Metaemene circumpunctata Holloway sp. n.

♂♂, ♀♀ 11-13mm. This species resembles nudariodes Hampson (Luzon, Philippines) somewhat, in that the wings are uniform in colour, with the black dots restricted entirely to their margins, costally and distally on the forewing and distally on the hindwing. However, in nudariodes the wings are a translucent white in the male, and with a greyish tint to the forewing in the female. In circumpunctata only the wing margins are whitish, with the black dots stronger on the forewing than in * nudariodes*. The interior of the wings is opaque, that of the forewing very pale grey and that of the hindwing medium to dark grey. The undersides of all wings are dark grey. The male genitalia have the lateral processes of the tegumen trifid, and the interior process of the valve is somewhat like a larval mandible. The cornutus of the aedeagus vesica is relatively weakly sclerotised and unevenly bilobed distally. The female genitalia have an arc of five small spines basal to the ductus seminalis and a larger drop-like sclerite with an apical spur distal to it.

Holotype ♂

SARAWAK: Gunong Mulu Nat. Park, R.G.S. Exped. 1977-8 (J.D.Holloway et al.), Site 3, January, Camp 4, Mulu, [upper] montane (moss) forest; 1780m. 453463, BM noctuid slide 20153.

Paratypes

• 1♂, 7♀♀ (slide 20158) as holotype
• 1♀ general data as holotype but   Site 2, 1790m. 452463 , 1♀ BRUNEI: Bukit Pagon, 1680m, 20.ii.1982  (T.W. Harman)
• 1♀ SABAH: Mt Kinabalu, W. Mesilau River, 3.ii.1964, (J. Smart), Royal Soc. Exped., BM 1964-250
• 1♂ [SABAH]: Keningau, C[rocker] Range, P[rimary] forest, 1500’ AH, Julai ’93, (Ento: Staff), in FRC, Sepilok.

Geographical range

Borneo.

Habitat preference

All material is from upper montane forest except the paratype from the Crocker Range.

Genitalia: