Tephriopis divulsa Walker

*Athyrma divulsa Walker, 1865, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 33: 966.

Capnodes arabescalis Snellen, 1880, Tijdschr. Ent., 23: 111.

Diagnosis

The contrasting black and grey forewings have a striking pattern somewhat like that of the Bornean *Anoba species, but in these it is more of a greenish brown, clearly defined and somewhat archipelagic, with the dark bands broken by pale lines on the veins. The distal margin indivulsa is distinctly angled obtusely at the centre. The male antennae are serrate and strongly fasciculate.

Geographical range

Indian Subregion, Burma, Thailand (VK), Andamans, Borneo, Sulawesi.

Habitat preference

The species is uncommon in lowland forest, not recorded above 200m, and has also been taken in disturbed coastal forest.

Biology

Bell (MS) reared the larva in India. It is cylindrical, with the prolegs on A3 absent and those on A4 half-size, compared by Bell to seal’s flippers, often held back against the ventrum. A8 is slightly tumid dorsally. The head is dark rusty brown, mottled with green. The body is a light, ochraceous olive-green, suffused with smoky brown everywhere except ventrally. There is a well-defined subspiracular white band, slightly tinged yellow at each end.

The larvae live singly under leaves, eating from the edges. Pupation is in a cell of leaves lightly joined with silk. The pupa has no bloom. There is a high level of parasitism by Diptera.

The host plants recorded wereDalbergia andPterocarpus (Leguminosae).*

Genitalia: