Dysodia fenestrata fenestrata Moore
- Family: Thyrididae
- Subfamily: Thyridinae
- Genus: Dysodia
- Distribution: Sri Lanka, Sikkim, Assam, Vietnam, Laos, W. Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Java, Sulawesi.
- Habitat: Lowland and lower montane forest; <1200m.
- Wing Length: 34mm
Taxonomy
Brunei, Ulu Temburong. The holotype of Varnia fenestrata Moore, 1881d:376 from Laos is in the MNH Paris.
Nec Varnia fenestrata (Poujade1891, 3:270, pl. 11, figs 6 & 6a). Praeoc. That species is probably a syn. of D. laevis (Warren, 1900) Ms. syn. (Shaffer, 1984 LepIndex).
Syn. Varnia incudigera Pagenstecher 1892:33 TL is E. Java. Ms. stat. n. as ssp. of D. fenestrata, (Shaffer, 1984 LepIndex).
D. fenestrata was once regarded as a syn. of D. miniata but is now considered a good species. Ms. sp. rev. (Shaffer, 1984 LepIndex).
Description
A predominantly brown grey species with a dull purplish cast. Pattern variability is mainly associated with paler speckling on the FW sub-terminal area being more or less distinct. Three sspp. can be recognised: Ssp. fenestrata Moore, 1881a, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Singapore, Borneo, Sulawesi, Java. Ssp. incudigera Pagenstecher, 1892, Java. Ssp. 1 unnamed, from South India, is rather smaller and darker with less distinct markings. A very dark form from Sulawesi is without the FW banding.
Similar Species
Dysodia sp. 1 from Sumatra, Dysodia sp. 7 from GTE and Dysodia sp. 13 from Sabah may be forms of this species.
Life History
Note the huge large fawn and grey hair pencils on hind tibiae of the males (Plate 10, Fig. 268a). These are presumably used to waft down scent scales onto the female during courtship.
