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Pilipectus Bethune-Baker
Type
species: ocellatus Bethune-Baker,
New Guinea.
Species
of Pilipectus
have
rather narrow forewings with a distinctive pattern of transverse white striae on
brown and blackish brown. The veins are also picked out paler in places to give
a more reticulate impression. This fine marking is reduced or absent in the
large, ovate, slightly doubled, subapical indigo-blue patch that is set somewhat
obliquely and touches the costa at about two thirds. There may also be smaller
patches of blue at the margin. The dorsal margin usually has long scales or a
dentate tuft protruding over the hindwing at about one third, and the sides of
the thorax also have an array of long, stiff hair scales. The hindwings are
usually medium brown, though in both sexes of the type species and males of the
Bornean species they are white with a dark grey apex or border. The male
antennae are ciliate. The labial palps are of the catocaline type, with a very
long and slender third segment.
In the
male abdomen the eighth segment is only slightly modified, with the tergite much
broader than the sternite, the latter having a bilobed distal margin. The uncus
is large, curved in a hook shape, and the tegumen is twice as long as the
vinculum and obtusely angled on each side ventrally. The valves are narrow,
tongue-like, upcurved, lacking processes. The aedeagus and vesica are small.
The
female has a small ductus and bursa, unsclerotised, the latter narrowly ovate
and without a signum. The ostium broadens slightly from the ductus and is
situated within the eighth segment.
The
genus consists of the type species, the widespread Oriental one occurring in
Borneo and three further mainland Asian ones (Poole, 1989). Sugi (1996a)
commented on the mainland Asian species and suggested that P.
taiwanus Wileman
was distinct enough to be placed in a separate genus.
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