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Dysaethria
subalbata Guenée comb. n.
Erosia subalbata Guenée, 1857, Hist. nat. Insectes, Spec.
Gen. Lep., 10: 37.
Diagnosis. This
and the following four species are all closely related, with bipectinate male
antennae and similar dark brown suffusion and marking on a bone-white ground;
examination of the male genitalia is recommended. However, subalbata has
a whiter ground colour and a more generally clouded forewing postmedial. In the
genitalia the fan of scales is relatively small, and the aedeagus vesica has a
cluster of small cornuti set deep in the shaft when uneverted.
Taxonomic notes. This species group is characterised by a fan or row of paddle-like
scales directed inwards from the centre of each valve of the male genitalia. The
aedeagus is long and the vesica contains cornuti. Other species in the group
include D. cretacea Butler comb. n. (Japan) and D. albidaria Walker
(= lacteata Warren) comb. n. (New Guinea). Specimens from Java (slide
360) and Luzon (slide 347) have facies as in D. exprimataria Walker (see
below) but male genitalia as in subalbata, particularly the short row of
paddle-scales on the valves, the narrow, delicate T-shaped juxta and a
scattering of cornuti in the aedeagus vesica.
Geographical range. Borneo. Peninsular Malaysia (FRIM colln); ?Java,
?Luzon.
Habitat preference. The species is infrequent in various types of lowland
forest including heath forest. A few specimens were taken at 1000m in lower
montane forest on G. Mulu during the Mulu survey.
Biology. No biological information is available for Bornean members of this
group, but cretacea is noted as feeding on Daphniphyllum (Daphniphyllaceae)
by Sugi (1987) and Chen (1997). The larva is illustrated by Chen, and is a
glistening, rugose black all over.
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