Pinacia albistella Walker

Osericana albistella Walker, [1866] 1865, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 34: 1214.

Pinacia pupillalis Snellen, 1885, Tijdschr. Ent., 28: 7.

Osericana albistella syntypistis Swinhoe, 1917, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (8), 19: 341.

Osericana albistella trypheropa Swinhoe, 1917, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (8), 19: 341.

Diagnosis

See the generic account for general features. This species and molybdaenalis are very similar, but albistella is larger, with the hindwings a slightly paler grey, grading darker towards the margin. The bipunctate reniform and the single orbicular are prominently white-centred rather than entirely blackish as in molybdaenalis. The Philippine subspecies trypheropa has a distally yellow abdomen. The Javan subspecies syntypistis is slightly smaller and with a bluish tinge.

Geographical range

Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Nias, Borneo; Java, Bali, (ssp. syntypistis); Philippines (Palawan, Mindanao; ssp. trypheropa)

Habitat preference

The species has not been taken in recent surveys. Older material is from N. Borneo, with Sandakan on the coast of Sabah and the Segawa [Segama?] river inland being the only precise localities. A specimen from Peninsular Malaysia was from the Telom river, so a riverine habitat is possible.