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Subgenus Orthocraspeda Moore stat. n.
Type species: trima Moore.
Synonym: Thoseoides Shiraki (type species: fasciata Shiraki).
This group has species with similar facies to those of Darna (the
sordida pair) but the processes of the uncus are not balloon-shaped and
have lost the rows of scales ventrally. The valve processes arise from the very
base of the valve costa rather than being displaced distally as in typical Darna
and in Oxyplax.
The female genitalia have a pair of sclerotised plates on the lamella
vaginalis either side of the ostium. The signum in the bursa is variable but,
when present, is a scobinate zone or ridge set longitudinally within the bursa.
There are three species-groups.
The pair sordida and
bornesordida has a male forewing facies like a dark pinkish grey D.
metaleuca, though the female is more akin to Ploneta species in
pattern. In the male genitalia the saccus is angled, the valve process simple,
the uncus processes short, ventrally rugose, the gnathus also relatively short
and robust. The larva is described in the specific account.
The Sulawesi species catenatus Snellen has males and females with
a pale yellowish brown forewing, uniform apart from a regular dark marginal band
and a faint discal spot; the hindwings are dark grey-brown. The uncus is not
cleft to the base and the gnathus is rather slender though not as much or as
fused as in typical Darna. The valves have a slightly angled sacculus, a
stepped costa and a very long slender costal process that is longer than the
valves. The larva was described and illustrated by Kalshoven (1981). It is of Darna
shape though somewhat oblong, greenish with a violet or grey dorsal band
that contains a medium black stripe that is much more distinct in young larvae.
The rows of spined tubercles are complete, small, and uniform in size. The
host-plants recorded have been various palms, especially Cocos.
The remaining group contains the type species, one of five with rather
similar facies. The forewings are variably banded with dark grey, the bands
divided by narrow, transverse, almost black fasciae; sexual dimorphism is
slight, though females tend to have more variegated forewings than males. In the
male genitalia the uncus is usually deeply cleft, the processes long, without
scaling. The gnathus is bifid either apically or over a greater depth. The
costal process of the valve is also somewhat divided. The larva is typically
brownish red with white patches along the flanks, the posterior two pairs of
laterals being longer than the rest, and the dorsolaterals shorter than the
shortest laterals. A more detailed account will be found in the specific account
for trima.
The check-list of Darna species with synonymy is currently as
follows; with genus of original description in square brackets:
Ploneta
Darna [Ploneta] diducta Snellen comb. n. Sundaland.
Darna [Macroplectra] flavina Hering comb. n. Sumbawa.
Darna bradleyi sp. n. Borneo.
Darna [Thosea] cotesi Swinhoe comb. n. N.E. Himalaya.
Darna [Thosea] jasea Swinhoe comb. n. S. India ?t. loc.
Darna sp.
slides 902 ( ),
733 ( ).
N.E. Himalaya.
Oxyplax
Darna [Aphendala] ochracea Moore comb. n. India, Sri Lanka.
Darna [Natada] fulvidorsia Hampson comb. n. Sri Lanka.
Darna [Natada] fulvimixta Hampson comb. n. Sri Lanka.
Darna sp.,
Slide 729 ().
Peninsular Malaysia.
Darna [Miresa] pallivitta Moore comb. n. China, Taiwan, Sundaland.
Darna
Darna metaleuca Walker.
Sundaland
= plana Walker
Darna [Thosea]
sybilla Swinhoe
comb. n. Thailand.
Darna [Parasa]
nararia Moore
comb. n. India, Sri Lanka
= suffusa Moore [Susica]
= signata Moore [Susica]
= fraterna Moore [Susica]
= cosmiana Swinhoe [Susica]
= sericea Hampson [Susica] syn. n.
Orthocraspeda
Darna [Birthama]
senescens West
comb. n. Philippines.
Darna [Limacodes]
catenatus Snellen. Sulawesi, Sangihe.
Darna [Orthocraspeda]
sordida Snellen. Thailand, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java.
= luticrista Tams
syn. n.
Darna
bornesordida sp.
n. Borneo.
Darna [Orthocraspeda]
trima trima Moore. Java.
trima ajavana ssp. n. Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia.
Darna [Natada]
tuaranensis Holloway comb. n. Borneo.
Darna [Natada]
furva Wileman comb. n. Taiwan, China, N.E. Himalaya, Thailand
= fasciata Shiraki [Thoseoides] syn. n.
Darna sp.
slides 422, 811, 837 ().
Philippines: Mindanao.
Darna sp.
slides 931, 932. Philippines: Luzon.
A tentative scheme
of relationships within Darna is shown in Fig. 41 below. The numbered spots on
the stalks represent presumed apomorphies as follows:
1. A process from
the base of the valve costa and/or rows of non-deciduous scales on a bifid uncus.
Larva with blades on laterals of A2 and A7.
2. Strong sexual
dimorphism. Uncus and gnathus fused, with scales reduced or absent. Process on
valve costa arises from costal margin, held dorsally to the valve, and
cylindrical rather than blade-like, (the sub. costal position and extent
outwardly and ventrally across the anterior face of the valve is presumed
plesiomorphic; if apomorphic it would place Ploneta as sister-group to
the rest, defined by it; larval characters, such as a fine white reticulate
pattern, may indicate Ploneta and Oxyplax to be sister-groups).
Figure 41.
Cladogram for the genus Darna indicating the subgenera recognised.
Numbers instead of species at the branch ends refer to BM genitalia slide
numbers of specimens belonging to undescribed species. The groupings within the
cladogram are defined by apomorphies listed in the text under the numbers on the
diagram. Distributions of the species are indicated by the following
abbreviations: B. Borneo; C, China; IN, India; J, Java; M, Peninsular Malaysia;
NEH, N.E. Himalaya; N.IN, North India; PH, Philippines; SL, Sri Lanka; S.IN,
South India; SUL, Sulawesi; SUMB, Sumbawa; SUN, Sundaland; TH, Thailand.
3.
Uncus and gnathus reduced. A pair of prominent socii on the tegumen.
4.
Tegumen broad. Gnathus darkly sclerotised and concave dorsally. Socii set well
apart but incurved towards uncus.
5.
Sexual dimorphism weak with facies consisting of an oblique postmedial/submarginal,
usually white, on bronzy brown forewings.
6. Process from valve costa an elongate, simple triangle, (absent in pallivitta).
Species robust.
7. Forewing discal spot present. Forewing with dark submarginal parallel
to margin, though present only as a dark bar at the costa in some species.
Oblique postmedial absent (if presence is apomorphic then Ploneta and Oxyplax
are sister-groups, then sister to Darna and Orthocraspeda)
8. Gnathus very slender, fused over almost entire length. Uncal
processes scaled, balloon-like. Fades of forewing pale dull orange with paler
triangle.
9. Costal process of valve broad, apically setose.
10. Signum of bursa longitudinal when present (transverse in Ploneta,
a single spine in Darna metaleuca). Ostium bursae flanked by two
sclerotised flaps on the lamella vaginalis. Scales on uncus processes reduced to
small knobs or lost. Costal process of valve crosses down over its interior
surface but arises basally rather than subbasally.
11. Forewings dark pinkish grey in male, markings typical of Darna +
Orthocraspeda group; females more as in Ploneta species. Sacculus
strongly produced and angled. Costal processes of valve single, tapering gently
to a point.
12. Grey forewings with several dark transverse fasciae. Scales on uncus
completely absent (rugose areas present in sister group).
13. Gnathus more or less bifid. Costal process of valve more or less
divided.
14. Gnathus deeply cleft. Costal process of valve completely divided.
15. Processes of gnathus long and slender. Uncus processes set on
triangular basal portion (absent in other species of genus). Longer costal
process of valve flexed twice rather than once.
The Luzon species of the trima group was found after the
cladogram was drawn up but is sister to that from Mindanao, sharing modification
to the gnathus and production of the posterior lamella of the sacculus into a
dorsally directed rod.
The Philippines species Birthama senescens West is misplaced in
that genus, and examination of the male genitalia suggests that it belongs to
the Orthocraspeda group of Darna, comb. n. Females are unknown so
its location on the cladogram is uncertain; it may be best considered as a
fourth group of the subgenus.
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