Ratarda Hering

The species are delicate cossoids with fore- and hindwings of approximately equal area and with distinctive rounded margins. In the forewing, vein CuP is weak to absent so there is only one strong anal vein. The fore- wing pattern is characteristically of white blotches on dark blackish brown, or spots of the latter colour on a ground of white, yellow or dull red.

All the specimens in the BMNH are female as are those referred to by Hering. The antennae are weakly bipectinate over the whole length. The genitalia (Fig. 88) show marked similarity to those of the Metarbelidae.

Nothing is known about the biology of the species and they are evidently very rare in nature. One Bornean specimen was taken at light but the single specimen from Peninsular Malaysia was probably taken (by W.A. Fleming) flying by day. The similarity of the female structure to that of the Metarbelidae suggests similar oviposition behaviour, so the Ratardidae may also be bark feeders as larvae.

The Bornean species, all described by Hering (1925), are:

Ratarda mora Hering (Fig. 68). This is a black species with circular white spots on the forewings, some slightly larger than in the specimen illustrated of the next species. Two specimens are known from the island of Labuan, taken by Waterstradt.