Banisia idalialis Walker
- Family: Thyrididae
- Subfamily: Striglininae
- Genus: Banisia
- Distribution: Sarawak, Sabah, possibly Sri Lanka.
- Habitat: Lowland.
- Wing Length: 23mm
Taxonomy
British North Borneo (Sabah). Walker, 1859e:903 described this species on the basis of 2 male specimens from Sri Lanka (Ceylon), which have not been traced. This species has a female syntype (abdomen missing) in OUMNH from Sarawak and was designated as lectotype by Whalley (1976), who also mentioned an untraced male syntype from Sri Lanka. A male that Whalley tentatively associated with the lectotype female on the basis of features of the wing pattern, bears the following data label: ‘B.N. Borneo [Sabah], Segawa [misspel. of Segama] River, 50 mls from sea, 12 mls south of Dewhurst Bay, 12-13.x.1950, J. D. H. Hedley’ (pers. com. Shaffer 2009). This specimen he dissected, (Whalley, 1976:153-154, pl. 13, fig. 123, and genitalia on pl. 38, fig. 297) and transferred to Banisia.
Description
This is a dark grey-brown species, with black strigiform markings with no FW fenestrae in the male. Many museum series, putatively this species, include specimens with fenestrate FWs more typical of B. lobata and B. myrsusalis. Best determined by genitalic examination. Female unknown, assuming the OUMNH lectotype is a new species.
