Theretra silhetensis Boisduval

Choerocampa silhetensis Boisduval, 1879, Hist. nat. Insectes, Spec. Gen. Lep., 1: 240.

Theretra pinastrina Martyn sensu Rothschild & Jordan, 1903: 783; auctorum.

Diagnosis

See Theretra oldenlandiae Fabricius.

Geographical range

Indo-Australian tropics east to Samoa.

Habitat Preference

T. silhetensis* appears to be commoner than T. oldenlandiae, taken in similar agricultural and open habitats in the lowlands,

Biology

The larvae are exceedingly variable, from yellow green and green to brown or greyish black ones (Bell & Scott, 1937; Dupont & Roepke, 1941). All forms are diffusely striped longitudinally, with a row of small, even, oval dorsolateral ocelli on the abdominal segments; the ocelli are obscure in darker forms, but dark blue ringed with yellow on A1 and A2 and larger, blue-centred, ringed green, brown, yellow and black on more posterior segments.

Recorded host-plants (Bell & Scott, 1937; Pholboon, 1965; Miyata, 1983; CIE records; FRIM records) are:

• Arum, Caladium, Colocasia, Pistia (Araceae)
• Kochia (Chenopodiaceae)
• Ipomoea (Convolvulaceae)
• Boerhavia (Nyctaginaceae)
• Ludwigia (Onagraceae)
• Rosa (Rosaceae)
• Trapa (Trapaceae, aff. Onagraceae).