::The Moths of Borneo::

SUBFAMILY PANTHEINAE

Arcte modesta Hoeven (Plate 1, Figs 13, 74)

�� Noctua modesta Hoeven, 1840, Tijdschr. nat. Gesch. Physiol., 8: 282.
�� Cocytodes immodesta Guen�e, 1852, Hist. nat. Insectes, Spec. g�n. L�pid. 7: 42.
�� Cocytodes granulata Guen�e, 1852, Hist. nat. Insectes, Spec. g�n. L�pid. 7: 42, syn. n.
�� Arcte senica Felder, 1874, Reise �st. Fregatte Novara, Lep: pl. 113, fig. 2.
�� Arcte papuensis Warren, 1912, Novit. Zool. 19: 49, syn. n.
�� Arcte modesta Hoeven; Holloway, 1976: 33; Kobes, 1985: 79.

Diagnosis. See the generic description and illustration. The rather regular, arcuate antemedial that surrounds a basal black disc containing a scattering of pale blue scales distinguishes the species from congeners. The next species has much broader and more intense blue banding to the hindwing, and A. taprobana Moore (Himalaya, Sumatra; Kobes (1985) under the junior synonym (Poole, 1989) nigrescens Butler) has more irregular fasciation (including an approximately straight antemedial) and two almost straight rows of pale blue patches on the hindwing.

Taxonomic note. The male genitalia of the taxa brought into synonymy are the same throughout the range, but there are minor differences in facies in granulata the hindwing postmedial patches are paler, more conspicuous; the forewing in papuensis is more variegated, with some specimens having white patches over the anterior half of the medial zone.

Geographical range. India (ssp. granulata); Thailand, Sundaland, Philippines, Sulawesi, Flores, Timor; Seram, New Guinea (ssp. papuensis).

Habitat preference. This species is frequent from the lowlands to 2600m, and may show hill-topping behaviour, as it can be abundant at higher altitudes (see records in Holloway (1976)).

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