SUBFAMILY PLUSIINAE
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Chrysodeixis minutoides sp. n.  


Chrysodeixis minutoides
(paratype)


13-14mm. The forewings are dark grey with a distinctive paler zone basal to the central maculation; otherwise the species is a small version of eriosoma lacking bronze areas on the forewing and having a more prominent pale grey, irregularly marked submarginal zone as in C. minutus Dufay (N.E. Himalaya, Japan (Inoue et al. 1982)). C. politus Dufay (Sumatra, Java, Bali) is larger with similar, but more contrasty facies. C. celebensis Dufay (Sulawesi) probably resembles minutoides more closely but has not been examined. C. papuasiae Dufay (New Guinea) and C. taiwani Dufay (Taiwan) are also members of the group.

The male has a dark grey brush of scales at the end of the abdomen which, when dissected, has eversible coremata between segments 7 and 8 and a characteristic structure of segment 8 (Fig. 320) shared with minutus and politus.

The male genitalia have a broad saccus and uncus as in minutus, but the latter is relatively shorter and broadest basally rather than constricted there; these structures in politus are more as in minutus but more slender; the uncus of celebensis was described by Dufay as button-like. The valves are robust as in minutus, and similarly lacking harpe and clavus, but are narrower overall and angled subbasally on the ventral margin rather than being evenly curved; in politus the valves are as in minutus. not angled ventrally. The aedeagus is relatively short, the vesica barely longer than the aedeagus. The vesica has a long cornutus separated from a row of four smaller ones; in minutus only the latter are present together with a band of scobination; in politus the vesica is three times as long as the aedeagus and scobinate over the basal third, the scobinate area containing a longitudinal row of ten small cornuti, with a much larger cornutus at the distal end of the vesica; in celebensis the vesica is not ornamented apart from a small chitinous, weakly scobinate plaque.

Holotype . SARAWAK: Gunong Mulu Nat. Park, R.G.S. Exped. 1977-8 (J.D. Holloway et al.) Site 8, February, Camp 1, Mulu, 150m, 385470, Mixed dipt. for., MV - mainly canopy, BM noctuid slide 10744.

Paratypes. SARAWAK as holotype: l as holotype, l Site 25 [G. Api, 900m, lower montane forest], 1 Site 18 [W. Melinau Gorge, 100m, riverside in alluvial forest].

Geographical range. Borneo.

Habitat preference. This species was confused with the next in the Mulu survey but both species appear to be found in a range of lowland forest types except heath (kerangas) forest and extend up to the lower montane zone.

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