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The Tigermoths (Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini) of Papua Indonesia
by Rob de Vos
Nyctemera (Luctuosana) luctuosa (Vollenhoven, 1863)
[Leptosoma luctuosum Snellen van Vollenhoven, 1863] (holotype: Bacan, Moluccas, in RMNH)
ssp. instructa Walker, 1864 [Nyctemera instructa] (holotype: "New Guinea", in OXUM)
Deilemera (Tripheromera) kapaurensis Swinhoe, 1903 (holotype: Kapaur (Fakfak), in BMNH)
Deilemera dinawa Bethune-Baker, 1904 (syntypes: Dinawa, PNG, in BMNH)
Deilemera dinawa ab. nigripuncta Joicey & Talbot, 1916 (infraspecific name) (holotype: Anggi Lakes, Arfak, in BMNH)
Variation
The species is quite variable in pattern and particulary in ground colour. In some areas certain colour forms can be very dominant and one could easily think of subspecies, but in other areas all forms are mixed and prove that the subspecies instructa consists of many local forms. All together the subspecies instructa is, however, different from the other mentioned subspecies. The very pale brown coloured specimens appear to be especially common in the Baliem Valley.
Distribution
STATUS: Common. Prefers mountainous areas.
PAPUA LOCALITIES: ssp. instructa: Waigeo; New Guinea: Abenaho, Abmisibil, Andai, Anggi Lakes (Arfak), Arabu-Bivak, Ati Ati Onin, Batimban, Bokondini, Bordam, Borme, Dewaro, Upper Digul River, Ditschi, Djalan River, Dohunsehik, Enarotali, Fakfak, Irai, Jiwika, Karubaka, Kobakma, Kobrey, Kotebu, Kutsime, Langda, Mabilabol, Menoo River, McCluer Gulf, Mokwam, Mt. Goliath (Star Mts.), Mt. Kunupi (Kobowre), Mt. Lina (Cyclops), Ngat Biep, Ninay Valley, Nipsan, Okaitadi, Okbibab, Oktenma, Panggeima, Paniai (Wisselmeren), Pass Valley, Sabin, Salikma, Senopi, Sibil, Simban, Sururai, Tiwika, Udateida, Utakwa River, Wamena, Wandammen Peninsula, Wanggar, Wembi, Wouma, Yahukimo. Details in gazetteer.
EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION: ssp. luctuosa: Moluccas; ssp. galbana: Philippines; ssp. instructa: Papua New Guinea; ssp. onetha: Bismarck Archipelago; ssp. syrnia: Fergusson Island; ssp. drucei: North Australia to Vanuatu.
DATA SOURCES: ssp. instructa: BMNH, BPBM, CKC, KSP, RMNH, ZMAN, ZMHB. Literature (see below).
Literature refering to Papua records
Bryk, F., 1937. Lepidopterorum Catalogus, 82: Arctiidae, Subfam.: Callimorphinae et Nyctemerinae: 1-105. W. Junk, 's-Gravenhage.
Eecke, R. van, 1926. Fauna Buruana. Lepidoptera Heterocera, Fam. Zygaenidae, Syntomidae and Arctiidae. Treubia 7(4): 341-350.
Joicey, J.J. & G. Talbot, 1916. New Lepidoptera from Dutch New Guinea. The Annals and Magazine of Natural History (8)17: 68-90.
Roepke, W., 1957. The Genus Nyctemera Huebner II. Tijdschrift voor Entomologie 100(2): 147-178.
Rothschild, L.W., 1915. Lepidoptera of the British Ornithologists' Union and Wollaston Expeditions in the Snow Mountains, Southern Dutch New Guinea, Macrolepidoptera: 1-148. Zoological Museum, Tring.
Seitz, A., 1915. VI. Subfamilie: Callimorphinae & VII. Subfamilie: Nyctemerinae. In: A. Seitz (ed.). Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 10: Spinner und Schwärmer des Indo-Australischen Gebiets: 264-290. A. Kernen, Stuttgart.
Swinhoe, C., 1892. Catalogue of Eastern and Australian Lepidoptera Heterocera in the collection of The Oxford Museum, part I, Sphinges and Bombyces: 324 pp. At The Clarendon Press, Oxford.
Swinhoe, C., 1903. On the Genus Deilemera Hübner. The Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1903: 53-85.
Walker, F., [1865]. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum, XXXI. Supplement: 1-321. Trustees British Museum, London.
