Eublemma abrupta Walker

Mestleta abrupta Walker, 1865, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 33: 830.

Thalpochares wallengreni Snellen, 1880, Tijdschr. Ent., 23: 64.

Image of [object Object] Walker ♂ (India)? — ♂ (India)?

Diagnosis

See E. brackygonia. The small, pale lens associated with the postmedial at the forewing costa is the most distinctive feature.

Taxonomic note

The species was placed in Autoba by Poole (1989) and by Edwards in Nielsen et al. (1996).

Geographical range

Indo-Australian tropics east to New Guinea and Queensland.

Habitat preference

The holotype of abrupta was taken by A.R. Wallace in Sarawak, probably in the lowlands, and there is a more recent specimen from disturbed lowland forest at Semongok near Kuching. Two have been recorded from dry heath forest at 15m near Telisai in Brunei, and one (in FRC, Sepilok) from the Park HQ complex at about 1600m on G. Kinabalu.

Biology

Bell (MS) recorded the biology of the species in India. The larva is typical for the genus, with A3 and A4 prolegs absent and having a strongly looped resting posture. A9 and A10 bear a number of roundly conical tubercles. A8 is dorsally tumid. Setal tubercles surrounding the spiracles tend to be larger towards A3 and A4. The setae on T1 are curved over the head. The supraspiracular tubercles of T2 and T3 bear shining black setae twice as long as the segment, these setae being thickened into an elongate ovoid distally. On A1 and A2 both the supraspiracular and dorsolateral tubercles bear such clubbed setae, which can be motile. The head is broadly heart-shaped, shining, orange and black. The body is dull, a watery olive-green, marbled and banded greyish, sometimes suffused vinous. There are bright yellow subdorsal patches anteriorly on A1-3, white bands on the thorax, and A4 and A5 have a large white triangular patch dorsally, its apex extending as a band to the anterior of A4 and its base resting at the posterior of A5. There are white chevrons subspiracularly on segments A3-5.

The larva moves in a highly looped fashion amongst the flowers of its host plant, within which it mostly remains concealed. It pupates in a more or less spherical cocoon that incorporates particles of leaves and flower stalks, the pupa being attached to the silk by its cremaster.

The host plant noted in the description was Memecylon (Melastomataceae), but with the observation that Bell had also reared the species from other plants. Robinson et al. (2001) listed: