TRIBE NYGMIINI n.
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Rhypotoses ruptata Walker comb. rev. 
   
Artaxa? ruptata Walker, 1862, J. Linn. Soc. (Zool.), 6:126.
   
Euproctis arenacea Hampson, 1893, Fauna Br. India, Moths, 1: 476.
   
Mardara ruficeps Hampson, 1896, Fauna Br. India, Moths, 4: 489.
   
Cifuna biundulans Hampson, 1897, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 11: 294.


Rhypotoses ruptata

Rhypotoses ruptata


Diagnosis.
This and the final species are small, with a pale yellowish fawn ground colour irrorated darker brown, and are sexually dimorphic. The males have forewing fasciae in the same position as other Rhypotoses, with stronger brown marking basal to the antemedial and distal to the postmedial, the latter being particularly dense, and the area basal to it is completely dark brown rather than being only lightly irrorated. Females of both species are darker, greyer, the forewings much more uniformly irrorated, the fasciae only faintly evident and only the costal triangle appearing darker. The antemedial is more curved in the smaller female of ruptata.

Taxonomic note. The venation of both species is as in Rhypotoses, and the male genitalia are of the rounded valve type, though with the apices acute. They are therefore retained in Rhypotoses as indicated by Collenette (1953), rather than placed in Euproctis (ruptata only) as in Schintlmeister (1994).

Geographical range. N.E. Himalaya, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo.

Habitat preference. The species has only been taken in lowland forest, where it can sometimes be common.

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