Filodes fulvidorsalis Geyer
- Family: Crambidae
- Subfamily: Spilomelinae
- Tribe: Margaroniini
- Genus: Filodes
- Distribution: Africa (Reunion), Sri Lanka, India (Maharashtra, Kerala, Sikkim, West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Andaman Is., Nicobar Is.), Bangladesh, W. Malaysia, Singapore, Sumatra, Sabah, Brunei, Indonesia (Kalimantan Selatan, Java, Seram, Sumbawa), Philippines, PNG. Taiwan, Japan.
- Habitat: Lowland to lower montane forests <1500m.
- Wing Length: 17mm
Taxonomy
The holotype by monotypy of Pinacia fulvidorsalis Geyer, 1832: 15, pl. 111, figs 643, 644, is in the BMNH.
- syn. Auxomitia mirificalis Lederer, 1863: 391, pl. 13. Fig 1. 391 TL India (Nicobar Is.). As syn. in LepIndex;
- syn. Filodes patruelis Moore 1888, 218 TL India, West Bengal, Kolkata [Calcutta] & Meghalaya, Cherrapunji. The type is in the Ehrwald Museum?
The holotype has no orange on the FW base and resembles specimens from the Andaman Is. (See the image of the male F. fulvidorsalis on this web site).
Description
A species with purple-brown wings, basally fulvous (this orange area may be reduced) and a shining leaden FW sub-costal area. There are three black spots proximally on the FW. The orange abdomen is elongate ending in elongated tufts of hair scales in the male. The females have shorter abdomens. The inter segmental areas are silvery grey. This sp. is similar to, and often confused with Filodes sexpunctalis Snellen, 1880: 603) and like that sp. it has three spots on the FW. (F. fulvidorsalis has slightly larger black spots).The key diference is that there is a a diffuse black median line crossing both wings and it has an oblique transverse veinlet between veins 6 & 7. Vein 8 is present in the male. (Snellen, 1890: 603). See Nevrina spp. which are superficially similar but the extremely long antennae are characteristic.
Life History
Moore (1884-1887 [1886]: 3, pl. 182 figs. 2, 2a) describes the larvae which feed on Tunbergia grandiflora (Acanthaceae)
References
- Geyer, C. (1837) in Hübner, J. [1818-1837] Zuträge zur Sammlung exotischer Schmettling bestehend in Bekundigung einzelner Fliegmuster neuer oder rarer nichteuropäischer Gattungen, 5: 52 pp., pls. 138-172, figs. 801-1000., Augsberg. [In German]
- Moore, F. (1879-1888 [1888]) In: Hewitson & Moore Descr. new Ind. lepid. Colln. late Mr. W. S. Atkinson, 299 pp., 8 pls.
- Moore, F. (1884-1887 [1886]) Lepid. Ceylon., Vol 3, IX-XIII, xv + 578pp., pls. [71] 144-215 L. Reeve & Co., London.
- Snellen, P.C.T. (1890) XVIII A catalogue of the Pyralidina of Sikkim collected by Henry J. Elwes and the late Otto Möller. Trans ent. Soc Lond: 557-647, 2 pl. (XIX & XX).
- Lederer, J. (1863c [Nov]) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7 (11): 379-426, pl. 2-18.
