Note

Erebidae, undoubtedly a well-defined group of moths, is the largest family of the order Lepidoptera. Globally, it is known by approximately 24,500 described species under 1750 genera (Nieukerken et al. 2011) and 18 subfamilies: Scoliopteryginae, Rivulinae, Anobinae, Hypeninae, Lymantriinae, Pangraptinae, Herminiinae, Aganainae, Arctiinae, Calpinae, Hypocalinae, Eulepidotinae, Toxocampinae, Tinoliinae, Scolecocampinae, Hypenodinae, Boletobiinae and Erebinae (Zahiri et al. 2012). Family Erebidae is of immense economic importance as it includes a large number of major and minor pest species in its fold. The caterpillars of various species attack different agricultural crops, forest trees and ornamental plants. These moths and their immature stages occupy a variety of niches, such as external foliage feeders on trees, forbs or grasses and are known by different names such as subsurface cut worms, army worms, boll worms, stem borers, bud feeders, etc. The huge losses caused by their larvae are counted in terms of millions of rupees every year which farmers spend for their control. Thus, the distributional knowledge of such an economically important group of insects is vital for the economy of any country, agriculture sector and for mankind as a whole.

The present communication deals with the new additions of eight species to the known Indian fauna of Erebidae. All the newly reported species are distributed in northeastern India. For each of the newly reported species: first and latest reference, diagnosis, wing length, remarks, material examined and distribution is given whereas, first reference and name of the type species is provided for the respective genus.

 

 

Materials & Methods

The studied material was collected using light traps from different localities mentioned under material examined. The collected moths were killed with the help of ethyl acetate vapours and processed as per standard techniques in Lepidopterology. The wing venation and genital studies have been done by following Klots (1970), Robinson (1976), and Zimmerman (1978). The identification was done with the help of relevant literature (Hampson 1894; Holloway 2005). Furthermore, the reported species of Indian Erebidae have been verified from the following published works: Hampson (1891, 1893, 1894, 1895, 1896, 1897, 1898, 1899a,b,c, 1900, 1902, 1903, 1904, 1907, 1908, 1909, 1910, 1911, 1912, 1913, 1913a,b, 1914, 1918, 1920, 1922, 1924, 1926), Rose (2002), Srivastava (2002), Smetacek (2008), Zaspel & Branham (2008), Gurule et al. (2011), Sivasankaran et al. (2012), Gurule & Nigam (2013), Kirti & Singh (2013), and Singh et al. (2014). All the voucher specimens of the newly recorded species are deposited in the Department of Zoology & Environmental Sciences, Punjabi University, Patiala (PUP/ZOO).

Abbreviations used: AED - Aedeagus, ANT.APO - Anterior apophyses, CRP.BU - Corpus bursae, DU.BU - Ductus bursae, VLV - Valva, PAP.A - Papilla anales, PO.APO - Posterior apophyses, TG - Tegumen, UN - Uncus, VES - Vesica, VIN - Vinculum, JX - Juxta.

 

 

Results and Discussion

Family: Erebidae

Subfamily: Erebinae

Genus Ischyja Hübner

Hübner, 1823; Verz. bekannt. Schmett.: 265.

Type species: Phalaena manlia Cramer.

Ischyja hagenii (Snellen, 1885)

(Images 1,2,3)

Potamorpha hagenii Snellen, 1885; Tijdschr. Ent., 28: 6

Ischyja hagenii (Snellen, 1855); Kononenko & Pinratana (2005), Moths of Thailand 3: 106

Material Examined:  PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-840, 13.ix.2012, 1 male, Mizoram: Mamit (23.92916667 N & 92.49055556 E, elevation 875m).

Diagnosis: Male genitalia with uncus swollen at tip, followed by a claw; juxta flask like; valvae robust with broad base, narrow beyond the basal half; vesica with small sclerotizations and spines as well as scobination.

Forewing length: 41mm.

Remarks: This species is distinct from its closely similar species Ischyja anna Swinhoe by the following characters: second segment of labial palpi is dark brown below, an ovate mark on forewing dorsum and a much broader blue band on the hindwing (in hagenii second segment of labial palpi is pale blue, forewing mark is angular and blue band of hindwing is narrow)

Distribution: India (Mizoram), Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Java, Lombok).

 

 

Genus Ophisma Guenée

Guenée, 1852; in Boisduval & Guenée. Hist. nat. Ins. 7: 236.

Type species: Ophisma gravata Guenée.

Ophisma pallescens (Walker, [1863] 1864)

(Images 4,5)

Lagoptera pallescens Walker, [1863] 1864; J. Proc. Linn. Soc. (Zool.), 7: 179.

Ophisma pallescens (Walker, [1863] 1864); Kononenko & Pinratana (2005), Moths of Thailand, 3: 34.

Material Examined: PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-843, 12.ix.2012, 1 male, Mizoram: Mamit (23.92916667 N & 92.49055556 E, elevation 875m).

Diagnosis: Forewing pale brownish-grey, slightly falcate; the reniform and orbicular outlined with black. Hindwing pale yellow, with a submarginal black band, broadest at apex and narrowing to a point at anal angle. Female genitalia with papilla anales rectangular, setosed with long and small setae; posterior apophyses longer than the anterior apophyses; ductus bursae strongly curved, slender, long and sclerotized; corpus bursae irregular, pyriform with a small patch of sclerotization and lower half membranous.

Forewing length: 44mm.

Remarks: The second known species of this genus, O. gravata Guenée is much smaller in size than O. pallescens.

Distribution: India (Mizoram), Thailand, peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi, Seram), New Guinea.

Genus Serrodes Guenée

Guenée, 1852; in Boisduval & Guenée. Hist. nat. Ins. 7: 251.

Type species: Phalaena inara Cramer.

Serrodes caesia Warren, 1915

(Images 6,7)

Serrodes caesia Warren, 1915; Novit. Zool. 22: 150

Serrodes caesia Warren, 1915; Holloway (2005), Moths of Borneo, 15–16: 89

Material Examined:  PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-846, 12.ix.2012, 1 female, Mizoram: Mamit (23.92916667N & 92.49055556E, elevation 875m).

Diagnosis: Forewing slightly variegated, two irregular sub-basal markings, a fine but somewhat obscure post-medial line, outwardly angled at centre. Female genitalia with ductus bursae small, strongly sclerotized; corpus bursae elongated, weakly sclerotized.

Forewing length: 25mm.

Remarks: According to Holloway (2005) the species is non-congeneric with Serrodes and may be related to Avatha bipartita Wileman (Taiwan); however, due to lack of voucher specimens of related species we are following Holloway (2005).

Distribution: India (Mizoram), Indonesia (Java, Borneo, Sumatra, Sulawesi), New Guinea, Thailand.

Subfamily Herminiinae

Genus Simplicia Guenée

Guenée, 1854; in Boisduval & Guenée. Hist. nat. Ins. 8: 15.

Type species: Herminia rectalis Eversmann.

Simplicia bimarginata (Walker, [1863], 1864)

(Images 8,9,10)

Culicula bimarginata Walker, [1863], 1864; J. Proc. Linn. Soc. (Zool.) 7: 178.

Simplicia bimarginata (Walker, [1863], 1864); Holloway (2005), Moths of Thailand, 3: 14

Material Examined: PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-42, 18.ix.2012, 1 male, 2 females, Mizoram: Hrangchalkwan (22.86083333N & 92.80416667E, elevation 1,230m); PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-42a, 17.ix.2009, 1 male, Mizoram: Thingsul (23.706604N & 92.866734E, elevation 850 m).

Diagnosis: Forewing fuscous grey; a straight sub-marginal line with diffused fuscous shade on inner side, area beyond it grey; antemedial and post-medial lines weak, waved and approaching each other towards inner margin. Hindwing with a similar sub-marginal line, angled at vein Cu1. Male genitalia with sickle shaped uncus; valvae long, acute towards apex, small finger-like subapical costal process; aedeagus with a sclerotized, serrate band at tip; vesica with fields of scobination.

Forewing length: 18mm.

Remarks: S. bimarginata is morphologically similar to S. marginata (Moore) but its straight sub-marginal line of forewing is diagnostic, which is inwardly angled in the latter.

Distribution: India (Mizoram), Thailand, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, New Guinea, Philippines, Taiwan.

Subfamily Calpinae

Genus Diomea Walker

Walker, [1858], 1857; List Spec. lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus. (13): 1079.

Type species: Diomea rotundata Walker.

Diomea fasciata (Leech, 1900)

(Images 11,12,13)

Homoptera fasciata Leech, 1900; Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., 1900: 553.

Diomea fasciata (Leech, 1900); Kononenko & Pinratana (2005), Moths of Thailand, 3: 62

Material Examined: PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-570, 27.ix.2012, 1 male, Mizoram: Saitual (23.689630 N & 92.955670 E, elevation 1,180m).

Diagnosis: Forewing pale yellow; interspaces of veins filled in with brown, markings of basal half irregular; a medial bluish band, broadest at costa. Hindwing with one medial, three post-medial diffused fuscous lines, a sub-marginal white line. Male genitalia with uncus long rod-like; valvae long and narrow; aedeagus with a long robust spine at tip; vesica unornamented.

Forewing length: 17mm.

Remarks: Only two species of Diomea, D. rotundata Walker and D. cremata Butler are reported from India (Sivasankaran et al. 2012). D. fasciata is the third species from India and its markings are unique and unmistakable.

Distribution: India (Mizoram), Thailand, China.

 

 

 

Genus Platyja Hübner

Hübner, 1823; Verz. bekannt. Schmett.: 268.

Type species: Phalaena umminia Cramer.

Platyja acerces (Prout, 1928)

(Images 14,15)

Iontha acerces Prout, 1928; Bull. Hill Mus. Witley, 2: 261.

Platyja acerces (Prout, 1928); Holloway (2005), Moths of Borneo, 15–16: 145.

Material Examined: PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-873, 18.ix.2011, 1 female, Arunachal Pradesh: Hunli (28.32166667 N & 95.97055556 E, elevation 1,460m).

Diagnosis: Wings triangular, rufous brown. Forewing with a post-medial, outwardly oblique, orange band from costa to vein M3; some yellow, orange spots at interno-median space; a silver-bluish marginal line. Hindwing with fuscous shade, basal area paler; an obscure orange patch at anal angle; a silver-bluish marginal line from below costa to anal angle. Female genitalia with ductus bursae strongly sclerotized; corpus bursae irregular and membranous.

Forewing length: 28mm.

Remarks: Males of this species have larger and comparatively more triangular hindwings. P. acerces is closely similar to P. silvani Zilli from Borneo. The markings are obscure in the latter. Another similar species is P. umbrina Doubleday but the male has a long abdomen and comparatively less triangular wings in females.

Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh), Taiwan, peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo, Java).

 

 

Subfamily Bolitobiinae

Genus Tamba Walker

Walker, 1869; Charact. undescr. Lepid. Heterocera: 94.

Type species: Tamba submicacea Walker.

 

 

 

Tamba delicata Prout, 1932

(Images 16,17)

Tamba delicata Prout, 1932; Bull. Hill Mus. Witley, 4: 273.

Tamba delicata Prout, 1932; Holloway (2005), Moths of Borneo, 15-16: 355

Material Examined: PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-874, 19.ix.2011, 1 female,  Arunachal Pradesh: Hunli (28.32166667 N & 95.97055556 E, elevation 1,460m).

Diagnosis: Adults brownish, wings with dark brown patches. Female genitalia with ductus bursae long, flat and ribbon shaped; corpus bursae pyriform, elongate and narrow, with an incomplete ring of small spines.

Forewing length: 19mm.

Remarks: Males are with green patches, a diagnostic character for the species. Females are brownish.

Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh), peninsular Malaysia, Indonesia (Borneo, Sumatra, Java).

 

 

Genus Tiruvaca Swinhoe

Swinhoe, 1901, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. 7: 497.

Type species: Thermesia subcostalis Walker.

 

 

 

Tiruvaca hollowayi Kobes, 1988

(Images 18,19)

Tiruvaca hollowayi Kobes, 1988; Heterocera Sumatrana 2: 99.

Tiruvaca hollowayi Kobes, 1988; Holloway (2005), Moths of Borneo, 15–16: 349

Material Examined: PUP/ZOO/HAR/R-877, 19.ix.2010, 1 female, Arunachal Pradesh: Hunli (28.32166667 N & 95.97055556 E, elevation 1460m).

Diagnosis: Forewing markings are more prominent than its closely similar species T. subcostalis Walker. Hindwing with medial and post-medial lines coming closer towards costa, are diagnostic. Female genitalia with ductus bursae almost straight, narrow, sclerotized; corpus bursae with the basal section looped and distal section pyriform.

Forewing length: 18mm.

Remarks: The genus is known by T. subcostalis Walker and T. hollowayi kobes. Both the species exibit sexual dimorphism. The forewing termen in the male of the latter is excavate sub-tornally.

Distribution: India (Arunachal Pradesh), Indonesia (Sumatra, Borneo).

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

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