Metaemene robusta Holloway sp. n.

♂♂, ♀♀ 9-10mm. The facies is similar to that of niasica, but the male and female genitalia exhibit features that are more robust than in that species. The valve has a central process that consists of a short, blunt, exterior spine and an interior, rather globular lobe, the two separated from each other by a rather square concavity. The sclerites of the aedeagus vesica are large, the tongue opposed by a curved spine or spined plate that is relatively much larger than those of other species. The female has a correspondingly large hooked spine arising from the sclerite in the neck of the corpus bursae.

Holotype ♂

SABAH: 5m. S. Mt. Trus Madi, 1800ft., 18-28.viii.1977 (M.E. Bacchus), BM noctuid slide 20343.

Paratypes

• 2♂♂ (slide 20279) as holotype
• 2♂♂ (slides 20371, 20382) SABAH: Poring, 1800’, E. of Mt Kinabalu, 20-23.i.1976, primary forest (E.W. Classey)
• 1♂ (slide 20349) SARAWAK: Gunong Mulu National Park, R.G.S. Expedition, Site 24, April, W. Melinau Gorge, 270m, 430558, FEG 4, limestone forest.
• 1♂ (slide 20331) SARAWAK as previously but Site 18, March, W. Melinau Gorge, 100m. 128563, alluvial forest & riverside veg.
• 1♀ (slide 20998) Bidi, SARAWAK, 1907-1908 (C.J. Brooks)
• 1♀ (slide 20997) Kuching, BORNEO.

Taxonomic note

A male (slide 20385; illustrated in Plate 7) and a female (slide 20278), each with similar genitalia to those of robusta but with strong markings more as in santubong, though with the dorsal dot oblique to Pd2, were taken in the type locality of that species.

Geographical range

Borneo, Singapore (♀, slide 21311, H.N. Ridley specimen).

Habitat preference

Most specimens are from forest from the lowlands to 600m.

Genitalia: