Papua-Insects.nl

The Papua Insects Foundation

about us:

 

 

 

The Tigermoths (Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini) of Papua Indonesia

by Rob de Vos

Argina astrea (Drury, 1773)

[Phalaena Noctua astrea Drury, 1773] (type not located)

Synonyms:

astraea sensu auct. (misspelling)
Phalaena Noctua cribraria Clerck, 1759 (homonym)
Bombyx pylotis Fabricius, 1775
Deiopeia dulcis Walker, 1854
Xanthestes guttata Rambur, 1866
Argina notata Butler, 1877
Alpenus multiguttatus Swinhoe, 1892
Argina perforata Seitz, 1914
Argina detersa Hulstaert, 1923 (holotype: Okaba, Papua, in RMNH)

Variation

The species is extremely variable in wingpattern as well as ground colour. The dark speckles can be more or less numerous and vary in size, with or without white rings around the forewing speckles.

 

Distribution

 

 

 

STATUS: Very common in Papua, though not everywhere. Its main distribution is along the coast from sea level up to moderate altitudes. Henk van Mastrigt noticed that it colonized the Star Mountains not earlier than in 1997 and from that moment it was one of the most common Arctiidae there. The caterpillar was found in Keerom feeding on Crotalaria by Daawia Suhartawan.

PAPUA LOCALITIES: Salawati; Biak; Supiori: Korido; Yapen: Waropen; New Guinea: Abmisibil, Arso, Batimban (Star Mts), Benyas, Bhayangkara (Jayapura district), Demaisi, Digul, Etna Bay, Fakfak, Getentiri, Ifar (Jayapura district), Jayapura, Keerom, Kobrey, Kota Nica (Jayapura district), Kouh, Lelambo, Mabilabol (Oksibil), Manokwari (North coast), Merauke, Okaba, Sabron Camp (Cyclops), Sarmi, Senopi, Sentani, Setekwa River, Sorong, Waena. Details in gazetteer.

EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION: From East Africa, South Asia and Indo-Australia, including the Pacific Islands and Australia.

DATA SOURCES: BMNH, KSP, RMNH, ZMAN. Literature (see below).

 

 

 

Literature refering to New Guinea

Bryk, F., 1937. Lepidopterorum Catalogus, 82: Arctiidae, Subfam.: Callimorphinae et Nyctemerinae: 1-105 W. Junk, 's-Gravenhage.
Comstock, J.A., 1966. Lepidoptera of American Samoa with particular reference to biology and ecology. Pacific Insects Monograph 11: 1-74.
Eecke, R. van, 1928. De Heterocera van Sumatra, V. Zoologische Mededeelingen, Leiden 11(2-3): 49-145.
Hampson, G.F., 1894. The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and Burma, Moths Vol. II: 609 pp. Taylor & Francis, London.
Holloway, J.D., 1988. The Moths of Borneo 6, Arctiidae, Syntominae, Euchromiinae, Arctiinae, Aganainae (to Noctuidae): 101 pp. Malayan Nature Society, Kuala Lumpur.
Hulstaert, R.G., 1923. On Lepidoptera from New Guinea, Kei, Tenimber, the Philippines, and Australia. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (9)11: 178-190.
Meyrick, E., 1889. On some Lepidoptera from New Guinea. The Transactions of the Entomological Society of London 1889: 455-522.
Turner, A.J., 1921. Revision of Australian Lepidoptera - Hypsidae, Anthelidae. The Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales 46: 159-191.