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Calliteara
zelotica Collenette
Dasychira zelotica Collenette,
1932, Novit. zool., 38: 88.
Dasychira zelotica hamilleter Collenette,
1953, Treubia, 22: 232.
Diagnosis. Males of this species are similar to those of C. aphrasta Collenette , with lightly fasciated and irrorated, bone-coloured forewings and
darker brown hindwings. They are larger, the forewings more elongate and the
hindwings darker brown, less variegated. The forewing postmedial has the lunules
at one third and two thirds somewhat stronger, whereas in aphrasta they
are not emphasised. This is also seen in the female, which again has a more
uniform hindwing with only faint marginal flecks compared to the prominent dark
ones of the forewing; in aphrasta they are equally dark.
Taxonomic notes. The species has genitalic features that indicate a relationship to cerigoides
and to the horsfieldii group rather than to the angulata group
as suggested by Holloway (1982b). These features are: a pair of small spine-like
juxta prongs; a blunt spur at the aedeagus apex. The serrations on the interior
margin of the valve are coarse as in cerigoides.
There is some confusion over the identity of zelotica. The
original description of hamilleter obviously refers to the species
diagnosed here, but the genitalia differences suggest that the ‘zelotica’
specimen under consideration was aphrasta, particularly with regard
to juxta spines. The specimen labelled as holotype has facies as in hamilleter
and a cross-reference to genitalia slide 134 which is of aphrasta, but
labelled as type of zelotica. A second male specimen of the same
provenance, but much more worn, is of aphrasta but has a cross-reference
to slide 135 which matches hamilleter. The two preparations were mounted
from dissections made by W.H.T. Tams in 1932 and probably retained in tubes at
that time. It is likely that the two have been transposed at some time between
1932 and 1953, leading to the confusion. It is clear from the original
description that the holotype is the ‘hamilleter’ male and not the
‘aphrasta’ one. The allotype female of zelotica is also aphrasta.
Geographical range. Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo.
Habitat preference. Of
the four specimens taken in recent surveys, three were from primary lowland
forest (in the Tawau district of Sabah and the Ulu Temburong area of Brunei) and
one was from secondary forest and coastal vegetation at Seria, Brunei.
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