Gadessa veisealis Swinhoe

Taxonomy

The holotype of Dichocrocis veisealis Swinhoe 1906a: 272 from India (Khasia Hills) is in the BMNH. According to the LepIndex and Globiz it is a junior subjective syn. of Dichocrocis megillalis Walker, 1859d: 700-701 but this should be reconsidered. We consider it a good species.

Description

An pale buff species with narrow  blackish ante-median and post-median lines. There is a large twin centred stigma in the FW cell and a very small punctum at the proximal end of the discocellular area. The mid part of the FW post median line is coarsley serrate and it extends a little distally and then retracts to the median position creating a shallow loop. The termenae of both wings have a pair of narrow dark sub-termenal lines with a contrasting pale band between them. The cillia are greyish with a pale bases creating a second pale termenal line. The head, thorax and abdomen are ochreous and the male abdomen has a dark spot near the tip. It is very similar to Gadessa veisialis but the form of the discocellular spot is different. Although not recorded in Malesia we include it as a species which needs to be distinguished from similar Gadessa spp. such as Gadessa characterisica Warren, 1896a Jan: 103, G. megillalis & Gadessa sp. 3.

References

• Warren, W. (1896a, Jan): XIII New genera and species of Pyralidae, Thyrididae, and Epiplemidae. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 6, 17 (97): 94-106.
• Swinhoe, C., (1906a) XXXVI New and little known species of Heterocera from the East. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., Ser. 7, 17 (94): 283-297.
• Walker, F. (1859d [May 10]) XVIII Pyralites, In; List Spec. Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. Ser. 4, 18: 509-798.