Lymantria brunneiplaga Swinhoe

Lymantria brunneiplaga Swinhoe, 1903, Trans. ent. Soc. London, 1903: 491.

Diagnosis

See Lymantria marginalis Walker . The male forewing has a conspicuous brown area at the centre of the dorsum.

Geographical Range

Sundaland, Philippines.

Habitat Preference

The species is infrequent from the lowlands to 1000m.

Biology

Chey (1996) has described and illustrated the life history. The larva is finely mottled with black, white and brown, with the typical tufts of secondary setae on prominent verrucae. This coloration affords camouflage on the trunks of host trees. The pupa also has many setae. The larvae are gregarious, the larval stage taking two weeks and the pupal stage more than one. The larva appears to be seasonally abundant in plantations of Paraserianthes falcataria (Leguminosae). The larvae feed on Paraserianthes, but also were found wandering fully grown on associated vegetation within the plantation including: Combretum (Combretaceae); Chromolaena, Mikania (Compositae); Jacquemontia (Convolvulaceae); Scleria (Cyperaceae); Cratoxylum (Guttiferae); Piper (Piperaceae); Trema (Ulmaceae).

Genitalia: