Tipasa ferripunctum Walker comb. n.

Plusia ferripunctum Walker, [1863] 1864, J. Linn. Soc. (Zool), 7: 69.

Diagnosis

The disparity in area between the forewings and hindwings, together with the reticulated pale golden patches on the dull brownish grey of the former, render this species unmistakable.

Taxonomic Notes

The species is here loosely associated with Tipasaspecies such as eubaptaon grounds of the general resemblance of forewing facies and male genitalia, particularly the structure of the valve, the apical portion of which in ferripunctum has a general appearance consistent with membership of the Saroba group of genera.

The labial palps are longer and more strongly upcurved than in eubapta. The male retinaculum is similarly broad.

However, these species do not show a particularly close affinity with the generic type species as discussed above.

Geographical range

Borneo.

Habitat preference

All recent records are from 300m or below, and all from lowland forest at Labi and Ulu Temburong in Brunei, from near the Danum Valley Field Centre in Sabah, and from the Barito Ulu of Kalimantan Tengah.

The original specimens, collected by A.R. Wallace in Sarawak, were probably also from the lowlands.

Genitalia: