Almonia truncatalis Walker

Taxonomy

Botys truncatalis Walker, 1865 [1866]: 1440-1441 (Indonesia, Java). The holotype is in the BMNH.

Nec. syn. Botys onustalis Walker, 1865 [1866]: 1495-1496. The holotype [#934] is in the Oxford U.M.N.H. It was collected by A. R. Wallace in Indonesia [N Maluku], Sula Is. It was given as syn. by Hampson (1896: 226) but the wing pattern and colouring is different, especially the absence of a post-median line on the FW. Unlike Globiz we treat it as a good sp.

• syn.
  • Botys onustalis Walker, 1865

Description

A rich Tyrian purple sp., slightly darker towards the FW apex and towards the slightly concave HW  termen. The FW has dark post-median line angled centrally, a comma-shaped spot in the discocellular area and a smaller punctum near the antemedian subcosta. The veins of both wings are slightly darker especially distally. The males have large brushes of anal hair scales which are whitish distally.  Note the long hairs on hind leg bases which lie alongside the abdomen and the enormous hair tufts on hind legs of both males and females. Hampson (1896: 226) used this characteristic to determine the section Almonia,  [Dodanga has no tufts]. There are several similar morphospecies in S.E, Asia Almonia [Dodanga] cristata Hampson, 1891:136, T.L. (Nilgiris, from Gangam) is very close to A. truncatalis, with scent scales on hind leg bases which lie alongside the abdomen. It differs  in that it has no leaden scales on the abdomen. The male has a black anal tuft of hair scales. A. lobipennis (Moore, 1886: 332, pl. 182 fig. 3) is slightly smaller than A. truncatalisand A. cristata and differs in that it has a black tuft on the tornus of the HW and the dark blotch towards the FW apex is less pronounced. No Bornean specimen seen.

References

• Walker, F. (1865 [1866 Jan 13]) List Spec Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. 34, (Suppl. 4): 1121-1533.
• Moore, F. (1884-1887 [1886]) Lepid. Ceylon., Vol 3, IX-XIII, xv + 578pp., pls. [71] 144-215 L. Reeve & Co., 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.