Ommatophora luminosa Cramer

Phalaena luminosa Cramer, Uitlandsche Kapellen, 3: 147.

Ommatophora luminosa Cramer; Holloway, 1976: 34.

Diagnosis

The shape of the ocellar mark of the forewing, rather like an upturned snail, is the most prominent feature of the distinctive brown and indigo facies.

Geographical range

Himalaya and Taiwan to Sundaland.

Habitat preference

The species has been recorded from the lowlands to 2110m, but is more frequent in montane forest.

Biology

H.S. Barlow (pers. comm.) has reared the larva from flowers of Bauhinia (Leguminosae). It was a mottled and cryptically variegated pinkish brown and had dorsolateral tubercles on A8 (Plate 28). It pupated in a light cocoon incorporating Bauhiniapetals, the adult emerging 16 days from the commencement of pupation.

Taxonomic Note

In ongoing molecular analyses (Zahiri et al., in preparation), Ommatophora Guenée is confirmed as belonging to the Erebinae, but so far shows no well supported association within that group. The pupa of O. luminosa was noted (Barlow colln) to have a powdery bloom. Pavesi et al. (2010) have revised the genus, desribing the Taiwan population of luminosa as subspecies monotona Zilli, Pavesi & Vos and also four species from east of Sundaland in addition to burrowsi Prout from the S. Moluccas. Two of these were noted in Parts 15 & 16, that from Bali described as proverai Zilli, Pavesi & Vos and extending east to Flores. There proved to be two new species in Sulawesi, one, celebensis Zilli, Pavesi & Vos, being related to fulvastra Guenée from the Philippines, and the other, obliquilinea Vos, Pavesi & Zilli, perhaps falling into a group with burrowsi and the most eastern species, orientalis Vos, Pavesi & Zilli, from the northern Moluccas and New Guinea.