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Decetia
pallidaria occidentalis ssp. n.
Decetia pallidaria Pagenstecher,
1888, Jb. nassau. Ver. Naturk., 41:175.
Decetia
pallidaria 
(paratype
of occidentalis) |
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23, 24mm. This subspecies resembles typical pallidaria in
facies,
with obscure, irregular, oblique post- and antemedials on the forewing
rather than the typical linear markings of the genus, but is greyer, thus
bearing a closer resemblance to the mainland Asian D. bilineata Hampson
that is also of this facies type. There is a further undescribed species of the
group in Palawan (slide 227) with a richer rufous brown facies and a pale,
rather than dark, forewing discal dot. All these species have robust genitalia
with a hammer-like structure arising from between the valve bases, and a well
developed juxta with the anellar ring. The aedeagus is short, apically broad,
with numerous cornuti in the aedeagus vesica. In the new subspecies the genital
capsule and valves are somewhat narrower with a longer apical spur to the valve.
The cornuti in the vesica are slightly less robust, though still massive
relative to the other two species in the group. In the Palawan species the
valves are long, narrow, more evenly bifid apically and in bilineata they
are broader, gently sinuous, tapering, with the apical bifurcate zone much
narrower.
Holotype SARAWAK:
Gunung Mulu Nat. Park, R.G.S. Exped. 1977-8 (J.D. Holloway et al.) Site
23, April, W. Melinau Gorge, 250m. 430558, FEG 4, limestone forest, BM uraniid
slide 221.
Paratype As holotype.
Taxonomic note. Two females of the pallidaria group from Sumatra (ZSM) have
genitalia different from those of typical pallidaria, particularly a much
narrower ostium, inconsistent with the robustness of the pallidaria aedeagus.
Males are needed to help ascertain the identity of the Sumatran taxon.
Geographical range. Moluccas, Sulawesi; Borneo.
Habitat preference. The two specimens are from dipterocarp forest on
limestone.
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