Agathia laetata Fabricius

Phalaena laetata Fabricius, 1794, Ent. Syst. 3 (2): 164.

Agathia catenaria Walker, 1861, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus. 22:590.

Agathia laetata isogyna Prout, 1916, Novit. zool. 23: 199.

Agathia furcula Matsumura, 1931, 6000 Ins. Japan p.862.

Agathia laetata andamanensis Prout, 1932, Gross-Schmett. Erde. 12: 67.

Diagnosis

This and the next two species are somewhat similar but laetata has a more purplish mauve tint to the dark borders of the wings (less intense in the female) and lacks a medial brown fascia dividing the main area of green. The subapical green patch of the forewing is more triangular.

Geographical Range

Indian Subregion to Taiwan, Sundaland.

Habitat Preference

This is a rare species of lowland forest.

Biology

Bell (MS) described the biology in S. India. The egg is shining light green, oval, flat-topped or concave. The larva is more or less cylindrical, slightly broadened at the posterior end. The prothoracic segment is thickened above the level of the head, with a subdorsal prominence on the edge of this. The head itself is round. The colour is a russet-brown, though there are light grass-green variants. The prothoracic prominences are darker. The host-plants noted were Ichnocarpus, Nerium (Apocynaceae) and Marsdenia (Acelepiadaceae).

Genitalia: