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Tympanistes Moore
Type
species: pallida Moore, India.
This genus includes some of the largest chloephorines, and is the only Bornean genus where sound production has
actually been observed. Hampson (1894; Fauna Br. India, Moths, 2: 421)
observed that sound production was by the striking of a spatulate process
against a ridge in the tymbal pocket and compared the sound to a policeman’s
rattle. No records of early stages have been located.
The forewings are rather elongate,
rectangular, with a pale bone-fawn ground traversed by diffuse wavy fasciae and striae of a darker brown. Some species have the wings somewhat translucent.
The male abdomen has the eighth tergite expanded, the basal margin deeply
notched, with hair-pencils on the apodemes on each side. The valves of the
genitalia are very elongate, sausage-shaped, basally produced to support similar
but larger hair-pencils. The uncus is short, deep, hooked. The aedeagus vesica
has several diverticula, with clusters of needle-like cornuti at the apex of
most of these.
The female genitalia have the bursa similarly convolute to the aedeagus vesica,
thickened and corrugated in parts, or finely rugose, but lacking signa or
definite spining. The cornuti of the male appear to be deciduous and may appear
in the bursa of mated females.
All species are Oriental tropical, extending no further east than Sundaland.
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