Agathodes modicalis Guenée | The Pyralids of Borneo

Family: &nbsp; Crambidae
Subfamily: &nbsp; Spilomelinae
Tribe: &nbsp; Margaroniini
Genus: &nbsp; Agathodes
Distribution: South Africa, India (Sikkim), Burma [Myanmar], W. Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan Timur, Sumatra, Java (E &amp; W), Mollucas, Sulawesi, Philippines, China (Yunnan).
Habitat: Lowland to Submontane forest and disturbed areas &lt;1400m.
Wing Length: 15-18mm

Taxonomy

The holotype of Agathodes modicalis Guenée, 1854: 210; is from the ‘East Indies’.

syn. Agathodes sumatralis Swinhoe, 1906 TL Sumatra
syn. Megaphysa integralis Walker, 1865 [1866]: 1529. TL: Indonesia, Java.

Description

This is a very common species and found in most collections. Most Agathodes spp. are extremely similar with pink, pale pastel green and brownish markings on the FW. They are difficult to separate. For difficulties of distingishing between Agathodes spp. see comment under A.caliginosalis Snellen. This sp. is distinguishable from the latter by having a light coloured HW and from A. ostentalis Geyer by being larger with duller FW colours (RTS, 1994:190). Schulze (2000) taxon # 101 as ‘Agathodes sp.’

Life History

The larvae have been recorded feeding on the foliage of Erythrina indica & E. vespertillio Fabaceae.

Agathodes modicalis Guenée specimen plate

References

Guenée, A. (1854) Deltoïdes et pyralites. In Boisduval, J.A. & Guenée, A., Hist. nat. des Insectes (Spec. gén. Lépid.) Vol. 8, 448pp. + 10 pls., Librarie Encyclopédique de Roret: Paris.
Walker, F. (1865 [1866 Jan 13]) List Spec Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. 34, (Suppl. 4): 1121-1533.
[RTS] Robinson, G.S., Tuck, K.R. & Shaffer, M. (1994) A Field Guide to the Smaller Moths of South-East Asia, Malaysian Nature Society Kuala Lumpur & Natural History Museum, London, 311 pp. 51 text figs, 32 pls.