An overview of the genus Speiredonia with description of seven new species (Insecta, Lepidoptera: Noctuidae)

Revisionary work on the genus Speiredonia Hübner, [1823] led to the following nomenclatural acts: seven species new to science are described, namely Speiredonia cthulhui Zilli & Holloway sp. n. (New Guinea), S. martabanica Holloway & Zilli sp. n. (Burma), S. sandokana Zilli & Holloway sp. n. (Sundaland), S. ibanorum Holloway & Zilli sp. n. (Borneo), S. gowa Holloway & Zilli sp. n. (Wallacea) and S. levis Holloway & Zilli sp. n. ([Timor?] Oinainisa), all well characterised on basis of male and female genitalia and, to a variable extent, of habitus
and pattern, and Speiredonia celebensis Hogenes & Zilli sp. n. (Sulawesi; Sulabesi), principally distinct from S. alix (Guenée, 1852) by the short and blunt labial palpus segment 3 of male; Sericia calamistrata Moore, 1883 is shown to be a junior subjective synonym of Spiredonia [sic] alix Guenée, 1852 (syn. n.); Phalaena Noctua obscura Cramer, 1780 is transferred from Spirama Guenée, 1852 to Speiredonia (new assignment) and shown to be a senior subjective
synonym of Phalaena Noctua zamis Stoll, 1790 (syn. rev.); Phalaena Noctua feducia Stoll, 1790 (type species of Speiredonia) is shown to be a nomen dubium and removed from synonymy with Noctua itynx Fabricius, 1787, but the fixation of a new type species for the genus is considered as unnecessary. Furthermore, the habitus and genitalia of two little-known species, viz. Speiredonia substruens (Walker, 1858) and S. cymosema (Hampson, 1926), and other species that have never been studied genitalically before, are briefly characterised and illustrated. An annotated checklist with distribution and iconographic references to all nominal taxa involved is provided.