SUBFAMILY HADENINAE
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Athetis nonagrica Walker comb. n.
Curgia nonagrica Walker, 1864, J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Zool), 7:166.
Amphipyra agrotoides Snellen, 1880, Tijdschr. Ent. 23: 77, syn. n.
Leucocosmia nonagrica Walker; Holloway, 1976: 14 (most specimens and figured genitalia).


Athetis nonagrica


Athetis nonagrica


Diagnosis.
This species is generally as in A. thoracica but slightly larger. The male has the buff zone of the forewing more extensive but a less orange buff, but it lacks the buff zone to the base of the hindwing of thoracica males. The abdomen is less conspicuously darker. In both sexes the forewing pale postmedial is edged interiorly by dark dots on the veins in nonagrica but rarely so in thoracica. Females of nonagrica have a conspicuous dark brown subbasal mark on the forewing, lacking in thoracica. In the male genitalia the valve is much more rounded, lacking the acute apex of that of thoracica; the aedeagus vesica has two short diverticula rather than one long one, and the main tube bears a series of short, widely spaced cornuti rather than a more closely packed series of longer ones. In the female genitalia the appendix bursae is at least twice as long, half as wide and much more convolute.

Taxonomic note. The name nonagrica has been applied consistently to the previous species in recent literature. Examination of the holotype (UM, Oxford) has shown this to be erroneous. The holotype of agrotoides (RMNH, Leiden) is a female of nonagrica.

Geographical range.
Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Sulawesi, New Guinea.

Habitat preference.
The species is found from the lowlands to 2600m, but is possibly more common at higher altitudes. It exhibits preference for open habitats.

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