Brunia sarawaca Butler stat. rev.

Lithosia sarawaca Butler, 1877, Trans. ent. Soc. London, 1877: 350.

Eilema griseadisca Holloway, 1982: 210, syn. n.

Diagnosis

The wings of the male are a rather ochreous fawn. The greyish border to the forewing is diagnostic for males of this and the next species but is narrower in sarawaca; an areole is often present. Females resemble those of antica and can only be separated reliably by the genitalia (see Brunia apicalis Walker comb.n.).

Geographical Range

Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Java, N.E. Himalaya.

Habitat Preference

The species is of irregular occurrence in lowland forest, particularly alluvial forest.

Biology

The larva was described and illustrated for Java (as apicalis) by Piepers & Snellen (1904). It is densely covered with dark grey hairs from which emerge several long black ones. There is a dorsal black band that contains a lighter grey spot centrally. The head is mostly yellow, with two black spots, but is usually retracted. Pupation is in a dense cocoon and takes about 12 days. The host-plants are mosses or lichen growing on trees, but the larva has also been found on the leaves of Tamarindus (Leguminosae) and Eugenia (Myrtaceae). It is not stated whether these were browsing on epiphytes or feeding on the leaf tissue.

Genitalia: