Synegia imitaria Walker

Anisodes imitaria Walker, 1861, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 22: 643.

Anisodes? obrimaria Walker, 1861, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 22: 644.

Syntaracta aemula Warren, 1894, Novit. zool., 1: 408.

Synegia imitaria malayana Prout, 1925, Novit. zool., 32: 67.

Diagnosis

See the previous species. A few specimens have dark grey clouding associated with the postmedial towards the dorsum on both wings but this never extends to the margin as in S. thamiosticta (q.v.). The male in thamiostictahas ciliate antennae rather than bipectinate ones.

Taxonomic notes

The Sumatran taxon luteolata Snellen may also be referable here judging from a colour photograph of the holotype female. The types of obrimariaand aemula resemble each other and represent a morph where the grey clouding is intermediate. This species, thamiosticta, S. intensa Warren (Sulawesi) and S. prospera Prout (Moluccas) all have a subbasal lobe to the valve costa with a zone of stronger setae just ventral to it. All except thamiostictahave distinctive horns to the juxta, and all have two long, slender cornuti at the distal end of the vesica.

Geographical range

Sri Lanka, India, Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra.

Habitat preference

S. imitaria* is the commonest lowland species, found in all forest types except heath forest. It is infrequent in lower montane forest and rarely recorded in upper montane forest.

Biology

The species was reared by Bell (MS) in S. India, but vouchers have not been located to confirm the identification. The larva is cylindrical, tapering from T2 to the head. The body is olive green, marbled darker in indistinct longitudinal bands. The dorsolateral band is tinged white at the posterior margin of each segment, and there is a small, subspiracular whitish spot. There is a blackish spot dorsally at the anterior margins of A 1-4. Pupation is at the ground surface in a cell of soil particles cemented by silk.

The host-plant was Piper (Piperaceae).

Genitalia: