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Pantura
rufifrons Moore
comb. n.
Avitta
rufifrons Moore,
1887, Lep.
Ceylon,
3: 554.
Avitta
rufifrons Moore;
Holloway, 1976: 39.
Diagnosis.
The wings are a dark, rather uniform blackish brown, the forewings with a
purplish tint and traversed by four diffusely darker and rather obscure fasciae.
The head, patagia and forelegs are dull rufous orange, the patagia and broadly
scaled foretibia with a paler edging.
Taxonomic
note. The species has the generic characters of tegumen, vinculum and
valve shape. Holloway (1979) described Avitta pectinata from
New Caledonia, comparing it with rufifrons, but this species is in fact better placed in Chrysopera
Hampson
(see below).
Geographical
range. Indian Subregion to New Guinea and Queensland.
Habitat
preference. A rare and largely montane species, rufifrons
has
been recorded at 1050m, 1930m and 2600m on G. Kinabalu, at 1200m on the
limestone G. Api and at 1780m on G. Mulu. However, S.J. Willott (unpublished
data) recorded three specimens in lowland dipterocarp forest at 170m near the
Danum Valley Field Centre.
Biology.
Robinson et
al.
(2001) noted Cinnamomum
(Lauraceae)
as a larval host plant.
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