Pantura rufifrons Moore comb. n.

Avitta rufifrons Moore, 1887, Lep. Ceylon, 3: 554.

Avitta rufifrons Moore; Holloway, 1976: 39.

Diagnosis

The wings are a dark, rather uniform blackish brown, the forewings with a purplish tint and traversed by four diffusely darker and rather obscure fasciae. The head, patagia and forelegs are dull rufous orange, the patagia and broadly scaled foretibia with a paler edging.

Taxonomic note

The species has the generic characters of tegumen, vinculum and valve shape. Holloway (1979) described Avitta pectinata from New Caledonia, comparing it with rufifrons, but this species is in fact better placed in ChrysoperaHampson (see below).

Geographical range

Indian Subregion to New Guinea and Queensland.

Habitat preference

A rare and largely montane species, rufifrons has been recorded at 1050m, 1930m and 2600m on G. Kinabalu, at 1200m on the limestone G. Api and at 1780m on G. Mulu. However, S.J. Willott (unpublished data) recorded three specimens in lowland dipterocarp forest at 170m near the Danum Valley Field Centre.

Biology

Robinson et al. (2001) noted Cinnamomum (Lauraceae) as a larval host plant.

Genitalia: