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Manoba
brunellus
Hampson comb. n.
Rhynchopalpus
brunellus
Hampson, 1893, Illust. typical Specimens lepid. Heterocera Colln Br. Mus., 9: 89.
Nola achromia
Hampson, 1909, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (8), 4: 352,
syn. n.
Celamoides
corticella
van Eecke, 1926: 39, syn. n.
Meganola
pseudohypena
Inoue, 1982, Moths of Japan, 1: 667.
Diagnosis. The forewings are a more uniform brownish grey than in other
species and grade darker towards the margin. The most conspicuous markings are
the rather straight, strongly oblique, punctate postmedial that has a narrow
darker shade just basal to it. There are also a more irregular, fainter,
submarginal and antemedial dots.
Taxonomic note. Association with
Rhynchopalpus,
and therefore now Manoba, as suggested by Holloway & Miller (1995), still
appears to be the best placement for brunellus, though the facies is
somewhat atypical, and the radial sector venation in the forewing has lost an
additional vein. The male genitalia have the generic features, but the valves
are narrower than typical, rather tongue-like, and the harpe is in a relatively
basal position. The aedeagus vesica has a large terminal cornutus. The taxon
achromia has male genitalia identical to those of typical brunellus,
as does a syntype of corticella.
Geographical range. Indian Subregion, Taiwan (H. Inoue, pers. comm.),
Ryukyu Is. (Inoue, 2001), Sundaland; Queensland, Bismarck Is. (ssp.
achromia);
introduced to Hawaii to control introduced Melastoma (Holloway & Miller,
1995).
Habitat preference. Records are from a variety of habitats, both forested
and cultivated, from the coast to about 600m, but the species has only ever been
taken in small numbers.
Biology. The larva feeds on Melastoma (Melastomataceae) including the
fruits (unpublished IIE records; Holloway & Miller, 1995; Robinson et al.,
2001). It does not stack head capsules.
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