Didigua vexilla Swinhoe

Dinumma vexilla Swinhoe, 1893, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6), 12: 263.

Carea vexilla devittata Strand, 1917, Arch. Naturgesch., 82 (A1): 91.

Didigua vexilla Swinhoe; Kobes, 1997: 156.

Diagnosis

The forewings are a dull, dark purplish red with paler markings, most particularly a transverse, broken medial band.

Geographical range

Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo.

Habitat preference

Most records in recent surveys have been from the lowlands of Brunei, particularly from dipterocarp forest at 30-60m at Labi and from dry heath forest at 15m at Telisai.

The only records during the Mulu survey were two specimens from 1000m in lower montane forest on G. Mulu.

Taxonomic Note

A male Didigua with genitalia (Fig 133) as in vexilla but with more regular rufous brown fasciation on a fawn ground, and no dark reddish areas or grey highlights was taken by Dr Chey Vun Khen in a lowland softwood plantation of Eucalyptus deglupta near Brumas in Sabah. It is illustrated in Plate 6. More material is needed to determine if it is a distinct species or merely an aberrant form of vexilla.

Genitalia: