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Aethalida Walker
Type species: distinguenda Walker = rudis Walker, syn.
n.
(Sulawesi).
Synonym: Meringocera Felder (type species plutonica
Felder) syn. n.
This genus includes a number of taxa from central Indonesia, the
Philippines and Borneo (a new species). Typically they show strong sexual
dimorphism, a factor which has led to sexes being described independently. Males
are dark brown, with creamy white patches basally, at the centre of the costa,
and apically on the forewing; the hindwing is edged irregularly on the costa
with pale yellow or red. Females have the forewings more extensively marked with
white: a medial band and an irregular row of spots at the margin. The hindwings
are uniform bright red in the type species and allies, yellow with some dark
marginal markings in the Philippines species. The antennae are black, almost
filiform in both sexes. The thorax has black spots on the patagia and tegulae,
and a further three pairs dorsally.
The male abdomen has the eighth segment similar to that of Spilosoma.
The valves of the genitalia are finger-like, round at the apex, slightly
tapering. The aedeagus vesica is without large cornuti. The tegumen bears large
lateral lobes in the type species.
In the female genitalia the bursa and a long, apically angled appendix
bursae arise from a short, sclerotised ductus; the bursa has no signa. The
dorsal glands of the ovipositor lobes are large with three dichotomies.
There is some similarity in female fades to the Indian genus Pangora Moore.
Pangora exhibits little sexual dimorphism. The males have multilobed
valves, an apical spine to the aedeagus and cornuti in the vesica. The tegumen
has slender accessory processes on each lobe. The female genitalia have a flexed
sclerotised ductus as in some Spilosoma, a short appendix bursae and
three signa in the bursa as in Areas.
Aethalida includes a large typical group of species (possibly all subspecies of
pasinuntia Stoll as treated in Seitz, Gross-Schmett. Erde 10), the
first four listed below, and somewhat divergent ones from Seram and the
Philippines. The Bornean species described afterwards differs in lacking sexual
dimorphism, but has several features that indicate it is best placed in Aethalida.
The species are:
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Aethalida pasinuntia Stoll
comb. n.
=
albidior Rothschild syn. n.
=
plutonica Felder syn. n.
=
burica Holland syn. n.
=
tricolor Pagenstecher syn. n.
|
S.
Maluku
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| Aethalida conflictalis Walker
comb. n. |
N.
Maluku |
| Aethalida rudis Walker comb. n.
|
Sulawesi |
|
=
distinguenda Walker syn. n.
=
reducta Rothschild syn. n.
ssp.
banggaiensis Nieuwenhuis |
Banggai Is. |
| Aethalida dohertyi Hampson
comb. n. |
Sangihe
|
| Aethalida quadrimaculata Talbot
comb. n. |
S.
Maluku (Seram)
|
|
Aethalida dora Semper comb. n.
=
whiteheadi Rothschild syn. n. |
Philippines
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| Aethalida borneana sp.
n.
|
Borneo
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