Ectropis ischnadelpha Prout

Ectropis pais Prout, 1931, Novit. zool. 36: 166.

Ectropis ischnadelpha Prout, 1932, J. fed. Malay States, Mus. 17: 97.

Ectropis ischnadelpha Prout; Holloway, 1976: 79.

Ectropis pais Prout; Sato, 1992, established synonymy.

Diagnosis

The ground colour is white, the dark brown fasciae clearly defined but variable in intensity.

Taxonomic Note

Sato (2007a) stated that his 1992 placement of E. ischnadelpha as a synonym of pais was erroneous, and therefore the Bornean species is ischnadelpha. Sato noted that pais has a sharply two‐coloured frons, black above, creamy white below. The male genitalia have strong ribbon‐like processes laterally from the juxta dorsally, and the vesica of the aedeagus has a small, thumb-like cornutus. The female genitalia of ischnadelpha are characterised by a very broad antrum to the ductus bursae. As pais occurs in Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, and Mindanao in the Philippines, it may also occur in Borneo. Sato excluded Sulawesi from the distributions of both species; material in BMNH with similar facies probably represents an undescribed species.

Geographical Range

Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Philippines (Mindanao), Sulawesi.

Habitat Preference

The species is characteristic of the upper-montane zone. It was found to be particularly abundant on G. Kinabalu from 1500m to 1930m.

Biology

Holloway (1976) noted the moth to be found drinking at streams and gutters at around dusk.

Genitalia: