Pangrapta shivula Guenée

Marmorinia shivula Guenée, 1852, Hist. Nat. Insectes, Spec. gén. Lépid. 7: 372.

Zethes xylochroma Walker, 1858, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 15: 1525.

Pangrapta shivula quieta Prout, 1928, Bull. Hill Mus. Witley, 2: 270.

Diagnosis

In facies, both sexes of this species resemble the female of lasiophora Hampson (see next species) but with a more ochreous than violet ground colour, particularly the areas of the wings basal to the postmedials. The underside, though paler than the upperside in both species, is also similar, with shivula again more ochreous. The male of lasiophora has the upperside of the forewing densely invested with an extensive carpet of ochreous androconial scales.

Taxonomic note

This and the next species share moustache-like hair pencils from the corematous area on the male eighth sternite, slender incurved valves that lack saccular or distal processes, and cornuti on two of the diverticula of the aedeagus vesica. The female genitalia (lasiophora Hampson) have the eighth segment densely setose. The ductus bursae is long, very narrow, the corpus bursae ovate, set obliquely on it, with an extensive area of dense, dark rugosity on one side.

Geographical range

Indo-Australian tropics to New Guinea.

Habitat preference

Only two Bornean specimens have been seen, one from Kretam on the coast of Sabah and the other from dipterocarp forest at 250m on limestone (the lower slopes of G. Api) in the G. Mulu National Park.

Biology

Bell (MS) reared the larva in India. It is spindle-shaped, widest centrally, and has all prolegs developed. The anal prolegs are long, divergent behind. The head is green with a broad reddish brown band on each side. The body is pale grass-green with a wavy dorsal line and a pale yellow subspiracular band.

The larva lives beneath, and feeds on, young foliage. It pupates on the ground surface in a cocoon of silk incorporating soil particles.

The host plant is Olea (Oleaceae).