Metallolophia cineracea Holloway sp. n.

Diagnosis

♂ 16mm, ♀♀ 15-20mm.

The wings above have a similar pale grey ground colour to that in variegata but with a more general, more or less uniform irroration of black scales.

The fasciation and discal markings are reduced, finer, more regular.

The underside is a darker, almost violet grey.

The male genitalia are very similar to those of variegata, the saccular blade of the valve being slightly broader. Holotype ♂. BRUNEI: 15m, Telisai, sandy heath forest and Gymnostoma, 3.2.1979 (Lt. Col. M.G. Allen) BM geometrid slide 10599.

Paratype

3 ♀♀ as holotype, two taken on 13.12.1979.

Geographical range

Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia (FRIM colln).

Habitat preference

All material is from lowland heath forest.

Taxonomic Note

Han, Galsworthy & Xue ([2004] 2005) raised the possibility that Metallolophia variegata and M. cineracea were conspecific, but more material is needed to test this, particularly in view of the ecological differences noted in the original description.

Genitalia: