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Comostola
laesaria Walker
Iodis laesaria Walker, 1861, List Specimens lepid. Insects
Colln. Br. Mus., 22: 544.
Eucrostis perlepidaria Walker,
1866, Ibid., 35: 1610.
Diagnosis. The first five species discussed here have similar pale blue-green
facies and modified forewing venation (see generic account). C. laesaria is
the smallest, with the postmedials strongly red, punctate, the spots only
present on the dorsum, in the space anterior to CuA1, and, smaller, on veins R5
and M1. All these species are most reliably distinguished on male genitalic
characters as illustrated.
Geographical range. Widespread in Indo-Australian tropics from Sri Lanka, India and
Taiwan to N. Australia and Bismarcks.
Habitat preference. Most material seen is from lowland forest, but one specimen was
taken at 900m on G. Api.
Biology. Bell (MS) described the larva in S. India. It is cylindrical,
usually in a highly looped posture. The colour is pale greenish white, with a
fine darker dorsal line and a roseate tinge to the anal flaps. However, Bigger
(1988) referred to a brown larva with rather rough appearance for this species
in the Solomons
The larva hides in the
flowers of the host-plant, feeding on them. Pupation is in a light silken cocoon
incorporating plant fragments, the pupa attached by the tail.
Bell noted Memecylon (Melastomataceae)
and Buchanania (Anacardiaceae) as host-plants. The species has been
recorded as feeding as a larva on Melaleuca (Myrtaceae) flowers in
Australia (Balciunas et al., 1993), and on those of Dimocarpus (Sapindaceae)
and Mangifera (Anacardiaceae) in Thailand (Kuroko & Lewvanich, 1993).
The host-plant recorded by Bigger in the Solomons is Terminalia (Combretaceae).
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