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Attonda Swinhoe
Type
species: trifasciata Moore,
Andamans.
The
facies is fairly typical of Saroba and immediate allies. The male abdomen
has the eighth segment with the tergite relatively broad and the sternite with
lateral rods and a central notch on the anterior margin, and considerably
expanded and rugose posteriorly. The male genitalia are typical of the Saroba
group.
The aedeagus is slender, the vesica small with several lobes on its broader
basal part. female (adspersa) has a relatively reduced sterigma, a long,
sclerotised, tapering ductus, and a very elongate, narrow corpus bursae.
The
genus currently contains the major species complex discussed below and also A.
ekeikei Bethune-Baker
(Sulawesi to New Guinea). In ekeikei
the
male has antennae that are strongly bipectinate and there is a shallowly curved
flap underlying the basal half of the forewing area. The male abdomen has a much
more elongated eighth segment of the framed corematous type, the sternite
without the lateral rods of typical Attonda,
but having a broad, slightly corematous pouch anteriorly. The genitalia are not
typical of the Saroba group, with the valves small, digitate, bearing a
large corema on the base of the costa. The sacculi meet centrally, their ventral
margin in an unusual ‘W’ shape. The aedeagus vesica is large, lobed,
scobinate, with a large cornutus at the apex of one lobe. Attonda
ekeikei is
probably a synonym of Goniophila lichenea Holland
(Buru). Both of these combinations were established by Poole (1989), reflecting
the BMNH curation current at the time; both are inappropriate (see also p. 288)
.
The
genus as currently constituted (Poole, 1989; Nielsen et
al.,
1996) contains one widespread Old World tropical species, adspersa Felder
& Rogenhofer, that has numerous synonyms, together with nana
Holland
from Africa and ekeikei
Bethune-Baker
from New Guinea, Seram and Sulawesi. Dissection has shown that much of this
synonymy within adspersa is unjustified; a species complex is involved, as
suggested by Robinson (1975). The type species is probably widespread in the
Indian Subregion, extending east to Australia and possibly Fiji (Robinson, 1975)
and is characterised by an uncus that expands gently to a ‘ball and claw’
apex, becomes more densely setose to the apex, and has a broad, short costal
process and an angled saccular process to the valve. The oldest name for this
species is trifasciata Moore
stat.
rev.,
and it probably includes as synonyms most of those listed by Poole (1989) for adspersa
except
stellata
Moore. There is a distinct species in
Africa (slide 18402) with a slender, tapering, basally flexed uncus, valve
processes somewhat as in adspersa, but with the distal part of the valve
very short; it is possible that the names nana Holland
(mainland Africa) and alboguttata Heyden (Madagascar) are referable to this species.
The Bornean species is described below and extends from Sundaland eastwards, but
the identity of ‘adspersa’ taxa in Australasia requires further study.
The
larva of the type species was described by Gardner (1947). The prolegs are
absent from A3 and reduced on A4. The head is lined and reticulated darker on a
pale ground. The body is greenish brown with fine white lines and, on A2 and A8,
an irregular white spot laterally. Pupation is in a folded leaf. The pupa has a
powdery bloom.
The host
plant was Mallotus (Euphorbiaceae).
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