|
Antheraea moultoni Watson
Antheraea moultoni Watson, 1927, Entomologist, 60: 35.
Diagnosis. The species varies from orange-yellow
through dull red to grey as illustrated. It is much less variegated than celebensis, the fasciae clearer, the submarginals straighter; the bar in
the forewing cell is crisp, concave distad, rather than diffuse, straight;
the nacreous zone of the forewing ocellus in the male is smaller,
and the whole ocellus is smaller in the female. Some females are a more
pure yellow but the original female from Kuching is dull red. The male
genitalia are typical of the frithi group.
Taxonomic notes. Since Allen (1981) and Holloway (1981) discussed this
species, a series of both sexes has been taken by T.P.G. Helps in Brunei
This has indicated the range of variations exhibited and has enabled more
detailed comparisons to be made with celebensis and with the Brunei and
Sarawak material associated with moultoni by these authors. This material
was noted to differ from the type of moultoni; the significance of these
differences has now become apparent, and the material is described below
as a new species, bringing the Bornean total of frithi group species to
four. The taxa billitonensis Moore, from Belitung I., north of Sumatra,
and surakarta Moore, from Java, are very similar to moultoni and may prove
conspecific when more material is available from these localities. In
which case the name surakarta (1862) would have priority.
Geographical range. Borneo.
Habitat preference. The type material was from Kuching; most subsequent
material has been taken in the Bay of Brunei in or close to mangrove. One
male has been taken in lowland forest at Ulu Temburong.
<<Back
>>Forward <<Return
to Contents page
|
(cf. holotype)
