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Eucyclodes
gavissima Walker
comb. n.
Comibaena gavissima Walker,
1861, List Specimens lepid. Insects Colln Br Mus. 22: 575.
Anisozyga gavissima aphrodite Prout,
1932, Gross-Schmett. Erde. 12: 85.
Chloromachia gavissima formosana Okano,
1960, Rep. Gak. Fac. Iwate Univ 16(2): 9.
Diagnosis. The
pattern of white zig-zag fasciae and, more distally, spots on bright green, with
blackish suffusion at the costa round the forewing postmedial is distinctive.
Taxonomic notes. The
Chinese ssp. aphrodite is much larger with a broader, wine-glass shaped
uncus, and broad blunt process to the apex of the valve costa. Sundanian
material has the valve more curved, and apically produced, and the dorsal
saccular margin is more strongly sinuous.
Geographical range. Indian
Subregion; W. China, Taiwan (ssp. aphrodite =
formosana);
Sumatra,
Borneo.
Habitat preference. The
species is rare. Two specimens were taken at 300m in the mixed dipterocarp
forest of Ulu Temburong, Brunei.
Biology. Bell
(MS) reared the species in S. India. It is of a shape typical of the genus,
mottled light brown, brown, white and tinged irregularly rufous. The pupa is
bone colour, suffused pink and speckled with black. The tips of the veins of the
wing cases are whitish. There is a darker dorsal line on the abdomen.
The larva sits in an S-shape, covers
itself with particles and walks in a halting, trembling manner. Pupation is in a
silken cocoon typical of the genus.
The larva fed on the flowers of Memecylon
(Melastomataceae).
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