Daphnusa ocellaris Walker

Daphnusa ocellaris Walker, 1856 List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln. Br. Mus . 8: 237.

Diagnosis

The species resembles a small Marumba but the marking homologous with the tornal loop on the forewing is pale- centred rather than dark, almost ocellate, and the fasciae associated with it are weak, crenulate.

The discal spot is a strong dark brown dot.

There is a complex alternation of pale grey and black bars in a chevron at the hindwing tornus.

Geographical range

N. India to the Philippines, Sulawesi and Java.

Habitat preference

This species is very common in all lowland forest types, coming frequently to light-traps set in the understorey.

It has been taken as high as 1930m on G. Kinabalu but is not common above the lower montane forest zone.

Biology

The larva is green, strongly tuberculated, marked by dorsal and ventrolateral series of purplish-brown spots; the horn is long, straight, densely tuberculated (Dupont & Roepke, 1941). Recorded host-plants (Bell & Scott, 1937; Dupont & Roepke, 1941; CIE records) are: Durio (Bombacaceae); unspecified (Sapindaceae).