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Urapteroides
astheniata Guenée
Micronia astheniata Guenée,
1857, Hist. nat. Insectes, Spec. Gen. Lep., 10: 24.
Urapteroides
astheniata 
Urapteroides
astheniata
young larva
Urapteroides
astheniata
mature larva
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Diagnosis. This species is white with pale grey brown fasciae and striae, and the
hindwing is tailed at M3 as in Microniinae. The fasciation consists mostly of
entire, single tails, only the submarginal being striate. The hindwing tail is
asymmetric as in Pseudomicronia and Strophidia Hübner, but lacks
a black dot within it anterior toM3.
Taxonomic notes. Further east occur two related species: hyemalis Butler (Solomons,
Vanuatu) and anerces Meyrick (Fiji) (Robinson, 1975). U. diana Swinhoe
(Peninsular Malaysia) is known only from the holotype and may be only an
aberrant form of astheniata where pattern elements of the distal halves
of fore- and hindwings have been expanded, with some compression of the more
basal ones.
Geographical range. N.E. Himalaya to New Guinea and Queensland.
Habitat preference. A frequent species in lowland forest, astheniata was
commonest in hill dipterocarp and alluvial forest types during the Mulu survey.
Biology. Barlow (1982) described the larva as pale reddish yellow, tinged green,
with reddish transverse stripes dorsally and three comma-like green markings
centrally on each segment, i.e. similar to that described by Bigger (above).
However, in photographs taken by D.C. Lees in Borneo, the mature larva (above) is green with irregular longitudinal variegation. The head and a broad
dorsal shield on the prothorax are a more glossy green, irregularly spotted with
black. The spiracles are picked out darker. Earlier instars (above) have each
segment strongly blacked and spotted with dark blackish green. The larva lives
under a silken web.
The larva has been reared from species of Endospermum (Euphorbiaceae)
in Malaysia (unpublished IIE D.C. Lees and FRIM records). As with Lyssa, this
has sometimes been interpreted erroneously as Eugenia (e.g. by Barlow,
1982).
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