Arctornis rhopica Toxopeus comb. n.

Redoa rhopica Toxopeus, 1948, Treubia, 19: 462.

Redoa rhopica Toxopeus; Mackey, 1984: 6.

Diagnosis

When fresh, this species could be confused with A. poecilonipha (See A. poecilonipha Collenette comb.n), particularly the larger female, but the irregularities in the satiny white forewings are finer, the black discal spot smaller, and the grey at the distal margins of the wings is more uniform in width, also on the underside. Frons, palps and extensive areas of the foretibia are rufous brown, although tending in the first and second to grade paler ventrally. The male genitalia are distinctive, with a large recurved spine at the base of the sacculus as well as the harpe, a triangular process at the base of the valve costa, and, also on the valve, a subapical interior flap. The uncus is strongly setose.

Geographical Range

Borneo, Sumatra (Schintlmeister, MS).

Habitat Preference

The species has been taken infrequently in a range of lowland forest types and also in lower montane forest (1000m on G. Mulu).

Taxonomic notes

The holotype of A. arbor‑christi Toxopeus proved to have a distribution of reflective scales on the wings that did not match that in male poecilonipha Collenette, being more evenly distributed than seen in the large but more irregular patches of the latter species. It resembles closely the larger female of rhopica, so may in fact belong to that species rather than to poecilonipha. As the classification is essentially male‑based, it is suggested here that, if synonymy with rhopica is proven, page priority should be overruled to render arbor‑christi the junior synonym.

Taxonomic Note

**Note 372, 374. ** The holotype of A. arbor‐christi Toxopeus (Plate 7, Fig 101) proved to have a distribution of reflective scales on the wings that did not match that in male poecilonipha Collenette, being more evenly distributed than seen in the large but more irregular patches of the latter species. It resembles closely the larger female of rhopica referred to in Part 5, so may in fact belong to that species rather than to poecilonipha. As the classification is essentially male‐based, it is suggested here that, if synonymy with rhopica is proven, page priority should be overruled to render arbor‐christi the junior synonym. Note 374 The holotype of A. rhopica Toxopeus has been examined. The genitalia (Fig 102) confirm the identity in Part 5. The taxon arbor‐christi Toxopeus could represent the female as discussed under Note 372.

Genitalia: