Meharia | |
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Genus: | Meharia Chrétien, 1915
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Meharia is a genus of moths belonging to the family Cossidae.
Meharia is distinguished from all other Cossidae genus by a number of apomorphous characters: the specific “tineoid appearance”, the reduction of the lateral processes of the juxta, the specific dorsolateral sclerotization of the asymmetric aedeagus and the specific ribbon – like epiphysis.
These are small to medium sized moths, females larger; eyes naked; male and female antennae bipectinate along their length; proboscis reduced; legs long, slender; foretibia bearing a ribbon-like epiphysis; forewing elongate, rounded on the outer margin; forewing pattern has alternate dark and pale spots and bands transversely; hindwing uniform.
Eleven species have been reported so far, primarily from the deserts and arid mountains of the Western Palearctic and Africa.