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Pangrapta
hylaxalis Walker
Egnasia
hylaxalis Walker,
[1859]1858, List
Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus., 16: 222.
Zethes
albiguttata Pagenstecher, 1885, Jb. nassau. Ver. Naturk.,
38: 40.
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Pangrapta
hylaxalis |
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Pangrapta
hylaxalis Walker;
Holloway, 1976: 39.
Diagnosis.
This and the next species share with parsimonalis the dark brown triangular mark on
the costa distal to the postmedial, but the markings are generally more untidy
and the forewing reniform and orbicular are ringed or highlighted with white.
The area distal to the hindwing postmedial does not have such a conspicuous dark
brown ‘mountain range’, though this zone is darker and bounded distad by a
more regularly dentate greenish band. See also the next species.
Taxonomic
note. The species is unusual in the genus in having the phragma lobes
anterior to the second abdominal tergite vestigial. The male genitalia have an
uncus as in parsimonalis, but the valves are lens-shaped. The aedeagus vesica
is broad, without diverticula or ornamentation (but see the related species
next). The eighth segment of the abdomen appears unmodified. The female has the
eighth segment densely setose. The corpus bursae is generally scobinate, with a
longitudinal strip of sclerotisation with coarser scobination.
Geographical
range. Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra (HS / K), Nias, Java
(slide
19257).
Habitat
preference. This is a common species, found in forest from the lowlands to
1930m.
Biology.
Bell reared the related P. ferrugineiceps Hampson
in India. The larva has the prolegs on A3 and A4 reduced relative to the rest,
those on A3 slightly smaller. The shape was stated to be somewhat ‘trifine’
with A8 tumid and with the thoracic segments tapering to the distinctly but
shallowly bilobed head. The head is a light translucent yellow that is marbled
and reticulated with black, and with whitish lines. The body is a dirty,
yellow-tinged white below, suffused darker brown
above,
with the primary setae arising from yellowish dots. There are obscure whitish
longitudinal lines, a double one dorsally, centred pinkish. A8 has an oblique,
whitish band on each side, running forwards as it descends from the dorsolateral
position towards the spiracle of A7 fading as it goes. There are further white
marbling and diagonal black or white lines on more anterior segments. T1 forms a
black collar, with the yellow setal bases conspicuous.
The
larvae live on the developing red leaves of the host plant (see Pleurona
falcata on p. 314) and are red-tinged when younger. Pupation is in a
silken cell on the ground.
The host
plant is Hymenodictyon (Rubiaceae) as for P.
falcata.
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