Nycteola canaphaea Holloway sp. n.

♂♂ 9mm.

The forewing facies is very similar to that of N. poliophaea Hampson (Sri Lanka, India) and also that of cana Hampson (New Guinea) and canoides Holloway (New Caledonia): a very pale grey with darker variegation and double, essentially transverse but slightly zig-zag, antemedial and postmedial fasciae.

In poliophaea there is a dark tooth from the subbasal extending to the antemedial at one-third from the dorsum, also seen weakly in canaphaea. The Bornean species is distinguished in the genitalia by a large, interiorly directed spine on each valve.

Holotype ♂

SARAWAK: Gunong Mulu Nat. Park, R.G.S. Exped. 1977-8 (J.D.Holloway et al.), Site 25, April, G. Api, 900m. 427550, lower montane forest, BM noctuid slide 17069.

Paratype ♂

As holotype.

Geographical range

Borneo, ?Peninsular Malaysia (see below).

Habitat preference

Both specimens are from lower montane forest on limestone.

Biology

The related cana may feed on Eugenia (Myrtaceae) (Holloway, 1979), and this host was also noted by Yunus & Ho (1980) for a species identified as poliophaea, but possibly indicating the presence of canaphaea in Peninsular Malaysia.

Genitalia: