Protuliocnemis helpsi Holloway sp. n.

♂♂ 13mm, ♀ 14mm. This species has facies, including narrow brown patches, more or less as in the next species, but with a white area at the hindwing apex as in partita. The male genitalia indicate affinity to partitarather than the other two, but the saccus is distinctively narrowed, the apical part of the gnathus is shorter and the outward flexure of the socii is more marked.

Holotype ♂

BRUNEI: 0m, S. Selanjak, 4464, 1432, mangrove, 8-9.iii.1984 (Maj. T.P.G. Helps), BM geometrid slide 8607.

Paratypes

2 ♂♂ (slide 8626), 1 ♀ as holotype but 4463, 1432, 6-7.iii.1984.

Geographical range

Borneo, Singapore.

Habitat preference

All records are from mangrove forest.

Biology

Murphy (1990) described the biology in Singapore and illustrated the larva. It is variegated brown with prominent lateral flanges on thoracic segments and dorsal abdominal tubercles to which plant fragments are attached.

It usually feeds on the flowers of the only recorded host-plant, Avicennia alba (Avicenniaceae), an important mangrove tree.

Genitalia: