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

by Rob de Vos

 

 

 

Spilosoma kebea (Bethune-Baker, 1904)

[Diacrisia kebea Bethune-Baker, 1904] (holotype: Kebea, PNG, in BMNH)

Diacrisia kebeae sensu Rothschild, 1914 [misspelling]
Spilosoma cebeae sensu Hampson, 1920 [misspelling]

Variation

The species shows a rather broad spectrum of variation and is in pale coloured specimens sometimes difficult to separate from related species. The position of the costal patches, the dark midsection of the forewing and the more sharper brown colouration in kebea are reliable characters.

Some variation which occurs in males:

Some variation which occurs in females:

Distribution

 

 

 

 

STATUS: Common, especially in the Star Mountains. At more western localities less abundant. It prefers high altitudes above 1200 meters.

PAPUA LOCALITIES: New Guinea: Abmisibil, Bivak 36, 39, 39a (all Star Mts.), Demaisi, Ditschi (Arfak), Mt. Goliath, Langda, Mabilabol (Oksibil), Mahilahni (Star Mts.), Mokwam, Nabire, Ninay Valley (Arfak), Pelepaga (Baliem Valley), Sibil, Timeepa (Kobowre Mts.), Syoubri, Utakwa River. Details in gazetteer.

EXTERNAL DISTRIBUTION: Papua New Guinea.

DATA SOURCES: BMNH, CMWM, KSP, RMNH, Guy Broome, Remco Hofland, Joop Schaffers, Siep Sinnema, Daawia Suhartawan. 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.
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.