Microcalicha delika Swinhoe comb. n.

Boarmia delika Swinhoe, 1902, Trans. ent. Soc. Lond., 1902: 625.

Diagnosis

The facies, with extensive grey patches, is unmistakable.

Taxonomic Notes

Two Chinese species, M. insolitaria Leech comb. n. and M. chloralphus Wehrli, comb. n., have similar facies to **delika, but only females were available for examination; delika is only known from males. However, the three taxa are probably closely related. Association with Microcalicha is therefore based on consideration of the following characters of both sexes: the distribution of pale patches on the wings resembles that in M. sordida and M. melanosticta (these have fawn patches); the lamella postvaginalis, bursa and signum in the female are as in typical Microcalicha, and there is an appendix bursae. However, the male abdomen lacks a setal comb, the aedeagus is long with a large, needle-like cornutus, and the valve has a more central setose ampulla.

Geographical Range

Borneo, Sumatra, S. Thailand (Sato slide RS-32 15).

Habitat Preference

All specimens are from lowland localities, those three taken during the Mulu survey being recorded from alluvial forest and mixed dipterocarp forest. The species is very rare.

Genitalia: