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Trichogyia
semifascia Hampson
Trichogyia semifascia Hampson,
1894, Fauna British India Moths 2: 103.
Ceratonema albidivisum Hampson,
1900, J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 13: 232, syn. n.
Trichogyia semifascia Hampson;
Hering, 1931: 700.
Diagnosis. The ochreous brown basal area bounded by an oblique ( )
or somewhat sinuous ( )
white line, is distinctive.
Taxonomic notes. The two names brought into synonymy here were based on different sexes.
There are differences in the genitalia of both sexes between Himalayan
and Sundanian specimens. A Burmese male had the saccular process slightly larger
and square, the juxta apically spatulate rather than acute as in a Javan male (RMNH,
Leiden). The Bornean female dissected had sclerotised bands extending further up
the spiralled ductus which was broader than in the holotype of albidivisum (N.E.
Himalaya). The plate on the lamella postvaginalis is triangular rather than
broadly bilobed.
Geographical range. N.E. Himalaya, Burma, Sundaland.
Habitat preference. Three Bornean specimens have been seen, all from
Sarawak. Two females were reared at Subi and a male was taken at light at 300m
on G. Santubong.
Biology. The larva was described by Piepers & Snellen (1900), but a more
accurate description is presented, based on actual observations in Malaysia. The
larva is strikingly humped, the vertical black flanks separated from a flat grey
dorsum with rows of small black dots by a small flange on the angle between the
two. The body increases in width and height from a square anterior, back to
about the fifth abdominal segment, where the dorsum drops down steeply and the
flanks reconverge to an acute process with two small scoli at the end. The
dorsolaterals are present, spiny but very small.
The host-plants recorded were Coffea (Rubiaceae) and Lagerstroemia
(Lythraceae). The Bornean female referred to above was reared from cocoa (Theobroma;
Sterculiaceae).
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