Avitta beta Holloway sp. n.

♀ 15mm. The species is very similar to flaviciliaHolloway but smaller, slightly greyer and with a more clearly defined reniform that is surrounded by an irregular array of slightly stronger markings representing other fasciae; an arcuate band just basal to the reniform is particularly intense, especially in the two Himalayan specimens. The hindwing fringes are pale greyish brown, rather than pale yellow as in flavicilia. The genitalia have the bursa more elongate, less pyriform than in flavicilia, and have the sterigma less well developed.

Holotype ♀

BRUNEI: 30-60m, Labi, lowland rainforest, 29.8.79 (Lt. Col. M.G. Allen), BM noctuid slide 10865.

Geographical range

Borneo, N.E. Himalaya (slide 10860), Sumatra (HS / ZSM).

Habitat preference

This is a rare lowland forest species.

Taxonomic Note

A male of Avitta beta was taken by Dr Chey Vun Khen in a Pinus caribaea plantation at about 300m near Brumas in the lowlands of Sabah. The genitalia (slide 19548) are illustrated in Fig 118. The uncus is relatively short. The valve is of even width, with both costal and saccular processes strong as in guttulosa Swinhoe, but the costal one is strongly outcurved rather than sinuous, incurved, and the saccular one is more or less straight, erect, rather than outcurved.

Genitalia: