Lamprophaia ablactalis Walker
- Family: Crambidae
- Subfamily: Pyraustinae
- Genus: Lamprophaia
- Distribution: Very widespread geographically. One of the few species which is recognised as naturally occurring in Africa (Gambia, Kenya, S. Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe), La Reunion, Sri Lanka, India (Kerala, Assam), Nepal, Burma, Sabah, Indonesia (Java, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Sumbawa, Amboina). Australia (Q). China (Hong Kong), Taiwan.
- Habitat: Lowland to lower montane primary forest <1400m.
- Wing Length: 12mm
Taxonomy
The holotype of Botys ablactalis Walker, 1859: 660 is from Sri Lanka.
- syn. Poliobotys ablactalis borbonica (Guillermet, 2008: 187, 188, photo 6, fig. 9), infra specific. T.L. La Réunion, Le Lazareth de la Grande Chaloupe.
Comb. n. to Lamprophaia Caradja, 1925: 363 (Shaffer et al., 1996).
Comb. n. to Poliobotys. The genus was erected for Botys ablactalis by Shaffer & Munroe (2007).
Description
A pinkish or greyish sp., The relatively lightly marked and pointed FW has a submedian line and a looped postmedian line which continues as a more or less centrally looped line across the middle of the HW towards the tornal part of the inner margin. The FW has a crescentic discal spot faintly present on the HW. In some similar specimens such as Lamprophaia sp. 1 the line on the HW is relatively straight (not slightly looped) and these morphotypes may not be conspecific. In some African specimens markings are more distinct and the FW postmedian line is serrate towards the subcosta.
The distribution of various morphotypes needs re-assessment.
Life History
Larvae noted in FRC (Sabah) as 'on wild [forest] fruit'
References
- Caradja (1925) Euber Chinas Pyraliden, Tortriciden, Tineiden nebst kurze Betrachtungen, zu denen das Studium dieser Fauna Veranlassung gibt Acad. Romana Mem. Sect. Stiint. ser. iii, 3 (7): 257-383, figs. - Shaffer, M. & Nielsen, E.S. (1996) In Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangji, R.V. (Eds.) Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia, 66: 161- 163, CSIRO, Australia.
- Shaffer, J.C. & Munroe E. G. (2007) Crambidae of Aldabra Atoll (Lepidoptera: Pyraloidea). Tropical Lepidoptera, Gainesville, 14 [2003] (1-2): 1-110.
- Guillermet, C. (2008) Contribution à l'étude des Hétérocères de l'île de La Réunion; révision des genres Herpetogramma Lederer, 1863 et Syllepte Hübner, 1823 et description de six nouveaux taxons de Spilomelinae (Lepidoptera Crambidae). L'Entomologiste, Paris 64 (3): 179-188. [in French]
- Walker, F. (1859d [May 10]) Pyralides, In; List Spec. Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. Fourth Series 18: 509-799.
