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Atacira barlowi sp. n.
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Atacira barlowi 
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12-13mm. The forewing ground colour is rich ochreous fawn, marked with
dark brown as illustrated. The species is close in facies to melanephra Hampson
(India, Sri Lanka) but differs in having a more ochreous ground colour, a dark
brown band between medial and postmedial, and a brown shade at the marginal
angle as well as at the tornus.
Holotype . Genting Tea Estate, 2000ft,
W. Pahang, MALAYSIA (H.S. Barlow) 5.7.78.
Paratype . As holotype but 17.5.78.
Geographical range. Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo.
Habitat preference. The single Bornean specimen was taken at Ulu
Temburong, Brunei, at 300m in hill dipterocarp forest.
Biology. Bell (MS) described some of the life history of the related Indian
species, melanephra. The larva lives in a thin silk net into which fine
particles of leaf have been incorporated, creating a hump in the middle of the
back and at the anal end. The head is shining black, orange and white. The body
is dark vinous purple or red, with greyish marbling that is concentrated
somewhat in longitudinal bands. The prolegs are distinctively lobed, the lobes
being white. The ventrum is yellowish. The dimensions at maturity are
approximately 18mm by 3.5mm.
The larva rests on the bark when not feeding and is well camouflaged by
the browned leaf particles in its coat. It chews the leaf into long curved
strips to make the particles for the coat. The larva burrows into rotten wood to
pupate, utilising its coat as a cocoon.
The host plant is Ficus (Moraceae), but another similar larva,
not reared through, was found on Odina (Anacardiaceae).
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