Eristena mangalis Murphy

Taxonomy

The holotype of Eristena mangalis Murphy, 1989: 144, figs. 1A & 1B is from Singapore (Sg. Mandai Mangroves). The type is in Singapore (LKCNHM).

Description

The fulvous and white patterning is typical of Eristena but rather more pale areas than most spp. Sexually dimorphic. Murphy (1989, figs. 1-5) gives descriptions of three Singapore Eristena spp.

Life History

The adults are gregarious, clustering under mangrove foliage, and will swarm and regroup when disturbed. The aquatic larvae bear breathing filaments all over the body, and build tubes in drainage channels under rotting leaves in mangrove swamps and feed on Dictyota spp. (filamentous brown algae) (Dictyotaceae), which they partially use for the tube. See RTS 1994.

References

• Yoshiyasu, Y. (1987) Microlepid. Thailand, 1: 133-185.
• Murphy, D. H. (1989) Three new species of nymphuline moths from Singapore mangroves provisionally attributed to Eristena.
• [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.
• RTS (1994): 168, pl. 27, fig.15.
• Warren (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) Raffles Bull. Zool., 37 (1&2); 142-159, pls. 15-18.