Monosyntaxis Swinhoe
Type
species: trimaculata Hampson, Borneo.
Synonym:
Monotaxis Hampson (type species trimaculata
Hampson) praeocc.
This
genus can be strictly defined to include only those species that resemble the
type in extreme sexual dimorphism in wing pattern, the males virtually uniform
blue-black except for a small red or orange patch near the base of the forewing,
and the females with extensive areas or spots of pale yellow on both wings. The
general coloration is shared also with the next two genera and a few others not
represented in Borneo such as Chrysorhabdia
Butler (Oriental), Oeonosia Hampson
(New Guinea) and Acco Bethune-Baker
(New Guinea).
The
male genitalia share with Oeonistis Hübner
a reduced uncus, and a small aedeagus with an immaculate vesica but are
otherwise distinguished by the rather strongly falcate apex to the saccular
process of the valve, and presence of a bridge-like structure between the two
sacculi at their innermost dorsal extremities. Oeonistis does not show sexual dimorphism.
The
female genitalia of the type species have the ductus very short, with a slight
colliculum, leading into a long neck to the corpus bursae that is of similar
width and irregularly corrugate. The distal expansion of the bursa contains a
scobinate signum.
The
genus as strictly defined is restricted to Sundaland, the Philippines and
Sulawesi, with other species being affinis
Rothschild (Peninsular Malaysia to Java), montanus Schulze (Luzon), ochrosphena
Wileman & West (Luzon) and radiifera
Cernı (Mindanao). The two Luzon taxa may be conspecific, and the Sulawesi
species is undescribed (slide 4793). New Guinea species such as persimilis
Rothschild, bipunctata Bethune-Baker
and metallescens Rothschild are
unrelated, as is samoensis Rebel from
Samoa.
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