Bacotoma binotalis Warren

Taxonomy

The holotype of Platamonia binotalis Warren, 1896c: 177 is from Burma.

• syn. Syngamia albiceps Hampson, 1912: 254. T.L. Singapore. syn. n. (Yang et al. 2019: 15)
• Shaffer et al. (1996) removed Bacotoma Moore [1886]: 382 from syn. with Syngamia Guenée 1854. syn. Platamonia Lederer, 1863, nec Busch, 1851 gen. rev. and syn. n. (Shaffer et al. 1996).

This removal from syn. solved a problem arising from Whalley (1961) sorting out the two complexes of Stenia floridalis Zeller, 1852: 60-61 and Phalaena [Tinea] florella Stoll, 1781: 114, pl. 348 fig. L. The former is the TS of Aethaloessa Lederer 1863 and the latter is the TS of Syngamia Guenée 1854 now considered a New World genus necessitating all ‘Syngamia’ from the Old World to be placed in a different genus. In this work following Shaffer et al. and Yang et al. (2019), we have placed them in Bacotoma. TS Botys abjungalis Walker 1859: 67: 670 [= Syngamia violata Fabricius (Moore 1885: 282) pl. 180, fig.8].

Description

A chocolate brown and yellow sp. Note the discontinuous postmedian line inside the broad dark HW margin. Yang et al (2019: 11) illustrate the male genitalia, figs. 5B & 6B.

The abdomen is long and in common with many Bacotoma spp. the end segments of the orange-scaled abdomen of the male has two pairs of black and white marks and obvious elongate valvae at its tip, which Yang et al (2019: 10, Figs 4 A-E), illustrate.

Schulze (2000) taxon #600 ‘Syngamia sp. 3’.

Slight sexual dimorphism may be widespread in this group where the females have a differently shaped, slightly shorter abdomen, sometimes lacking the spots. The female of this sp. is not reported.

Compare with the similar Bacotoma camillusalis (Walker, 1859).

References

• Cramer, P. & Stoll, C. (1779-82 [1775]) Die uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie warelddeelen Asia, Africa en America, S. J. Baalde & Barthelemy Wild: Amsterdam & Utrecht. 4 (part l): 29-252. [In Dutch]
• Stollem, 1781
• Zeller, P.C. (1852) Lepidoptera Microptera quae J. A. Wahlberg in Caffrorum terra legit, Stockholm: P. A. Norstedt & Söner. 120 pp.
• 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.Lederer, J., (1863) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7: 243-280, 331-502, pl. 2-18.
• Moore, F. (1884-1887 [1886]) Lepid. Ceylon., Vol 3, xv + 578pp, pls.154 [144]-215 L. Reeve & Co., London.
• Whalley, P.E.S. (1961) A revision of two species complexes in the Pyraustinae (Lepidoptera Pyralidae): Cotachena histricalis Warren, Syngamia floridalis Bull BM (NH) Entomology 10, (3) :8-111. Pl. 4.
• Shaffer, M., & Nielsen, E.S. & Horak, M. (1996) Pyraloidea (In Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangji (Eds.)), Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia; 164-199, CSIRO, Australia.
• Yang, Z., M. Ullah, Landry, J.-F., Miller, S.E., Rosati, M.E. & Zhang, Y. (2019) Reassessment of the moth genus Bacotoma, with a new species from Hainan Island (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae). Insect Systematics & Evolution, Copenhagen: 1-24. DOI: 10.1163/1876312X-00002205
• Walker, F. (1859d [May 10]) Pyralides, In; List Spec. Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. Ser. 4, 18: 509-798.
• Warren, W. (1896c) XVIII New species of moths from the Khasia Hills, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 6, (18): 163-177.
• Hampson, G.F. (1912b) XV Descriptions of new species of Pyralidae of the subfamily Pyraustinae, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 8, Vol 9, (49): 149-174.