A preliminary study of the wings vein structure of slug moths (Lepidoptera: Limacodidae)

Limacodidae belonging to the superfamily Zygaenoidea of Lepidoptera, is widely distributed throughout the world. With over 1700 known species, it represents an important group for studying the biodiversity of Lepidoptera. The wing vein morphology is an essential approach to explore the diversity within lepidopteran insects. This study conducted preliminary analyses of the wing morphology of several Limacodidae species. Based on establishing a wing vein structure model and defining wing vein landmarks for procrustes analysis, we compared the wing vein morphologies of different species based on centroid size. The results revealed significant morphological differences in the forewings of different limacodidae species, particularly in landmarks 6(representing the M vein) and 10(indicating the common stalk of R₃ and R₅ veins). Notably, significant disparities were detected in Monema flavescens, Parasa consocia, and Thosea sinensis at these landmarks(F=4.033, P < 0.05). However, no significant differences were observed in the wing morphology of the hind wings(P > 0.05).