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Traminda
aventiaria Guenée comb. n.
Timandra aventiaria
Guenée, 1857, Hist. nat. Insectes, Spec. Gen. Lep., 10: 3.
Timandra molybdias Meyrick,
1899, Trans. ent. Soc. Lond., 1899: 488.
Diagnosis. The oblique ochreous green fasciae on a dull pale green ground, together
with a strong forewing discal ring and the anteriorly excavate forewing margin
lined thickly with dark brown render this species unmistakable.
Geographical range. Indian Subregion to New Guinea and Queensland. The
species occurs on the Ogasawara (Bonin) Is. and Guam, and in Hong Kong.
Habitat preference. The species is infrequent in the lowlands, perhaps
favouring disturbed and cultivated areas. Chey (1994) found the species to be
frequent in lowland softwood plantations, particularly those with the legume Paraserianthes
falcataria.
Biology. Bell (MS) described the larva. It is cylindrical but with lateral
expansions to the body. The pattern is variegated light and dark brown, the
expanded segments with white highlights anteriorly within a general lateral
light brown band. The expanded segments are suffused blackish dorsally. The pupa
is claviform, with a triangular cremaster. Bell does not mention any hooklets.
The larvae eat the young leaflets of the host-plant, sitting highly
looped amongst them when at rest, with the anterior end held in the air, the
expanded processes of the central segments resembling leaf bracts.
The host-plants recorded were Acacia and Albizia (Leguminosae).
Swezey (1946) reared the species from Pithecellobium (Leguminosae) and Rosa
(Rosaceae) on Guam.
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