FAMILY NOTODONTIDAE
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Cerura Schrank

Cerura malaysiana Holloway
   
Cerura malaysiana
Holloway, 1982a: 203, (1976: fig. 360, for genitalia).


Cerura malaysiana


Diagnosis.
This species can only be confused with the next, but it is considerably larger and has marginal black wedges in the spaces of the forewing whereas in Neocerura liturata they are along the veins. The male genitalia are also very different, the aedeagus of Neocerura species being much shorter with two apical projections (Holloway 1982a).

Geographical range. Sundaland.

Habitat preference. The species is rare in lowland rain forest but was recorded as high as 1400 m on G. Kinabalu.

Biology. The larva of a close Indian relative, kandyia Moore, was described by Gardner (1943). It, and that of the next species, are of typical 'Cerura' type with the head partly retractable into the much larger thorax which is squarish viewed from the front, and faced with dark colour. The body is stout, thickened anteriorly, tapering posteriorly to the anal claspers which are modified into stematopods with protrusible lashes that are normally directed backwards but are held erect when the larva is alarmed, the lashes being protruded then. The body is usually green laterally but with a variably broad reddish, greyish or brownish dorsal band. The body is usually slightly humped at the third thoracic segment.

The host range of related species includes members of the families Salicaceae and Flacourtiaceae as discussed in the section on host-plant relationships.

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