Diathrausta profundalis Lederer
- Family: Crambidae
- Subfamily: Spilomelinae
- Tribe: Nomophilini
- Genus: Diathrausta
- Distribution: Sri Lanka, India (Karnataka, Gujarat, Meghalaya), W. Malaysia, Sabah, Sumbawa, Amboina, New Guinea, Japan? Lowland primary & disturbed forest (inc.
- Habitat: canopy) & cultivated areas <630m.
- Wing Length: 6.5-7.5mm
Taxonomy
The holotype of Diathrausta profundalis Lederer, 1863d: 438, pl. 2 fig. 24; pl. 17 fig. 7 is from Indonesia, (Amboina [Ambon Is.]).
- syn. Aediodes minualis Walker, 1865 [1866]: 1297. TL N. America
- syn. Diathrausta conicalis Warren, 1896: 143. TL India (Meghalaya) infrasp. as a var.
- syn. Diathrausta obliterata Warren, 1896: 143. TL India (Meghalaya) infrasp. as a var.
Diathraustodes fulvofusa Hampson, 1901: 442. TL China (Ichang) may also be syn..
Description
A small dark grey-brown or blackish sp. with black and white chequered wing fringes. The FW apex is black with a small white spot on the costa pre-apically and a white triangular mark on the costa at the post-median position. The FW has an angular termen. The HW is dark brown with a narrow white postmedian line being twice bent but running parallel to the termen. The head, thorax and abdomen are brown with the latter having white inter-segmental markings and a black tip. Var. conicalis is smaller with both wings, narrower and more brownish. The FW costal white mark is a narrow triangle and the pale patches in the fringe are not pure white and do not obliterate the dividing line, but only interrupt it. Var. obliterata is still smaller but as dark as the typical form, the costal spot is reduced to a small white patch, and the fringes are dark throughout, The HW has an exterior line, which, both in the type form and in conicalis, is twice bent, but in this form runs parallel to and much nearer the margin. (Warren, 1894: 143). A specimen nr. var obliterata was seen from West Malaysia (GTE) [Diathrausta sp. 2] The sp. appears to be quite variable and perhaps the vars should be re-examined using modern methods.
References
- Walker, F. (1865 [1866 Jan 13]) List Spec Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. 34, (Suppl. 4): 1121-1533.
- Leech, J.H. [R. South (ed.)] (1901) XV Lepidoptera Heterocera from China, Japan, and Corea. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond. 1901: 385- 514.
- Hampson G.F. (1901) In Leech, J.H . [R. South (ed.)]: 442.
- Lederer, J. (1863d [Dec]) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7 (12): 427-502, pl. 2-18.
- Warren, W. (1896e) XX New species of Pyralidae, Thyridiae and Epiplemidae Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. Ser. 6, 17 (98): 131-150.