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Abraxas Leach
Type species: grossulariata Linnaeus.
Synonyms: Calospilos Hübner (type species ulmata Fabricius
= sylvata Scopoli, Europe); Chooreechillum Lucas (type species distitans
Lucas = flavimacula Warren, Queensland); Dextridens Wehrli
(type species sinopicaria Wehrli, China); Isostictia Wehrli (type
species picaria Moore, India); Mesohypoleuca Wehrli (type species metamorpha
Warren, Sikkim); Omophyseta Warren (type species triseriaria Herrich-Schäffer,
Java); Potera Moore (type species marginata Moore = triseriaria,
Burma); Rhabdotaedoeagus Wehrli (type species martaria Guenée,
India); Silabraxas Swinhoe (type species lobata Hampson = capitata
Warren, India); Spilota Hübner (praeocc.; type species grossulariata);
Spinuncus Wehrli (type species celidota Wehrli, W, China); Trimeresia
Wehrli (type species miranda Butler, Japan); Zerene Treitschke
(praeocc.; type species grossulariata); Diceratodesia Wehrli (type
species pusilla Butler, India).
The principal features of the gnathus are given in the introduction to
the tribe. The tympanic cavi are relatively small, particularly in subgenus Calospilos.
Inoue (1970, 1972, 1984) has reviewed a major part of this largely Oriental
genus, and has recognised only two subgenera, treating Wehrli's subgeneric
categories mostly as species groups. Most of subgenus Abraxas have
a fairly punctate, delicate pattern, lack a strong inner marginal blotch on the
forewing, have the uncus arising from a broad basal plate and have the gnathus
present as a ring. In subgenus Calospilos the wing pattern is strong,
blotchy, with a strong inner marginal blotch, the uncus is narrow or laterally
membranous at the base and apically bulbous, and the gnathus is absent. The
three Bornean species belong to the latter, as do probably all Indo-Australian
taxa from Sundaland eastwards. Those dissected appear to have remarkably uniform
male genitalic morphology in comparison with those illustrated in the
publications of Inoue.
The larvae are conspicuous, banded longitudinally with yellow, white and
black, or more irregularly patterned in the same colours (e.g. as illustrated in
Sugi (1987)).
A wide range of host-plants has been recorded in Japan (Sato &
Nakajima, 1975), from the families Caprifoliaceae, Celastraceae, Ericaceae,
Fagaceae, Oleaceae, Pinaceae and Salicaceae. The Bornean species have not been
reared.
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