Paectes leucotrigona Hampson

Ingura leucotrigona Hampson, 1905, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (7), 16: 371.

Diagnosis

The striking banding of rufous cream on dark grey of the forewings distinguishes this species.

This pattern is approached by P. osseotrigona, described and distinguished below.

Taxonomic Notes

The male and female genitalia of this, the next two species and P. fabrica Swinhoe, a species with grey forewings from Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra, are indistinguishable.

The somewhat different geographical ranges suggest these are distinct species rather than variants of a single species, but this needs to be confirmed by the collection of further material and rearing from identified females.

Coincidence of singletons of all three species in one sample (900m on G. Api) during the Mulu survey perhaps points more to the variant hypothesis.

This complex has affinities with P. variegata Roepke from Sulawesi and another closely related group of species that has evolved in New Guinea (pratti Bethune-Baker, costistrigata Bethune-Baker and three undescribed species).

Geographical range

Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Borneo.

Habitat preference

Apart from the singleton from lower montane forest on G. Api mentioned above, the species has been taken in ones and twos at three lowland rainforest localities in Brunei (Labi, Rampayoh, Ulu Belait).

Genitalia: