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Daphnis
placida Walker
Darapsa placida Walker, 1856, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln. Br. Mus.,
8: 186.
Deilephila placida Walker; Rothschild & Jordan, 1903: 511.
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Daphnis
placida 
(.65
natural size)
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Diagnosis. This is a smaller species than hypothous with the forewing
fasciation more uniform and obscure. The basal dark patch is distally more
circular. There is no strong white spot at the apex.
Geographical range. Andaman Is., Sundaland to New Caledonia.
Habitat preference. The species is much rarer than its congener. Only two
specimens have been taken in recent surveys, one at 2600m on G. Kinabalu
(Holloway, 1976) and one at 1790m in upper montane forest on G. Mulu.
Records of placida by Harman (1981) in fact refer to hypothous.
Biology. The larva was described briefly by Bell & Scott (1937) as
having a pale dorsolateral stripe and orange spiracles. The colour was not
mentioned but is probably green. Robinson (1975) described inflated skins from Queensland as
probably faded from green, with dorsal and dorsolateral lines variously
present, purplish, and a small green-centred white ocellus on T3.
Recorded host-plants (Bell & Scott; Robinson) are: Alstonia,
Tabernaemontana (Apocynaceae).
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