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Selepa
murphyi
sp. n.
8mm, 
(Singapore) 9-10mm. The species resembles discigera but the forewings are
less heavily marked. It can be distinguished by the male genitalia where the
valves are relatively longer, apically narrower, and the saccular processes and
some other thickened parts of the genitalia are very darkly sclerotised. The
female genitalia are similar to those of discigera.
Holotype
.
BRUNEI: 1m, 3km WSW of Muara, Kg. Kapok, edge of Rhizophora forest,
21.ix-3.x.1997 (G.S. Robinson) BM noctuid slide 16857.
Geographical range. Borneo, Singapore.
Habitat preference. The only Bornean specimen was taken in a coastal
locality with mangrove (Kampong Kapok) in Brunei.
Biology. Murphy (1990) found the larva common in mangrove in Singapore where
it feeds on Excoecaria (Euphorbiaceae), clusters of eggs giving rise to
large, gregarious swarms of larvae (both illustrated). The eggs are spaced apart
from each other evenly by a distance equivalent to the egg diameter.
The larva has long, white primary setae arising from white spots, the longest
being more than twice the body width. The body is otherwise a reddish brown with
prominent black patches dorsally on A2, A7 and over the anal area. Early instars
are yellower and lack the dorsal spots.
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