Acronicta rubiginosa Walker

Acronicta rubiginosa Walker, 1862, J. Linn. Soc. Lond. (Zool.), 6: 178.

Acronicta rubiginosa Walker; Holloway, 1976: 13.

Diagnosis

See Acronicta pruinosa Guenee. In Craniophora species the forewing margins are much less oblique, the hindwings are pale yellowish brown (males) or grey (females) with a much stronger, somewhat punctate postmedial on the underside.

Taxonomic notes

A. denticulata* Moore stat. rev. from the Himalaya is distinct, having a strongly bifid distal process on the sacculus. The corona of the valve is similar to that of Trichosea species.

Geographical range

Sundaland.

Habitat preference

The species is most common in montane localities, from 1200m to 1930m on G. Kinabalu, in lower and upper montane forest on G. Mulu and G. Api in northern Sarawak and on Bukit Retak in Brunei. A few specimens have been taken in lowland dipterocarp forest and alluvial forest.

Biology

Gardner (1941) described the larva in India, a description probably referable to denticulata rather than rubiginosa. The body is mostly black marked with red: the head is dark red; the primary setae are borne on chalazae and are red. There are no verrucae but segments A1-A3 have paired, dorsal, rounded, densely pubescent swellings and there are four on A8; otherwise secondary setae are not apparent.

The host-plant noted was Terminalia (Combretaceae).

Genitalia: