Palmartona catoxantha Hampson

Brachartona catoxantha Hampson, [1893] 1892, Fauna Br. India, Moths, 1: 233.

Diagnosis

The species is a medium dark brown, that of the forewing slightly richer than that of the hindwing. The latter often has a slightly paler zone, diffusely defined, in the area of the cell. The features in the generic description distinguish it from externally similar species in the next genus.

Geographical range

Burma, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Nias, Java, Borneo, Palawan, Sulawesi, New Guinea, Queensland (possibly introduced; Tarmann, 2004).

Habitat preference

Conway & Tay (1969) listed the species for Sabah. The species has also been recorded from coconut at Sinkawang in western Kalimantan (unpublished IIE records).

Biology.

Tothill et al. (1930), Barlow (1982) and Tarmann (2004) have described the early stages. The eggs, laid in small batches, are oval, transparent, a shiny yellow. The larva is sluglike with T2 swollen, particularly in early instars, which are pale yellow-green and translucent when newly hatched. Mature larvae have the head and T1 and T2 yellow. The rest of the body is greenish yellow with a dark brownish-blue or purplish stripe dorsally and dark lateral blotches on T2, T3 and A8; groups of secondary setae on verrucae, forming three longitudinal rows, are evident in later instars.

The eggs are laid on the undersides of palm fronds, particularly older ones, where the early instars feed leaving ladder-like lines or more general skeletonization. The last instar feeds on the edges of leaves, making characteristic holes.

Pupation is in a dense greyish yellow cocoon on the underside of leaves near ribs, these cocoons sometimes being clustered.

Robinson et al. (2001) listed host plant records from Saccharum (Gramineae), Musa (Musaceae) and the following Palmae: Areca, Arenga, Cocos, Elaeis, Livistona, Metroxyylon. Tarmann (2004) indicated that the primary host association is with palms, but that Musaceae and Gramineae may serve as temporary hosts for later instars. The record from Butea therefore needs checking.