Phostria crithonalis Walker

Taxonomy

The male holotype of Botys crithonalis Walker 1859d: 682 from Sarawak in the Oxford U.M.N.H. The holotype #1039 was collected by A.R. Wallace.

• syn. Omiodes orenalis Swinhoe 1906: 289, is from India (Andaman Is.)
• syn. Polythlipta caradrinalis Snellen 1891 [1892]: 162, pl.10, fig. 7. The female lectotype from Java (Buitenzorg [Bogor]) selected by Munroe et al. 1958: 70) is in Leiden. Note: Snellen’s indication of the sex of the type as male, was in error.

In LepIndex and Globiz as Phostria, which may be correct, but here we provisionally treat it with Coptobasis Lederer 1863 as the female is superficially similar to some of the the C. mesospectralis and Pramadea group spp..

Description

A large silky brown sp. with a cupreous irridescence.There are indistinct darker brown ante-median and post-median lines on the FW wings and a darker spot in the cell. The HW has a looping median line and a sub-costal spot near the base. The wing margins are slightly crenullate. The UnS is less well marked and a paler brown. It does not have a pale pectoral collar, unlike the very similar Botys [Phostria?] phaennisalis and Botys [Phostria] schediusalis Walker. The antennae are simple,

References

• Snellen, P.C.T., (1891 [1892]) Bijdrage tot de Kennis der Pyralidina. Tijdschr. v. Ent., 35: 152-178, pl. 10.
• Munroe, E.G., Diakonoff, A. & Martin, E.L. (1958) Catalogue of Snellen’s types of Pyralidae with selections of lectotypes. Tijdschr. v. Ent., 101 (2): 65-88.
• Lederer, J. (1863d [Dec]) Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Pyralidinen. Wien. entomol. Monat. 7 (12): 427-502, pl. 2-18.
• Swinhoe, C., (1906a) XXXVI New and little known species of Heterocera from the East. Ann. Mag. nat. Hist., Ser. 7, 17 (94): 283-297.
• Walker, F. (1859d [May 10]) Pyralides, In; List Spec. Lepid. Ins. Coll. B. M., Cat. Lepid. Heterocera. Ser. 4, 18: 509-798.