Chalcoscelides castaneipars Moore

Miresa castaneipars Moore, 1865, Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond, 1865: 819.

Chalcoscelides castaneipars Moore; Hering, 1931: 686.

Diagnosis

Confusion is possible only with females of Chalcocelis albiguttatus Snellen (see below). In the latter the wings have no fine dark brown marginal line, there is a black discal dot, and the brown subbasal area terminates at the posterior, rather than anterior, margin of the cell, and is edged white basally with no pale purple area inside.

Taxonomic notes

Himalayan specimens tend to have a dark brown spot on the forewing postmedial at the costa, which is otherwise less distinct than in Sundanian specimens.

Geographical range

N.E. Himalaya, Burma, Taiwan, Sundaland.

Habitat preference

The species is rare in Borneo, two being taken in hill dipterocarp forest on G. Mulu at 150m and 500m.

Biology

The larva is white, smooth, ovate, gelatinous, with a brown band; early instars have a transverse dark band (Piepers & Snellen, 1900; Kalshoven, 1981). The cocoon is brown, enveloped in white silk. The hostplants are diverse: Cocos (Palmae); Citrus (Rutaceae); Cinnamomum (Lauraceae); Cassia (Leguminosae); Spondias (Anacardiaceae); Theobroma (Sterculiaceae); Trevesia (Araliaceae).

Genitalia: