Papua Insects Foundation (Lepidoptera/Erebidae/Arctiinae/Spilosoma dinawa)

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

by Rob de Vos

Spilosoma dinawa (Bethune-Baker, 1904)

[Diacrisia dinawa Bethune-Baker, 1904] (lectotype and paralectotype: Dinawa and Aroa River, PNG, in BMNH)

Diacrisia dinava sensu Rothschild, 1914 [misspelling]
Spilosoma dinava sensu Hampson, 1920 [misspelling]
Diacrisia ochrifrons Joicey & Talbot, 1917 (holotype: Wandammen Mts., in BMNH)

Variation

The species is rather variable and sometimes is hard to distinguish from kebea. The position of the costal patches and the pale veins crossing the central field and the row of submarginal dots, however, are distinguishing characters. The hind margin with a row of dark dots in the fringes. The forewings can vary from pale yellowish brown (see picture at the top of this page) to almost chocolate brown (see below). In kebea the basal two third is usually dark brown and sharply defined without crossing pale veins.

Distribution

STATUS: Rather common, but females are seldom seen. The species seems to prefer low and moderate altitudes.

PAPUA LOCALITIES: New Guinea: Arfak Mountains, Arso District, Borme, Cyclop Mountains, Fakfak, Genyem, Mt. Goliath (Gn. Yamin), Kobowre Mountains (Weyland Mts.), Landikma, Lelambo, Mt. Lina (Cyclops), Ninay Valley (Arfak), Nomnagihe (Wangaar), Pelepaga (Baliem Valley), Pukusum (Arso District), Utakwa River, Wandammen Mountains, Waris District, Wembi (Arso District). Details in gazetteer.

EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION: Papua New Guinea.

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

Literature

Bethune-Baker, G.T., 1904. New Lepidoptera from British New Guinea. Novitates Zoologicae 11(2): 367-429.
Hampson, G.F., 1920. Catalogue of the Lepidoptera Phalaenae. Supplement, volume 2. Catalogue of the Lithosiadae (Arctianae) and Phalaenoididae in the collection of the British Museum: 619 pp. British Museum, London.
Joicey, J.J. & G. Talbot, 1917. New Heterocera from Dutch New Guinea. Annals and Magazine of Natural History (8)20: 50-87.
Rothschild, L.W., 1910. Catalogue of the Arctianae in the Tring Museum, with notes and descriptions of new species II. Novitates Zoologicae 17(2): 113-171.
Rothschild, L.W., 1914. In: Seitz, A. Die Gross-Schmetterlinge der Erde 10: Spinner und Schwarmer des Indo-Australischen Gebiets, Arctiidae: 236-263. A. Kernen, Stuttgart.
Strand, E., 1919. Lepidopterorum Catalogus 22: Arctiidae: Subfam. Arctiinae: 1-416. W. Junk, Berlin.
Vos, R. de & D. Suhartawan, 2011. The Spilosoma group of species from New Guinea and adjacent islands (Lepidoptera: Erebidae, Arctiinae, Arctiini). In: Telnov, D., 2011. Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea, Vol. I: 299-333.
Zamesov, A.N. & O.G. Gorbunov, 2014. To the knowledge of Macroheterocera of Southeast Asia and New Guinea. III. Tiger moths (Lepidoptera: Arctiidae: Arctiinae) of Papua Province, Indonesia. Biodiversity, Biogeography and Nature Conservation in Wallacea and New Guinea 2: 437-448.