Authaeretis sp. 1

Taxonomy

Authaeretis sp. 1. Specimen #4784 of a morphotype from Sabah (PHS) in the Schulze Coll.

Specimen #4784 of a morphotype nr A. eridora Meyrick. in the Schulze Coll. det. by Spiedel 1998 as syn. 'Coptobasis nr. textalis Lederer'.

Description

The purplish brown FW has a large white discocellular spot with darker marks on either side. and both wings have pale postmedian lines. Both post median lines are looped with pale patches anteriorly on the FW. Its markings apart from the FW spot and a ‘coronet mark’ on the FW post median line are somewhat indistinct. Schulze (2000) Taxon #439 ‘Coptobasis nr. textalis’. A similar morphotype, which may be conspecific, Authaeretis sp. 2 has even less distinct FW post median lines and it also has a white band on its abdomen. See Protonoceras capitalis Fabricius, P. dolopsalis Walker and Protonoceros sp. 1 which differ in the shape and smoothness of the FW post median line. Some Herpetogramma spp. such as H. pseudovialis Hampson and H. luctuosalis (Guenée) are similar and may be taxonomically misplaced. Botys [Syllepte] ovialis Walker, 1859: 636 (confined to Africa?) is also very similar. See Coptobasis textalis.

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.
• Schulze, C.H. (2000) Auswirkungen anthropogener Störungen auf die Diversität von Herbivoren. (Analys von Nachtfalterzönosen entlang von Habitatgradienten in Ost-Malaysia). Unpubl. PhD Thesis, University of Bayreuth, Germany: 350 pp.
• Walker, F. (1859d [May 10]) XVIII Pyralites, In; List Spec. Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. Ser. 4, 18: 509-798.
• Lederer, J. (1863d [Dec]) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7 (12): 427-502, pl. 2-18.