Scientific classification

Animalia > Arthropoda > Insecta > Lepidoptera > Ditrysia > Thyridoidea > Thyrididae > Striglininae > Iscalina

Genus Iscalina  Whalley, 1976

Type species: hyperbolica Warren (1898:224) (Striglina) is from New Guinea. The male holotype is in the NHM, genitalia slide #13507 (Whalley 1976:115, 116).

Generic description: Eyes without interfacetal hairs, antennae minutely ciliate. Labial palps three segmented, relatively short in both sexes. Fore tibiae with epiphysis. Hind tibiae with two pairs of spurs. Each tarsus with rows of spines. FW with R2-R5 separately from cell. HW with Sc+R1 and Rs close but not touching. Frenulum double in the females. Valve in males reduced. Subscaphium without modified scales, gnathos slender, sacculus process often forked. Female with large ostial plates, often deeply grooved. Signum absent or often reduced. (Whalley 1976:115-117).

This is a small genus, centred on New Guinea, with just two species redescribed by Whalley who gives a key to the males. He considered it restricted to the Australasian region (Whalley, 1976:29, Map 7) but I. mediosecta (Warren 1898) extends beyond Malesia to Myanmar. Although superficially similar to some Banisia spp. in appearance, Iscalina lacks fenestrae. Both I. mediosecta (Warren, 1898) and I. hyperbolica (Warren 1898) are variable and show sexual dimorphism. The extent of this variability needs closer examination.