Coptobasis microspilalis Hampson

Taxonomy

The two male types of Sylepta [Sic] microspilalis Hampson, 1912g: 4 in the BMNH [Ridley Coll.]. T.L. Singapore. As Syllepte in the LepIndex.

Here we provisionally treat it in Coptobasis Lederer 1863 as similar to many Pramadea & Coptobasis group spp.

It is very close to Sylepta [sic] microsema Hampson, 1912a: 1268, but until the two types are compared we retain them as good spp..

Description

A coppery brown sp. with a distinctly purple sheen. The abdomen is pale brown. Pectus, ventral abdomen and legs and are whitish. The FW and HW have faint but broken darker post-median and sub-median lines all of which are serrate. There is a pale lunate stigma at the distal end of the FW cell. Its FW postmedian and HW median lines are more continuous but more coarsely serrate than the very similar but larger C. microsema Hampson: which has a slightly smaller lunate stigma and less distinct lineation. The antennae of both these spp. have a filiform and lightly pilose scape and the bases have a large scale tuft and a pedicel with modifications. In this sp. a small pointed peg projection, slightly longer than that of microsema.

References

• Hampson, G.F. (1912a) The moths of India- Supplementary papers to the Volume in the Fauna of British India. Ser.IV, Pt. III-V. J. Bombay nat. Hist. Soc. 21: 411-446; 711; 878; 1222-1272.
• Hampson, G.F. (1912g) (I) Descriptions of new species of Pyralidae of the subfamily Pyraustinae, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., Ser. 8, 10, (55): 1-20.
• Lederer, J. (1863d [Dec]) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7 (12): 278, key: 429, 427-502, pl. 2-18.