Heortia vitessoides Moore
- Family: Crambidae
- Subfamily: Odontiinae
- Genus: Heortia
- Distribution: Sri Lanka, India, Burma, Thailand, Laos, W.Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak, Kalimantan Selatan, Kalimantan Timur, Indonesia (Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, Bali, Lombok, Irian Jaya) E. Timor, PNG, Australia (Q), Fiji. China (S. Yunnan, Hong Kong), Taiwan.
- Habitat: Lowland & lower montane; Primary & disturbed forest, scrub and disturbed areas; <1800m.
- Wing Length: 16mm
Taxonomy
The holotype of Tyspana vitessoides Moore, (1884-1887 [1885b 30 Oct]: 256, pl. 178, figs. 3, 3a) is from Sri Lanka.
comb. n. to Heortia Lederer, 1863 (Hampson, 1896: 363).
Description
A common member of a very distinctive group of spp.. These black, white and yellow Heortia spp. are mimics of the aposomatic Vitessa spp. (Pyralinae) See RTS: 176.
Life History
The sparsely hairy larvae feed communally in webs mainly at night. They bind leaves together, They have a pale green black head with irregular black longitudinal markings one on each side of a series of black dots. The two lines come together on the anal segment where blackish markings are suffused with metallic blue. Foodplants include: Aquilaria crassna, A. microcarpa, A. microcarpa, Lagetta lagetto, Phaleria capitata, Phaleria lanceolata? Gyrinops spp. and other Thymelaeaceae. They are also reported to feed on some Rhus spp. (Anacardiaceae).
References
- Hampson, G. F. (1896) Moths Vol. III, In Blandford, W.T. (ed.), The Fauna of British India including Ceylon and Burma, W.T., Taylor and Francis, London: 546pp.
- [RTS] Robinson, G.S., Tuck, K.R. & Shaffer, M. (1994) A Field Guide to the Smaller Moths of South-East Asia, Malaysian Nature Society Kuala Lumpur & Natural History Museum, London, 311 pp. 51 text figs, 32 pls.
- RTS (1994): 170, pl. 26, fig. 20.
- Lederer, J. (1863b [Oct]) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7 (10): 331-378, pl. 2-18.
- Moore, F. (1885b [30 Oct]) Heterocera, Lepid. Ceylon, 11: 177-304, pl. 172-181. L. Reeve & Co., London.