Chlumetia
euthysticha Turner
comb. n.
Peperita euthysticha Turner,
1942, Proc. roy. Soc. Queensland 53: 75.
Diagnosis. This species resembles transversa but the forewing reniform is
less open anteriorly and the submarginal is entire, banded distally by a finely
dentate white line. In the male genitalia the valve is short, entire, narrowly
elliptical; the uncus is small, tapering, spinelike; the saccus is very slender,
flexed ventrally at the apex. The spine-bearing triangular modification of the
male abdominal sternite 8 is roughly as deep as wide. In the female genitalia
the basal sclerotised zone is simple, roundedly oblong; the bursa and appendix
bursae are equal, the latter arising from a duct equal in length to the ductus,
arising adjacent to it from the base of the bursa; the pair of signa are
diagnostically elongate.
Taxonomic notes. C. postrubra, the species described below, is related to euthysticha
as it has very similar male and female genitalia, but two further species
are probably even closer, replacing euthysticha allopatrically (as far as
material seen so far indicates) in the Oriental tropics. These species, probably
the true 'mango shoot borers', are described as follows:
Chlumetia brevisigna sp. n. (Figs. 100, 102, 103a). 8-9mm. The facies is
very similar to that of euthysticha, and also the male genitalia though
the valves are relatively slightly longer and the saccus more slender, not
broadening out so much over the basal section. The main difference is in the
female genitalia where the bursa is smaller and the signa round. Holotype
INDIA, Maxwell Coll., BM 1967-553, Karwar, 4.9.1909, BM noctuid slide 11006.
Material of this species has also been seen from Sri Lanka (slide 11011(, N.W.
India (10987, 11016), India (11005, 11017), Singapore (1102 (11026), Java
(11023), and the Philippines (11025). CIE records indicate that the species has
been reared from Mangifera in India.
Chlumetia trisigna sp. n. (Fig. 105). 10mm. This species is slightly larger than euthysticha,
with a more uniform, dull, dark brown forewing. The bursa copulatrix
contains three signal bands that run for almost the whole of its length. HolotypeMondoktoempang, W. BALI,
2500ft, Nov 1934 (J.P.A. Kalis), BM noctuid slide 11175.
Geographical range (euthysticha). Borneo, Ternate, New Guinea, Queensland (type
locality), Solomons.
Habitat preference. The species probably flies mainly in the lowlands.
The two Bornean specimens seen were taken in Sarawak, one at Long Pala in the G.
Mulu National Park and the other at Bidi.
Biology. The species has been reared from mango shoot tips in the Solomon Is. (CIE
records).
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