Paracataclysta fuscalis Hampson
- Family: Crambidae
- Subfamily: Acentropinae
- Genus: Paracataclysta
- Distribution: Africa (W), Sri Lanka, India, Bhutan, Thailand, Vietnam, W. Malaysia, Sarawak, Kalimantan Selatan, Indonesia (Sumatra), Australia (Q).
- Habitat: Lowland. No detailed habitat info except 'forest edge'.
- Wing Length: 6.5-8.5mm
Taxonomy
The female holotype of Catoclysta [sic] fuscalis Hampson, 1893: 178 pl. 174, fig. 13; from Ceylon [Sri Lanka] (Kelaney Valley) is in the BMNH.
- syn. Cataclysta nyctopis Meyrick, 1894a: 475, TL SE Borneo, is in the BMNH. comb. n. to Paracataclysta (Yoshiyasu 1983).
It is the TS of Paracataclysta (Yoshiyasu, 1983 1_6, figs. 1-4.) That genus was differentiated from the related genera Elophila and Cataclysta by having the FW vein R3 completely fused with R4 and with Sc+ R1 completely fused with Rs in the HW. Like some Elophila the proboscis is shorter. (Yoshiasu, 1987). As it is a monospecific genus its differentiation could be seen as uneccessary splitting.
Description
Hampsons (1896: 197, Pl. 74, fig. 13) description in the moths of British India would fit a typical Nymphicula with five eyespots on the HW termen. The FW apex has a couple of orange bars alternating with a paler stripe. The HW has a narrow termenal orange fascia and five large complete eyespots with shining blue pupils dominate the distal part. Proximally to the spots subtermenally are a few indistinct narrow dark lines. The sp. is extremely variable with leucistic and melanistic specimens. In the melanistic specimens The overall sombre brown and blackish scaling partly obscures the more distinctive wing patterning of orange and white.
A specimen in ANIC has been DNA sequenced (Sample #BOLD 10ANIC-09017)
Rather rare.
References
- Hampson, G. F. (1893) The Macrolepidoptera Heterocera of Ceylon. Ill. typ. spec. Lepid. Heteroc. coll. B.M., 9. v + 182 pp., pl. 157-176. Taylor & Francis, London.
- Hampson, G.F. (1896) Moths, Vol. IV, In Blandford, W.T. (ed.), The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, W.T., Taylor and Francis, London: xxiii + 594pp.
- Yoshiyasu, Y., (1983) A study of Thailand Nymphulinae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae). (1) Description of Paracataclysta n. gen. Akitu (n. s.), 50: 1-6.
- Yoshiyasu, Y., (1987) The Nymphulinae (Lepidoptera: Pyralidae) from Thailand, with descriptions of a new genus and six new species. In Kuroko, H. & Moriuti, S. (eds.) Microlepidoptera of Thailand 1: 133-184.
- Yoshiyasu, Y. (1987) Microlepid. Thailand, 1: 133-185.
- Meyrick, E. (1894a) On Pyralidina from the Malay Archipelago. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond.: 455-480.