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Didigua
purpureoscripta
Walker stat. rev.
Didigua purpureoscripta Walker, 1862, J. Linn. Soc. (Zool.), 6: 181.
Didigua
chalybea
Warren, 1916, Novit. zool., 23: 221,
syn. n.
Didigua chalybea Warren; Kobes, 1997: 154.
Didigua
purpureoscripta
Diagnosis. This and the next species have very similar facies, but the
forewing of purpureoscripta is more heavily marked with bluish black, and
the hindwing is usually darker. Both have the forewing markings typical of the
genus on a grey ground, but the postmedial is much closer to the reniform mark
in purpureoscripta, and the reniform is generally more emphatic. In the
male genitalia the aedeagus vesica of purpureoscripta is small and lacks
the cornuti of seticornis. The valve is broader, especially basally, and
is invested with a dense array of deciduous scales over its distal part. The
costal process is more prominent.
Taxonomic note.
This species was retained as a synonym of
seticornis by Kobes (1997; illustrated in Plate VI: 208 as
D. seticornis
sumatrana
Roepke), following Poole (1989), but is distinct. The facies of chalybea
is similar but more intensely developed, with a darker hindwing; the male
genitalia are, however, not separable from those of purpureoscripta. It
is possible that the even more intensely marked
D.
eloka
Kobes from the mountains of Sumatra is also very closely related. The male
genitalia are very similar, but the forewing is heavily suffused with black
distal to the postmedial and basal to the antemedial, with further black
crossing the medial zone obliquely from the postmedial at the costa to the
antemedial at the dorsum.
Geographical range. Borneo, Sumatra.
Habitat preference. This is an infrequent species of lowland forest, no
specimen being taken higher than 150m. Much of recent material has been taken in
an area of dry heath forest at Telisai in Brunei. In the Danum Valley Field
Centre area it occurred in both logged and unlogged forest.
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