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Monobolodes
?prunaria Moore
comb. n.
Dirades prunaria Moore, 1887, Lepid.
Ceylon 3: 400
Phazaca oribates West, 1932, Novit. zool., 37: 218, syn.
n.
Diagnosis. This is a smaller species than the others with rufous hindwings, the
forewing medial zone darker, with two opposed triangles, weakly defined, forming
the medial band. The hindwing is a more intense rufous colour with an entire,
angled, fine postmedial. Females from Borneo are not known. They may resemble
those of parvinigrata but with the medial zone of the forewing with two
opposed triangles as in the male.
Taxonomic notes. The male genitalia and facies of prunaria and oribates are
very similar, and they are therefore considered to be conspecific. The facies of
Bornean males is also similar, but the valves of the male genitalia are shorter,
broader, with a distinct angle to the costa at one third.
Geographical range. Sri Lanka, India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Ryukyu Is.,
?Borneo.
Habitat preference. Six males have been taken, all from lowland
dipterocarp forest at 150m near the Danum Valley Field Centre, Sabah.
Biology. The species has been reared in Taiwan (Chen, 1997). The larva is pale
grey with rows of black spots and a broad dorsolateral longitudinal black band
over the abdominal segments.
The host-plant was a species of Gardenia (Rubiaceae).
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