Monobolodes ?prunaria Moore comb. n.

Dirades prunaria Moore, 1887, Lepid. Ceylon 3: 400

Phazaca oribates West, 1932, Novit. zool., 37: 218, syn. n.

Diagnosis

This is a smaller species than the others with rufous hindwings, the forewing medial zone darker, with two opposed triangles, weakly defined, forming the medial band.

The hindwing is a more intense rufous colour with an entire, angled, fine postmedial.

Females from Borneo are not known.

They may resemble those of parvinigrata but with the medial zone of the forewing with two opposed triangles as in the male.

Taxonomic Notes

The male genitalia and facies of prunaria and oribates are very similar, and they are therefore considered to be conspecific.

The facies of Bornean males is also similar, but the valves of the male genitalia are shorter, broader, with a distinct angle to the costa at one third.

Geographical range

Sri Lanka, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Ryukyu Is., ?Borneo.

Habitat preference

Six males have been taken, all from lowland dipterocarp forest at 150m near the Danum Valley Field Centre, Sabah.

Biology

The species has been reared in Taiwan (Chen, 1997). The larva is pale grey with rows of black spots and a broad dorsolateral longitudinal black band over the abdominal segments.

The host-plant was a species of Gardenia (Rubiaceae).

Genitalia: