Avatha pulcherrima Butler comb. n.

Zethes mopsa Swinhoe, 1890, Trans. ent. Soc. London, 1890: 251.

Diagnosis and taxonomic note

This and Avatha pulchrior Holloway have the antemedial black area extending across the wing to the costa, its basal edge more strongly angled than in the previous two species, and its distal edge variably lined with white, often quite broadly so. The postmedial hieroglyph is hook-like as in bubo.

See Avatha pulchrior Holloway for distinction of the two.

Geographical range

Sundaland, New Guinea.

Habitat preference

The species is more frequent in lowland forest and lower montane forest (three specimens taken at 900m on G. Api during the Mulu survey), though one record was from 1790m on G. Mulu.