Xenochroa costiplaga Swinhoe

Carea costiplaga Swinhoe, 1893, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (6), 12: 262.

Carea tarika Swinhoe, 1901, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (7), 7: 492.

Carea costiplaga ab. fakfakensis Strand, 1917, Arch. Naturgesch., 82 (A1): 91.

Carea defuscata Prout, 1922, Bull. Hill Mus. Witley, 1: 218.

Carea costiplaga fakfakensis Gaede, 1937, Gross-Schmett. Erde, 11: 432.

Carea costiplaga Swinhoe; Holloway, 1976: 25.

Xenochroa costiplaga Swinhoe; Kobes, 1997: 127.

Diagnosis

The trapezoid dark green-brown mark distally and the much smaller triangular one antemedially on the costa of the pinkish grey and brown forewing are diagnostic.

Taxonomic Notes

The inclusion of tarika (= fakfakensis) as a race of costiplaga may need revision. X. triguttata Warren comb. n. (New Guinea) is probably as closely related, and the male genitalia of all taxa are very similar.

It is possible that both triguttata and tarika are distinct species.

Geographical range

Oriental tropics; Seram, Buru (ssp. defuscata); N. Moluccas, New Guinea (ssp. tarika).

Habitat preference

This is predominantly a lowland species, found in a range of forest types, including coastal, secondary and heath forests.

Apart from a single specimen taken at 1930m on G. Kinabalu, all records are from 300m or below.

Biology

Yunus & Ho (1980) noted Cynometra (Leguminosae) as a host-plant.

Genitalia: