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Argina
astrea Drury
Phalaena (Noctua) astrea Drury,
1773, Illust. nat. Hist. ext. Insects, 2:11, pl. 6.
Phalaena cribraria Clerck,
1764, Icon. Insect. rariorum, 2: p1. (54), praeocc (Watson, Fletcher
& Nye, 1980: 17).
Bombyx pylotis Fabricius, 1775, Syst. Ent. : 585.
Deiopea dulcis Walker, 1854, List Specimens lepid. Insects
Colln. Br. Mus. 2: 569.
Diagnosis. The orange-yellow forewings with black spots render this species
unmistakable.
Taxonomic note. This species has been referred to extensively in the literature under
the junior primary homonym cribraria Clerck. There are a number of
additional synonyms more junior to those listed above.
Geographical range. Indo-Australian tropics and into the Pacific to Palau,
Guam and Tahiti.
Habitat preference. Most Bornean material has been taken in open habitats
in the lowlands.
Biology. The life history is described in Robinson (1975: 105). The eggs are
spherical, pale green, laid in rows of 3-15 on the upper midrib of a leaf of the
host-plant. The young larvae feed on leaves, older ones on the seed pods. When
fully grown the head of the larva is reddish brown, the body black with white
intersegmental rings that contain broken black transverse lines. These rings are
preceded by transverse white bars dorsally on A1-6, with dots in front of these
on A3-6. The prothorax has a dorsal, longitudinal white streak. The spiracles
are set in orange patches. There are secondary setae on blue-black verrucae.
The host-plants are species of Crotalaria (Leguminosae).
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