Coptobasis opisalis Walker

Taxonomy

The holotype of Desmia opisalis Walker 1859d: 346 is from 'East Indies'. comb. n. to Coptobasis (Lederer, 1863c: 278 (key), 429). It may be a junior subjective syn. of Sylepta [sic] arctalis Guenee 1854: 296. TL W. India. (Note on Lepindex card).

It is the TS of Coptobasis Lederer, 1863: 278, 429, pl. 16 fig. 11 by subsequent designation by Moore, 1885: 291.

Description

Glossy brown with purple/blue or green reflections. Cinereous-brown underneath. FW with a white lunule and a small white punctum in the cell. There are looping white post-median lines on both wings. These PML are broadened in places to white patches. Notably a distinctive white ‘coronet’ on the the FW.

Remarkably similar to some Authaeretis spp. (Meyrick, 1886: 252-253) but Lederer’s figure (Lederer, 1863c; Pl. 16 fig. 11), does not show the distinctive palpi of Authaeretis eridora Meyrick, 1886: 252.

See Coptobasis lunalis Guenée, 1854 and Sylepta [sic] arctalis Guenée.

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.
• Moore, F. (1884-1887 [1886]) Lepid. Ceylon., Vol 3, IX-XIII, xv + 578pp., pls. [71] 144-215 L. Reeve & Co., London.
• Walker, F. (1859d [May 10]) XVIII Pyralites, In List Spec. Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. Ser. 4, 18: 509-798.
• Meyrick, E. (1886a) Descriptions of Lepidoptera from the South Pacific. Trans. ent. Soc. Lond.: 189-296.
• Lederer, J. (1863c [Nov]) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7 (11): 379-426, pl. 2-18.