SUBFAMILY EPIPLEMINAE
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Phazaca mutans Butler comb. n.
   
Erosia mutans Butler, 1887, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (5), 19: 434.
   
Erosia conscripta Lucas, 1894, Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S. W. 8:154.
   
Dirades annulifer Warren, 1896, Novit. zool., 3: 274.
   
Dirades seminigra Warren, 1896, Novit. zool., 3: 346, syn. n.


Phazaca mutans (Singapore)


Phazaca mutans (Singapore)


Diagnosis.
As with the previous two species, the forewing postmedial enables the sexes to be associated and the species distinguished. It is strongest across the apical half, weakly concave distad, and delineated paler. In other species it is convex and usually darker, except in erosioides and acutilinea. The hindwings are purplish brown in both sexes, the postmedial straight in the male but right-angled in the female. The female has a longitudinal pale streak to the hindwing that bisects this angle. The female genitalia are unusual in lacking a signum, the bursa being generally finely scobinate. The base of the ductus and ostium are broadened, shaped somewhat as in a wine glass.

Taxonomic notes. P. lugens Warren comb. n. (Samoa) appears to be closely related to mutans but with a straighter forewing postmedial. The Australian 'male' in the original description of lugens has female hindwing facies, venation and frenulum, lacks a head and has a damaged abdomen, so it would thus be advisable to designate the Samoan specimen as LECTOTYPE. The Australian specimen may well be mutans. P. seminigra Warren (Queensland; based on females only) is conspecific with mutans, having the typical genitalic features mentioned above. P. rhombifera Warren comb. n. (Timor) appears to be distinct, based on a female with a much less strongly angled hindwing postmedial. These observations are somewhat at odds with the systematic arrangement in Nielsen, Edwards & Rangsi (1996), and further revision of this group of taxa may be necessary.

Geographical range. Sundaland to Queensland and Solomons.

Habitat preference. The only Bornean material seen is from Bidi in the lowlands of Sarawak.

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