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Lophoptera brunnistis sp. n.
 
12-14mm. The general appearance of this species is as in purpuribasis
and purpuriridis (see below) but the forewings are uniform brown,
lacking a strong purplish tone and paler zones. The male genitalia of this and
the next species share characters with L. hypenistis Hampson (N.E.
Himalaya, Burma) such as the apical scrolled modification of the slender uncus
and the oblong valves with two central, subbasal lobes. All the species have two
very slender coremata in the male on each side of the membrane between abdominal
segments 7 and 8; segment 8 is otherwise of typical Lophoptera form. L.
hypenistis is slightly paler brown in the forewing with an entire, straight,
oblique, pale postmedial which has a paler zone grading away basad. In the male
genitalia the valve costa of hypenistis has a more distinct bulge over
the basal half, and the more distal of the subbasal lobes is much shorter, less
angled at the distal corner; the uncus apex in hypenistis resembles the
head of a snake, open-mouthed, rather than being tightly scrolled, and the
aedeagus contains significant scobination, almost lacking in brunnistis. In
the female genitalia of brunnistis the post-ostial invagination is small,
well distanced from the ostium; the ostium is flanked by a pair of small,
kidney- shaped setose lobes.
Holotype . SARAWAK: Gunong Mulu Nat.
Park, R.G.S. Exped. 1977-8 (J.D. Holloway et al.) Site 26, April, G. Api
Pinnacles, 1200m, open scrub, MV, BM noctuid slide 10644.
Paratypes. 18 examples, same general data as holotype, various localities, BM
noctuid slide 11413
().
Geographical range. Borneo, Sumatra; ?Sulawesi, Buru and New Guinea
(specimens (slides 11399, 11406, 11417) with similar male genitalia but also a
paler diffuse zone basal to the postmedial).
Habitat preference. During the Mulu survey the species was found to be
common in lower and upper montane forest on both G. Mulu and G. Api.
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