (C). Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov., holotype; male; (D). Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) comb. nov., male (after Du & Li, 2014); (E). Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov., holotype, male; (F). Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov., paratype, female (after Wang et al., 2024). Scale bars: 0.5 cm.
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Insects 17 00149 g010
Figure 10. Genitalia of Scintilla species (A). Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., male, genitalia slide no. Lep3599; (B). Scintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov., genitalia slide no. WJX25love-16-1; (C). Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., female, genitalia slide no. Lep 3600. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A,B); 1 mm (C).
Figure 10. Genitalia of Scintilla species (A). Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., male, genitalia slide no. Lep3599; (B). Scintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov., genitalia slide no. WJX25love-16-1; (C). Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., female, genitalia slide no. Lep 3600. Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A,B); 1 mm (C).
Insects 17 00149 g010
  • Key to Scintilla gen. nov. species based on morphology of habitus and genitalia (After Du & Li, 2014, [15])
  • Subterminal line of hindwing interrupted and indistinct; posterior margin of valva with basal 2/3 arched, bearing a developed bundle of long hairs at middle; costa distally curved toward anterior margin........................Scintilla strigiferalis comb. nov.
  • Subterminal line of hindwing uninterrupted and distinct; posterior margin of valva slightly concave, without bundle of long hairs; costa slightly concave.........................................................................................Scintilla obvia comb. nov.

3.4.1. Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov. [细星火野螟]

  • Figure 7A,C, Figure 8A, Figure 10A,C and Figure 13A
  • Tabidia strigiferalis Hampson, 1900, Tr. Ent. Soc. Lond. 48: 386, pl. III, f. 30.
  • Tabidia strigiferalis Hampson, 1900, Entomol. Fennica 25: 57–64, Figures 1c and 3a,b.
Note. Description of the habitus and genitalia was provided by Du & Li (2014) [15].
Material examined. 2 ♂♂, Potangyan Reservoir, Baihu Town, Lujiang County, Hefei City, Anhui Province, China, 31.2711° N, 117.3608° E, alt. 73.81 m, 2022-VIII-01, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. P42.1, genit. prep. Lep2131, Lep3599, molecular no. C4; 1 ♀, Baimajian, Dahuaiping Town, Huoshan County, Lu’an City, Anhui Province, China, 31.1377° N, 116.1877° E, alt. 794.41 m, 2023-VIII-09, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. H67, genit. prep. Lep3600, molecular no. H67.
Distribution: China (Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Tianjin, Hebei, Shaanxi, Gansu, Henan, Anhui, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Zhejiang, Fujian, Guangdong, Hainan, Shandong, Shanxi, Inner Mongolia, Guangxi), Korea, Russia.

3.4.2. Scintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov. [显星火野螟]

Note. Description of the habitus and genitalia was provided by Du & Li (2014) [15].
Material examined. 1 ♂, Dahe Bridge, Longtan Gorge Rafting, Wujia Mountain, Yingshan County, Hubei Province, China, 31.0727° N, 115.8274° E, alt. 262.81 m, 2022-VIII-10, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. P87.6, genit. prep. Lep2132, molecular no. C6; 2 ♂♂, Huangshadi, Piaoba Village, Mugan Town, Daguan County, Zhaotong City, Yunnan Province, China, 2023-VII-22, Rentao Xu, Mingxu Han leg., specimen no. WJX25love-16-1, genit. prep. WJX25love-16-1.
Distribution. China (Gansu, Hubei, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Zhejiang, Guangdong, Hong Kong).

3.5. Taxonomic Treatment of Melanoleuca Wang & Xiao, gen. nov.

Type species. Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., here designated.
Generic Characters. Adult (Figure 7B,D and Figure 9): Body yellowish white or white. Forehead rounded. Labial palpus upturned and curved, third segment long, tapering. Maxillary palpus minute, filiform. Male antennae with cilia on ventral surface. Wings yellowish white or white, with dark maculae scattered on base. Forewing origin of CuA2 near 2/3 of distal middle chamber, CuA1, M3 and M2 each arising from hind angle of middle chamber; bases of M2 slightly separated from CuA1 and M3; Rs4 slightly curved, clearly separated from Rs2 + Rs3; Rs1 close to Rs2+3. Hindwing CuA1, M3 and M2 each arising from hind angle of middle chamber; M1 arising from anterior angle of middle chamber; Rs arising from 3/10 of distal Sc+R.
Male genitalia (Figure 11): Valva lingulate. Costa more sclerotized. No clasper. Base of saccus narrow. Phallus without cornuti.
Female genitalia (Figure 12): Papillae anales narrow. Ductus bursae slender and long. Corpus bursae without signum.
Distribution. This genus is mainly distributed in China and India.
Etymology. The generic name is derived from the Latin word melano-(black) and the Latin word -leuca (white), referring to the black markings on the wings of species in this genus, which resemble the black and white pelage of the giant panda, Ailuropoda melanoleuca.
Remarks. Phylogenetic trees constructed based on mitochondrial genomes revealed that Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov. falls within the clade of the tribe Agroterini Acloque, 1897. Moreover, it conforms to the characteristics of the tribe Agroterini as described by Mally et al. (2019) [64], namely the labial palps upturned and third labial palpomere directed dorsally; uncus with a broad base, head chaetae simple and unsplit; the ratio between saccus length and sacculus breadth more than one. Therefore, we assign this genus to the tribe Agroterini.
  • Key to Melanoleuca gen. nov. species based on morphology of habitus and genitalia
  • Body and wings yellowish white...............................Melanoleuca longatuba comb. nov.
-
Body and wings white..........................................................................................................2
2.
lower third of median area fulvous..............................Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov.
-
lower third of median area black........................................................................................3
3.
Hindwing with outer half interruptedly blackish..Melanoleuca qianshanensis sp. nov.
-
Hindwing with outer third interruptedly blackish..........................................................4
4.
Distal half of juxta sharply projecting bilaterally; distal half of saccussubrhombic........................................................Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov.
-
Saccus oval and juxta oval..........................................Melanoleuca candidalis comb. nov.

3.5.1. Melanoleuca luteamacula Wang & Xiao sp. nov. [黄斑熊猫野螟]

Type material. HOLOTYPE: 1 ♂, Huangbai Mountain Scenic Area, Changzhuyuan Township, Shangcheng County, Henan Province, China, 31.4341° N, 115.3559° E, alt. 587.01 m, 2020-VIII-19, Yunli Xiao, Yue Fu leg., specimen no. WJ22.5, genit. prep. Lep2347. PARATYPES: 1 ♂, Qinggao Village, Henggang Mountain, Yuchuan Town, Wuxue City, Huanggang City, Hubei Province, China, 30.1726° N, 115.6647° E, alt. 193.61 m, 2023-VIII-10, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. J2, molecular no. J2; 1 ♀, Nibai Village, Wadi Township, Yuanjiang County, Yunnan Province, China, 2024-VIII-07, Wanlu Liu leg., specimen no. NB203-6-6, genit. prep. WJX25love-34-2; 1 ♂, Biluo River, Baijixun Township, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, 2024-VII-31, Yuanyuan Jin leg., genit. prep. WJX25love-7-1; 1 ♂, Nuge Village, Baijixun Township, Weixi Lisu Autonomous County, Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China, 2024-VII-30, Yuanyuan Jin leg. Other material. 1 ♀, Nuozhadu Town, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, China, 2024-IX-09, Wanlu Liu leg., specimen no. NZ2.R2-76, genit. prep. WJX25love-31-2; 1 ♂, Nibai Village, Wadi Township, Yuanjiang County, Yunnan Province, China, 2024-VIII-07, Wanlu Liu leg., specimen no. NB203-5-1, genit. prep. WJX25love-27-1; 1 ♀, Nuozhadu Town, Lancang Lahu Autonomous County, Pu’er City, Yunnan Province, China, 2024-VIII-30, Wanlu Liu leg., specimen no. NZ2.R1-86, genit. prep. WJX25love-30-2.
Diagnosis. This species is similar to Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) comb. nov., but can be distinguished by the presence of a squarish orange yellow patch between the posterior margin of vein CuA1 and the subterminal line outside the antemedial line on the forewing, as well as distinct morphological features of the juxta and saccus in the male genitalia. In this species, the juxta is subcylindrical with a width about half of its length, and the saccus has a short narrow base with the remaining portion elongated cylindrical. In contrast, Melanoleuca candidalis comb. nov. possesses a squarish blackish brown patch in the same forewing region, and both its juxta and saccus are ovate in shape.
Description. Adult (Figure 7B,D, Figure 9A and Figure 14A): Wingspan 15.2–15.8 mm. Body white. Frons white mixed with ochreous yellow. Vertex with a white tuft. Antenna ochreous yellow; ventral pili length nearly equal to antennal diameter. Labial palpus: first segment white, second and third segments yellowish white. Maxillary palpus small, ochreous yellow. Proboscis brown, its base scaled with yellowish white. Patagium and tegula yellowish white. Thorax and abdomen: ventrally white, dorsally white mixed with ochreous yellow. Wings white; cilia white. Forewing: base and costal one-third slightly ochreous yellow, faintly mixed with greyish brown; antemedial line blackish brown, slightly excavate, with a black spot on the outer edge of its upper half; postmedial line blackish brown, with a large reniform black spot on the costa, protruding between veins M2 and CuA1, greyish brown and diffuse on the lower median part; a rounded black ovate spot at the apex. Hindwing: base scattered with long greyish brown piliform scales; outer third irregularly black on a white ground color, forming a small notch medially; distal discoidal stigma black. Legs white.
Male Genitalia (Figure 11A): Anales tube nearly cylindrical, apex truncate. Uncus irregular, with a ridged longitudinal carina from the base, tapering to two-thirds. Valva linguiform, densely setose with fine setae, terminal setae stronger. Costa of valva sclerotized, narrowing from base to apex. Transtilla sclerotized, separated medially. Sacculus sclerotized, slender except for a bulge at the basal 1/5. Saccus: basal one-fourth transversely small and ovate; from 1/4 to 1/2 narrow and stalk like; distal half nearly rhomboid, with a sharp spiniform process medially on the anterior margin. Juxta: distal half with sharply protruding lateral edges; basal half slightly narrower, nearly semicircular. Phallus uniformly cylindrical, apex obliquely truncate, its length approximately 1.3 times the length of the valva.
Female Genitalia (Figure 12A,D,E): Apophysis anterioris about 1.5 times as long as apophysis posterioris, expanded and acutely projected in I-shaped at about basal 1/4. Ductus bursae slender and elongated, length approximately 4.5 times as long as apophysis anteriors. Corpus bursae oval; signum absent.
Etymology: The specific name is derived from the Latin word lutea (yellow) and the Latin word macula (patch), referring to the squarish orange yellow patch between the posterior margin of vein CuA1 and the subterminal line outside the antemedial line on the forewing.
Distribution: China (Hubei, Henan, Yunnan).
Insects 17 00149 g013
Figure 13. Living adults of Scintilla species (A) Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., photographed by Xiao Shan in Wuhan, China. (B) Scintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov., photographed by Lawrence Hylton in Hong Kong, China.
Figure 13. Living adults of Scintilla species (A) Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov., photographed by Xiao Shan in Wuhan, China. (B) Scintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov., photographed by Lawrence Hylton in Hong Kong, China.
Insects 17 00149 g013
Insects 17 00149 g014
Figure 14. Living adults of Melanoleuca species (A). Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., photographed by Gao Fan in Yunnan, China. (B). Melanoleuca sp., photographed by Li Jianbo in Zhejiang, China.
Figure 14. Living adults of Melanoleuca species (A). Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., photographed by Gao Fan in Yunnan, China. (B). Melanoleuca sp., photographed by Li Jianbo in Zhejiang, China.
Insects 17 00149 g014

3.5.2. Melanoleuca qianshanensis Wang & Xiao, sp. nov. [潜山熊猫野螟]

Type material. HOLOTYPE: 1 ♂, Zhengguo Group, Tianzhu Village, Shuihou Town, Qianshan City, Anqing City, Anhui Province, China, 30.7271° N, 116.4389° E, alt. 638.41 m, 2022-VIII-16, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. P56.6, genit. prep. Lep2346, molecular no. D31.
Diagnosis. This species is similar to Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov. and Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) comb. nov., but can be distinguished by distinct morphological differences in the juxta and saccus of the male genitalia. In this species, the juxta is ovate, and the distal three-fifths of the saccus is nearly triangular. In contrast, the juxta of Melanoleuca yingshanensis has sharply protruding lateral edges in its distal half, and the distal half of the saccus is nearly rhomboid. Both the juxta and saccus of Melanoleuca candidalis are ovate in shape.
Description. Adult (Figure 9B): Wingspan 16.8 mm. Body white. Antenna dorsally scaled yellowish brown, ventrally brown with pili subequal to antennal diameter. Labial palpus yellowish brown, second segment distally slightly blackish brown. Maxillary palpus small, yellowish brown. Proboscis yellowish brown, base scaled yellowish white. Patagium white mixed greyish brown. Tegula white with long piliform scales. Thorax white. Abdomen white slightly tinged greyish brown. Forewing white, base irregularly greyish brown; antemedial line blackish brown, slightly excavate, with black spot on outer edge of upper half; distal discoidal stigma black reniform; postmedial line greyish brown, with large black spot on costa and perpendicularly excavate between M2 and CuA1, greyish brown on lower median part; ovate black spot at apex; cilia white except at apex mixed greyish brown. Hindwing white, outer half irregularly pale black on white ground, forming small notch medially; distal discoidal stigma black; terminal cilia white mixed greyish brown. Legs white slightly mixed greyish brown.
Male Genitalia (Figure 11B): Anales tube semitubular, ends connected, apex truncate. Uncus distally inflated, apex slightly narrow. Valva linguiform, densely setose with fine setae, terminal setae stronger. Costa of valva sclerotized. Costa of valva widening from near base to basal one-fourth, narrowing from one-fourth to apex. Transtilla sclerotized, separated medially. Saccus basal two-fifths narrow, distal three-fifths nearly triangular, with small dentiform process medially on anterior margin. Juxta nearly cylindrical, length about twice width. Phallus cylindrical, basal half slightly narrow, distal half slightly broad, slightly longer than valva.
Female. Unknown.
Etymology: The specific name is derived from the type locality, Qianshan City in Anhui Province, China.
Distribution: China (Anhui).

3.5.3. Melanoleuca yingshanensis Wang & Xiao, sp. nov. [英山熊猫野螟]

Type material. HOLOTYPE: 1 ♂, Longtan Gorge Power Station, Wujia Mountain, Yingshan County, Hubei Province, China, 31.0867° N, 115.8139° E, alt. 461.85 m, 2022-VIII-11, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. BP253, genit. prep. Lep3598, molecular no. WA1. PARATYPES: 1 ♀, Longtan Gorge Power Station, Wujia Mountain, Yingshan County, Hubei Province, China, 31.0867° N, 115.8139° E, alt. 461.85 m, 2022-VI-08, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. WJ22.4, genit. prep. Lep2345; 1♂, the second arc ditch down the path along Shigu Temple, Wujia Mountain, Yingshan County, Hubei Province, China, 31.1127° N, 115.7998° E, alt. 793.81 m, 2022-VIII-09, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. BP254; 1 ♂, Guanshan Nature Reserve, Jiangxi Province, China, 2017-VIII-26, Guangxin Wang, Wenjian Li leg., genit. prep. WJX25love-17-1.
Diagnosis. This species is similar to Melanoleuca qianshanensis sp. nov. and Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) comb. nov., but can be distinguished by distinct morphological differences in the juxta and saccus of the male genitalia. In this species, the juxta has sharply protruding lateral edges in its distal half, and the distal half of the saccus is nearly rhomboid. In contrast, the juxta of Melanoleuca qianshanensis is ovate, and the distal 3/5 of the saccus is nearly triangular. Both the juxta and saccus of Melanoleuca candidalis are ovate in shape.
Description. Adult (Figure 9C): Wingspan 19.5–20.1 mm. Body white. Frons white mixed with ochreous yellow. Vertex with white tuft. Antenna ochreous yellow; ventral pili length subequal to antenna diameter. Labial palpus: first segment white, second and third segments yellowish white. Maxillary palpus small, ochreous yellow. Proboscis brown, scaled yellowish white basally. Patagium and tegula yellowish white. Thorax and abdomen: ventrally white, dorsally white mixed with ochreous yellow. Wings white; cilia white. Forewing: base and costal 1/3 slightly ochreous yellow, faintly mixed greyish brown; antemedial line blackish brown, slightly excavate; a black spot on outer edge of its upper half; postmedial line blackish brown, with large reniform black spot on costa, protruding between M2 and CuA1, greyish brown and diffuse on lower median part; a rounded black ovate spot at apex. Hindwing: base scattered with long greyish brown piliform scales; outer third irregularly black on white ground, forming a small notch medially; distal discoidal stigma black. Legs white.
Male Genitalia (Figure 11C): Anales tube nearly cylindrical, apex truncate. Uncus irregular, with a ridged longitudinal carina from base, tapering to 2/3. Valva linguiform, densely setose with fine setae, terminal setae stronger. Costa of valva sclerotized, narrowing from base to apex. Transtilla sclerotized, separated medially. Sacculus sclerotized, slender except for a bulge at basal 1/5. Saccus: basal 1/4 transversely small ovate; from 1/4 to 1/2 narrow stalk like; distal half nearly rhomboid, with a sharp spiniform process medially on anterior margin. Juxta: distal half with sharply protruding lateral edges; basal half slightly narrower, nearly semicircular. Phallus uniformly cylindrical, apex obliquely truncate, length approximately 1.3 times of valva.
Female Genitalia (Figure 12B,F,G): Apophysis anterioris about 1.5 times of apophysis posterioris, expanded and acutely projected in I-shaped at about basal 1/4. Ductus bursae slender and elongated, length approximately 7 times of apophysis anteriors. Corpus bursae small, elliptical; signum absent.
Etymology: The specific name is derived from the type locality, Yingshan County in Hubei Province, China.
Distribution: China (Hubei, Jiangxi).

3.5.4. Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) comb. nov. [黑斑熊猫野螟]

  • Figure 9D and Figure 11D
  • Aripana? candidalis Warren, 1896, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (ser. 6) 18: 169.
  • Tabidia candidalis Hampson, 1898, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond. 1898: 624.
  • Tabidia candidalis (Warren, 1896), Entomol. Fennica 25: 57–64, Figures 1b and 2a,b.
Note. Description of the habitus and genitalia was provided by Du & Li (2014).
Distribution. China (Zhejiang, Guangdong), India (Du & Li, 2014).

3.5.5. Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov. [长管熊猫野螟]

  • Figure 9E,F, Figure 11E and Figure 12C,H,I
  • Tabidia longatuba Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024, Entomotaxonomia (2024) 46(1): 55–60, Figures 1–3.
Material examined. HOLOTYPE: 1 ♂, Henggang Mountain, Yuchuan Town, Wuxue City, Hubei Province, China, 30.1725° N, 115.6644° E, alt. 193 m, 2022-VIII-24, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. IOZ(E)224468, genit. prep. Lep3048, molecular no. WJXC3, GenBank accession no. OR371986. PARATYPES: 1 ♀, Wujia Mountain, Dabie Mountain National Nature Reserve, Yingshan County, Hubei Province, China, 31.0725° N, 115.8272° E, alt. 262 m, 2022-VI-06, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. IOZ(E)224469, genit. prep. Lep2200, molecular no. WJXC2, GenBank accession no. OR371985; 1 ♂, Sanjiao Mountain, Xishui County, Hubei Province, China, 30.4989° N, 115.5589° E, alt. 444 m, 2022-VIII-24, Jiaxin Wang, Peng Yu leg., specimen no. IOZ(E)224470, molecular no. WJXK2, GenBank accession no. OR596416.
Note. Description of the habitus and genitalia was provided by Wang et al. (2024) [16].
Distribution. China (Hubei).

3.6. Taxonomic Treatment of Tabidia Snellen, 1880

  • Tabidia Snellen, 1880 [条纹野螟属]
Type species. Tabidia insanalis Snellen, 1880
Distribution. This genus is range extends from South Asia to Australia, with no records in China, exhibiting a tropical Asia–Australasia distribution pattern.
Generic Characters. Adult: Body white. Frons rounded. Labial palpus sickle shaped, curved, long, slender, and acutely pointed. Maxillary palpus small. Male forewing with a dorsally located group of recumbent large scales from base of median nervure. Hindwing termen slightly wavy with a distinct anal angle. Wing pattern with black banded or zigzag markings. Forewing origin of CuA2 near base of median cell [1,5].
Remarks. Integrative evidence from morphology, DNA barcodes, and phylogenetic analyses of mitochondrial genomes indicates that the former concept of Tabidia requires division into two new genera. The three genera now recognized exhibit substantial diagnostic differences (Table 3). Furthermore, the species previously assigned to Tabidia do not form a monophyletic clade, justifying the taxonomic revision proposed here. This study clarifies that the true genus Tabidia, as redefined, is not distributed in China.
Following this revision, Tabidia comprises nine species (Table 4). However, this group remains non-monophyletic, as evidenced by distinct morphological disparities (Figure 15) and its polyphyly in phylogenetic trees (Figure 1) based on DNA barcodes. Due to limited specimen availability and molecular data, the taxonomic status of these nine species is provisionally maintained until more comprehensive morphological and molecular evidence becomes available.
Table 3. Comparison of diagnostic generic characters among Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., and Tabidia Snellen, 1880.
Table 3. Comparison of diagnostic generic characters among Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., and Tabidia Snellen, 1880.
Generic CharactersScintilla gen. nov.Melanoleuca gen. nov.Tabidia Snellen, 1880
Body colorPale yellowishWhiteWhite
FronsRoundedRoundedRounded
Labial palpusUpturned, curved; third segment long, taperingUpturned, curved; third segment long, taperingSickle-shaped, curved, long, slender, acutely pointed
Maxillary palpusMinute, filiformMinute, filiformSmall
Male forewingWithout a group of large scalesWithout a group of large scalesWith a dorsal group of recumbent large scales from base of median nervure
Hindwing termen and anal angleSmooth, rounded; no distinct anal angleSmooth, rounded; no distinct anal angleSlightly wavy; distinct anal angle
Wing patternDark brown or black speckles or fine stripesBrown or black blotchesBlack banded or zigzag markings
Venation (Forewing CuA2)Origin near 3/4 distal of median cellOrigin near 2/3 distal of median cellOrigin near base of median cell
Insects 17 00149 g015
Figure 15. Living adults of Tabidia species (A) Tabidia insanalis Snellen, 1880, photographed by Anthony Kurek at Babinda Boulders, Queensland, Australia. (B) Tabidia inconsequens (Warren, 1896), photographed by Gérard Chartier in Thma Bang, Kaôh Kong, Cambodia. (C) Tabidia aculealis (Walker, 1866), photographed by Mohammed Hayath in Dadadahalli, Karnataka, India. (D) Tabidia truncatalis Hampson, 1899, photographed by David White in Wonga, Queensland, Australia.
Figure 15. Living adults of Tabidia species (A) Tabidia insanalis Snellen, 1880, photographed by Anthony Kurek at Babinda Boulders, Queensland, Australia. (B) Tabidia inconsequens (Warren, 1896), photographed by Gérard Chartier in Thma Bang, Kaôh Kong, Cambodia. (C) Tabidia aculealis (Walker, 1866), photographed by Mohammed Hayath in Dadadahalli, Karnataka, India. (D) Tabidia truncatalis Hampson, 1899, photographed by David White in Wonga, Queensland, Australia.
Insects 17 00149 g015
Table 4. A species list of the three genera: Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., and Tabidia Snellen, 1880.
Table 4. A species list of the three genera: Scintilla gen. nov., Melanoleuca gen. nov., and Tabidia Snellen, 1880.
GenusSpeciesType Locality
Scintilla Wang & Xiao, gen. nov.Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov. (TS)Russia, Amur [Amurland], Khabarovsk [Chabarofka] [2,65]
Scintilla obvia (Du & Li, 2014) comb. nov.China, Hubei [15]
Melanoleuca Wang & Xiao, gen. nov.Melanoleuca luteamacula Wang & Xiao, sp. nov. (TS)China, Hubei; Henan; Yunnan
Melanoleuca qianshanensis Wang & Xiao, sp. nov.China, Anhui, Qianshan
Melanoleuca yingshanensis Wang & Xiao, sp. nov.China, Hubei; Jiangxi
Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) comb. nov.India, Meghalaya, Khasi Hills [Khasias] [2,4]
Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov.China, Hubei, Wuxue [16]
Tabidia Snellen, 1880Tabidia insanalis Snellen, 1880 (TS)Indonesia, Sulawesi [Celebes], Balangnipa; Makassar; Maros [1]
Tabidia defloralis (Snellen, 1883)Indonesia, Sulawesi [Celebes], Maros; Bantaeng [Bonthain] [3]
Tabidia aculealis (Walker, 1866)Indonesia, Sula [2]
Tabidia craterodes Meyrick, 1894Indonesia, Pulo Laut [2]
Tabidia inconsequens (Warren, 1896)India, Meghalaya, Khasi Hills [Khasias] [2,4]
Tabidia flexulalis Snellen, 1899New Guinea, Dinner Island [Dinner-eiland] [2]
Tabidia truncatalis Hampson, 1899Indonesia, Maluku, Ambon Island [Amboina]. Papua New Guinea, Humboldt Bay; D’Entrecasteaux Islands, Fergusson Island. Australia, Queensland [2]
Tabidia nacoleialis Hampson, 1912Malaysia, Penang [2]
Tabidia fuscifusalis Hampson, 1917Sri Lanka [Ceylon], Ratnapura [2]

4. Discussion

4.1. Taxonomic Revision of Chinese Tabidia

Our integrated analysis, combining morphology, COI barcodes, and mitogenomic phylogeny, demonstrates that the Chinese species previously classified under Tabidia do not form a monophyletic group. This confirms the initial morphological suspicions regarding the heterogeneity of the genus. Consequently, we erect two new genera, Scintilla gen. nov. and Melanoleuca gen. nov., to accommodate these species. This revision is robustly supported by distinct morphological characters and stable molecular phylogenetic relationships. The conserved mitogenome structures of both new genera, showing the ancestral lepidopteran gene order, are consistent with patterns commonly observed in Spilomelinae.

4.2. Systematic Placement of the New Genera

The phylogenetic trees, particularly the robust mitogenomic analysis, consistently place the type species of both Scintilla and Melanoleuca within the tribe Agroterini. This finding aligns with previous studies based on molecular data [66,67] or mitochondrial genomic data [34,41,57,63,68], further confirming the tribal classification framework within Spilomelinae. However, they do not form a single clade but are recovered in two distinct subclades within Agroterini. This structure strongly supports their recognition as separate, valid genera within this tribe, rather than being merged into a single genus or placed elsewhere. The position of Tylostega tylostegalis outside the core Agroterini clade in our analysis highlights the potential non-monophyly of Agroterini as currently defined and warrants further investigation. Furthermore, the taxonomic status of the “Unplaced” group comprising Syllepte taiwanalis and Pycnarmon lactiferalis remains complex [64,69], reflecting the need for further exploration of higher-level phylogeny within Spilomelinae.

4.3. Delimitation and Composition of the New Genera

The monophyly of Scintilla gen. nov. (comprising S. strigiferalis comb. nov. and S. obvia comb. nov.) and Melanoleuca gen. nov. (comprising M. luteamacula sp. nov., M. qianshanensis sp. nov., M. yingshanensis sp. nov., M. candidalis comb. nov., and M. longatuba comb. nov.) is well-supported. Each genus possesses a unique combination of stable diagnostic characteristics in morphology and molecular sequences that distinguish them from each other and from other Agroterini genera. Species of Scintilla gen. nov. are mainly distributed in China, South Korea, and Russia, while those of Melanoleuca gen. nov., except for M. candidalis comb. nov., which is also found in India, are currently known only from China.

4.4. The Status of Tabidia Sensu Stricto and Remaining Species

After the transfer of the Chinese species, Tabidia sensu stricto comprises nine species. Our preliminary evidence suggests that this core group may also be non-monophyletic. For instance, the COI-based phylogeny and external morphology indicate that Tabidia defloralis likely belongs to the tribe Herpetogrammatini, clustering with Herpetogramma and Metoeca. This finding suggests that the genus Tabidia requires a comprehensive global revision. As noted by Yuan et al. (2019) [70], using a single gene locus (like COI) for reconstructing higher-level phylogeny in Spilomelinae may have limitations. Future studies should employ multi-gene data and detailed morphological comparisons (as used in Matsui et al. 2023 [71]; Tang & Du 2023 [72]) to validate these inferences. The taxonomic status of the remaining species, primarily known from original descriptions and distributed in the Australasian region, cannot be clarified without further morphological study and molecular data. Based on current knowledge, no definitive records of Tabidia sensu stricto exist in China. The revised Tabidia sensu stricto is mainly distributed in the Australasian region, including Papua New Guinea and Australia and coastal areas of Indonesia.

Supplementary Materials

The following supporting information can be downloaded at: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/insects17020149/s1, Table S1: Mitogenomic organization of Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov.; Table S2: Mitogenomic organization of Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov.; Data S1: Alignment of COI sequences used for phylogenetic analysis in this study; Data S2: Alignment of mitochondrial protein-coding and rRNA genes used for phylogenetic analysis in this study.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, J.-X.W., J.W. and Y.-L.X.; investigation, J.-X.W., Y.-L.X. and W.-L.L.; writing—original draft, J.-X.W.; writing—review and editing, J.-X.W. and Y.-L.X.; funding acquisition, Y.-L.X. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

Funding

This study is supported by the National Science & Technology Fundamental Resources Investigation Program of China (Grant No. 2019FY101800), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32371699), and the Science and Technology Research Project for Young Talents of Hubei Provincial Department of Education (Grant No. Q20242905).

Data Availability Statement

Data are contained within the article.

Acknowledgments

We extend our sincere gratitude to the following individuals and institutions for kindly granting permission to use specimen photographs and ecological images in this study: Erik J. van Nieukerken (Naturalis Biodiversity Center, Netherlands) for the specimen image of Tabidia defloralis; Scott Miller and Alma Solis (NMNH, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC) for the specimen image of Tabidia insanalis; Anthony Kurek (Australia) and David White (Australia) for ecological photographs of Tabidia insanalis and Tabidia truncatalis, respectively; Gérard Chartier (Cambodia) for the ecological image of Tabidia inconsequens; and Mohammed Hayath (India) for the ecological photograph of Tabidia aculealis. We are also grateful to Xiao Shan (Wuhan, China) and Lawrence Hylton (Hong Kong, China) for providing ecological images of Scintilla strigiferalis and Scintilla obvia, respectively. Special thanks go to my good friends Gao Fan and Li Jianbo for permitting the use of ecological photographs of Melanoleuca species. Special thanks are extended to Senior Sister Jin Yuanyuan for her assistance in supplementing the collection of the Melanoleuca luteamacula specimen. It was their support and encouragement that made this study more vivid and comprehensive, for which we are immensely grateful. We sincerely appreciate the editor and reviewers for their critical review and valuable input during the evaluation process.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

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Figure 3. Visualization of the mitochondrial genomes of Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov. and Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov.
Figure 3. Visualization of the mitochondrial genomes of Scintilla strigiferalis (Hampson, 1900) comb. nov. and Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov.
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Figure 11. Male genitalia of Melanoleuca species (A). Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. Lep2347; (B). Melanoleuca qianshanensis sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. Lep2346; (C). Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. Lep3598; (D). Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) (after Du & Li, 2014); (E). Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov. holotype, genitalia slide no. Lep3048, (after Wang et al., 2024). (F). Comparative views of the medial structures in male genitalia, corresponding to figures (A–E). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A–C,E).
Figure 11. Male genitalia of Melanoleuca species (A). Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. Lep2347; (B). Melanoleuca qianshanensis sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. Lep2346; (C). Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov., holotype, genitalia slide no. Lep3598; (D). Melanoleuca candidalis (Warren, 1896) (after Du & Li, 2014); (E). Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov. holotype, genitalia slide no. Lep3048, (after Wang et al., 2024). (F). Comparative views of the medial structures in male genitalia, corresponding to figures (A–E). Scale bars: 0.5 mm (A–C,E).
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Figure 12. Female genitalia of Melanoleuca species (A,D,E). Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. WJX25love-34-2; (B,F,G). Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. Lep2345; (C,H,I). Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov. paratype, genitalia slide no. Lep2200, (after Wang et al., 2024). Scale bars: 0.5 cm (A,B); 1 cm (C); 1 mm (D–I).
Figure 12. Female genitalia of Melanoleuca species (A,D,E). Melanoleuca luteamacula sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. WJX25love-34-2; (B,F,G). Melanoleuca yingshanensis sp. nov., paratype, genitalia slide no. Lep2345; (C,H,I). Melanoleuca longatuba (Wang, Du & Xiao, 2024) comb. nov. paratype, genitalia slide no. Lep2200, (after Wang et al., 2024). Scale bars: 0.5 cm (A,B); 1 cm (C); 1 mm (D–I).
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Wang, J.-X.; Wu, J.; Liu, W.-L.; Xiao, Y.-L. Re-Examination: No True Tabidia Snellen, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in China, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Three New Species. Insects 2026, 17, 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17020149

AMA Style

Wang J-X, Wu J, Liu W-L, Xiao Y-L. Re-Examination: No True Tabidia Snellen, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in China, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Three New Species. Insects. 2026; 17(2):149. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17020149

Chicago/Turabian Style

Wang, Jia-Xin, Jun Wu, Wan-Lu Liu, and Yun-Li Xiao. 2026. "Re-Examination: No True Tabidia Snellen, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in China, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Three New Species" Insects 17, no. 2: 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17020149

APA Style

Wang, J.-X., Wu, J., Liu, W.-L., & Xiao, Y.-L. (2026). Re-Examination: No True Tabidia Snellen, 1880 (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) in China, with Descriptions of Two New Genera and Three New Species. Insects, 17(2), 149. https://doi.org/10.3390/insects17020149

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