Turnaca punctata Holloway sp. n.

♂♂ 20-21 mm.

The facies is as illustrated.

The species resembles Ambadra suriga somewhat but is distinguished by the more uniform tone to the forewing, and by the subdorsal black dot at one third.

The male genitalia have the uncus entire rather than bifid (as in typical Turnaca), and the aedeagus is characteristically very broad apically.

The gnathal processes are even in breadth throughout and the aedeagus vesica has a single, large, acute cornutus that is associated with small, deciduous, stellate spicules.

Taxonomic Note

Schintlmeister (1994b) dissected a more extensive series of specimens of Turnaca punctata and T. altipunctata and found the variation extended over the range of the characteristics used to distinguish the two and therefore brought them into synonymy. This is followed here, with the rider that this may also apply to the Sumatran T. barlowi Schintlmeister (1994b: 220). The male genitalia of barlowi as illustrated are obviously of the punctata type, though the original description makes comparison only with spinifera Holloway; the arrangement of uncus and socii, and the size and accessory spine of the valves in spinifera Holloway are totally different from those of barlowi and punctata.

Holotype ♂

BRUNEI: 30-60 m, Labi, lowland forest and secondary vegetation, 21.10.78 (Lt. Col. M.G. Allen), BM notodontid slide 988.

Paratype

1♂ BRUNEI: 300 m, Ulu Temburong, rainforest, 28.4.81 (Lt.Col. M.G. Allen) BM notodontid slide 1004; 3♂♂ BRUNEI: 1618 m, Bukit Retak, montane forest, 25.4.81 (Lt. Col. M.G. Allen) BM notodontid slides 1005, 1007.

Geographical range

Borneo.

Peninsular Malaysian and Sumatran specimens in the BMNH (e.g. slide 808) are referable to this species but the males have the eighth sternite much more shallowly, but equally broadly, bilobed.

Habitat preference

Records have been from lowland dipterocarp and upper montane forest types.

Genitalia: