Kunugia drakei Holloway sp. n.

Diagnosis

♂♂ 20-22mm, ♀ 30mm.

The male is blackish brown, the forewings with the anterior half darker in a semicircle.

The female resembles that of the allied taxon, K. divaricata Moore comb. n. (N.E. Himalaya, China) illustrated by Lajonqui�re (1978a): larger, with irregular, somewhat falcate forewing margins, a paler brown, and four darker fasciae, the outer ones arranged in a rough, oblique ‘V’ that encloses the two more weakly defined inner ones.

In the female of drakei the zones between fasciae are rich rufous, the basal zone dull rufous, the rest brown; the outer element of the postmedial is more oblique than in drakei. The males of the two species and of K. magellani Lajonqui�re comb. n. (Mindanao) are not readily separable on external characters but the male genitalia indicate drakei to be closer to magellani with single, rather than bifid, valves and cubile arms.

They differ from those of magellani in having the aedeagus deeper with a more falcate, obtuse apical spur, and shorter, broader, valves that are curved rather than straight.

Holotype ♂

BRUNEI: 300m, Ulu Temburong, rainforest, 20 Feb. 1982 (Lt. Col. M.G. Allen) BM lasiocampid slide 1026.

Paratype

2 ♂♂ BRUNEI: 1618m Bukit Retak, montane forest, 1979 (Lt. Col M.G. Allen); 3 ♂♂ SARAWAK: Gunong Mulu Nat. Park, R.G.S. Exped. 1977-8 (J.D. Holloway et al.), Sites 14 (G. Mulu lower montane forest), 18 (alluvial forest) and 25 (G. Api lower montane forest); 1 ♂ S.E. BORNEO: Samarinda, xii. 1938 (M. E. Walsh).

Taxonomic Notes

The placement of the three species referred to above in Kunugia is discussed in the generic account.

Geographical range

Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Palawan (referred to magellani by Lajonquière).

Habitat preference

The material listed has been taken in both lowland and lower montane forest (including that on limestone), more frequently in the latter.

Two specimens have been taken in upper montane forest.

Biology

The only female, from the Cameron Highlands in Peninsular Malaysia, was reared from Cupressus (Cupressaceae). This host-plant is also given by Yunus & Ho (1980; as divaricata).

Genitalia: