Bacotoma violata Hering

Taxonomy

The holotype of Phalaena violata Fabricius 1786: 213 is from India, (Tamil Nadu, Tharangambadi [Tranquebariae]).

• syn. Botys abjungalis Walker, 1859: 67. T.L. Sri Lanka [Ceylon] Syn. n. (Hampson 1899: 645).

Comb. nov. to Bacotoma Moore, 1885: 282 (Yang et al. 2019: 20)

Description

This is is a distinctive species with the anterior part, the sub-termenal and sub-tornal area of the FW, a rich dark purplish brown. Other parts and the HW is a pale ochreous which becomes more orange towards the HW. The FW has a distinct blackish antemedian line and other marks medianally including a comma shaped spot in the cell.The HW has dark post median line which steps proximally in the centre and then runs to the tornus. There is also a small spot on the antemedian sub-costa. The head and thorax are purple and the abdomen is cream initially but mostly ochreous. The abdomen tip has distinctive black and white marks.

References

• Fabricius, J. C. (1787) Mantissa insectorum sistens eorum species nuper detectas adiectis characteribus genericis, differentiis specificis, emendationibus, observationibus. 2. pp. [1], 1-382. Hafniae. Impensis Proft. [in Latin]
• Hampson, G. F. (1899) A revision of the moths of the subfamily Pyraustinae and the family Pyralidae. Part 2, Proc. zool. soc. Lond. 1899: 172-291.
• Yang, Z., M. Ullah, Landry, J.-F., Miller, S. E., Rosati, M. E. & Zhang, Y. (2019) Reassessment of the moth genus Bacotoma, with a new species from Hainan Island (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae). Insect Systematics & Evolution, Copenhagen: 1-24. DOI: 10.1163/1876312X-00002205.
• Yang, Z., M. Ullah, Landry, J.-F., Miller, S. E., Rosati, M. E. & Zhang, Y. (2019) Reassessment of the moth genus Bacotoma, with a new species from Hainan Island (Lepidoptera: Crambidae: Spilomelinae). Insect Systematics & Evolution, Copenhagen: 1-24. DOI: 10.1163/1876312X-00002205.
• Moore, F. (1885b [30 Oct]) Heterocera, Lepid. Ceylon, 11: 177-304, pl. 172-181. L. Reeve & Co., London.