TRIBE OPHIUSINI
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Thyas honesta Hübner
Thyas honesta Hübner, 1806, Zuträge Samml. exot. Schmett., 2 (Index): 4.
Thyas honesta Hübner; Holloway, 1976: 29; Kobes, 1985: 32.


Thyas honesta


Diagnosis
. This species and juno Dalman are unique in their pale red hindwings. This colour extends to the abdomen completely in honesta, whereas in juno the dorsal part is brown. There is a submarginal black patch in honesta, but a broad brown area basally in juno that contains a sinuous pale blue band, markings that are closer to those of javanica Dalman.

Taxonomic note. The species is sister to T. miniacea Felder that extends from the Moluccas and Lesser Sundas to Northern Australia, Fiji, Samoa and New Caledonia (Holloway, 1979), and Micronesia (Marianas, Carolines).

Geographical range. Indian Subregion, Burma, Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo, Philippines.

Habitat preference. The species is uncommon (but possibly does not come strongly to light), but has been recorded (five specimens in recent surveys) from the lowlands (300m) to 1620m.

Biology. The larva was described by Bell (MS) as ophiusine in shape, the prolegs of A3 reduced, those of A4 slightly, the others being well developed. Bell noted it to be difficult to distinguish from that of T. coronata Fabricius comb. n. or Artena species. A8 is tumid towards the posterior margins, with a dorsolateral pair of conical tubercles, yellowish patched with red. The colour is a ‘livid’ green, finely lined longitudinally with white, the lines usually double and centred purplish; transverse extensions of white from these lines give a marbled effect. The double dorsal line widens out to form a small circle, black with white marbling, on A5 and there are similar but smaller circles on the segments immediately posterior to this. There is a lateral black spot on A1 and indications of smaller ones in this position on other segments. The ventral surface is similarly marbled in green, white and purple, with black patches between the prolegs of A3 and A4 and blackish red ones between the prolegs of A5 and A6.

The larva lies either fully stretched or slightly humped at A1. Pupation is in leaves lined with silk.

The host plants (Robinson
et al., 2001) recorded are from the Lecythidaceae: Barringtonia and Planchonia. However, the related T. miniacea feeds on Quisqualis and Terminalia in the Combretaceae (Robinson, 1975).

The adult is known to pierce fruit in Thailand (Bänziger, 1982; Kuroko & Lewvanich, 1993).

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