Urbona chlorocrota Hampson

Rhaesena chlorocrota Hampson, 1907, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc., 17: 677.

Diagnosis

The medial zone of the forewing is bounded by a fine postmedial and similar antemedial that loop in an angular manner to form it into, on the right wing, a broad question-mark shape. The forewing is generally greyish brown but is distinctly tinged ochreous on either side of this medial zone.

Taxonomic Notes

In the male genitalia there is no saccular shield; there is also an atypical harpe on the valve. The larval and pupal characters are also not nolid (see below). The species is certainly misplaced in Urbona.

Geographical range

Sri Lanka, India, Peninsular Malaysia, Java, Borneo, Sulawesi, Saleyer, Seram.

Habitat preference

A single specimen was taken at 1465m on Bukit Retak in Brunei.

Biology

The larva and pupa were described from India by Bell (MS). The larva is elongate, spindle-shaped, of a whitish colour. There are broad brownish markings between thin dorsal, lateral and subspiracular pink lines. The venter is tinged yellowish. Prolegs on A3 are absent, they are small on A4 and fully developed on A5 and A6. The primary setae only are present, black, some on small, dark, conical tubercles.

The pupa is club-shaped, and has a short, four-pointed cremaster. It is enclosed in a cell made with two shaped pieces of leaf brought together to form a cylinder closed at both ends. Specimens in BMNH were reared from larvae on Vanda (Orchidaceae). Also a specimen from Java is labelled as reared from orchid leaves, and Kalshoven (1981) noted Dendrobium, Phalaenopsis and other orchids as hosts. Kalshoven also included Arachis (Leguminosae).

Genitalia: