|
Cheromettia Walker
Type species: ferruginea Moore.
The species are sexually dimorphic, the males being rufous brown or
black; those with males black with triangular hindwings show a greater degree of
sexual dimorphism. In all taxa the forewings of the male are narrower than those
of the female, a characteristic also of the presumed sister genus, Belippa Walker.
The male antennae are broadly bipectinate only over the basal quarter, those of
the female being filiform. In both sexes these are small black patches at the
apex of the forewing and the apex and tornus of the hindwing, though these are
obscured in black males.
In the male genitalia there is a rectangular, distally spined plate at
the base of each valve (shared with Belippa where it is broader and
flexed ventrad rather than directed dorsad). The setose lateral margins of the
tegumen are rather markedly lobed ventrally as in Atosia Snellen and in
the next genus.
The female bursa (sumatrensis) has a scattering of small spines,
presumably a reduction from the array of small stellate signa seen in Belippa.
The ductus is weakly spiralled. The eighth segment is somewhat elongate, the
apophyses small (absent in Belippa). The membrane between the eighth
segment and the ovipositor lobes is extensive and finely setose.
The larva appears to be of constant form within the genus (Horsfield
& Moore, 1859; Moore, 1882-4; Piepers & Snellen, 1900; Wood, 1968 (colour
photo); Kalshoven, 1981; Bell, M.S.) subovate, dull bluish green with several
longitudinal rows of small yellow spots and devoid of processes. The Indian
species apicata Moore, lohor Moore and ferruginea Moore,
and the Sundanian species are all of this form.
The species are polyphagous and have been recorded (references above,
unpublished CIE records and Browne, 1968) from Musa (Musaceac), Elaeis
(Palmae), Aleurites, Ricinus (Euphorbiaccae) Careya (Barringtoniaceae).
Eugenia (Myrtaceae) Theobroma (Sterculiaceae), Ixora, Coffea,
Mussaenda (Rubiaceae), Mangifera (Anacardiaceae), Schleichera,
Nephelium (Sapindaceae), Erythrina, Butea, Phaseolus (Leguminosae) Juglans
(Juglandaceae) and Toona (Meliaceae).
Most of the species (some undescribed) arc found in the Indian Subregion.
C. sumatrensis is the most easterly species.
<<Back
>>Forward <<Return
to Contents page
|
