Spirama helicina

Spirama helicina
Spirama helicina from Ratchaburi Province, Western Thailand
Scientific classification
Kingdom:Animalia
Phylum:Euarthropoda
Class:Insecta
Order:Lepidoptera
Superfamily:Noctuoidea
Family:Erebidae
Genus:Spirama
Species: S. helicina
Binomial name
Spirama helicina
(Hübner, 1831)[1]
Synonyms
  • Speiredonia helicina Hübner, 1831
  • Speiredonia japonica Guenée, 1852[2]
  • Spirama japonica
  • Spirama aegrota Butler, 1881

Spirama helicina is a moth of the Erebidae family. In older texts, the species was classified as morph of Spirama retorta.

Description

The wingspan is 60–70 mm. As in many species of genus Spirama, the pattern on the wings when the moth is resting looks like the face of a snake with slightly opened mouth. Fore wings with arched costa towards apex, which is nearly rectangular. Male with a fold on inner area of hind wings, containing an erectile ridge of very long hair. Antennae fasciculate. Very similar to S. retorta, but differs from more brightly colored than that species. Female with ochreous sub-marginal line of hind wings crenulate. Male has dark chestnut brown head and collar. Thorax paler with dark bands. Abdomen crimson with triangular black dorsal patches. Wings fuscous brown. A large "inverted comma" mark found beyond end of cell, with ochreous and black edges and some white on inner edge of "tail", the center fuscous black.[3]

Distribution

It is found in Russia (south-eastern Siberia, Ussuri, Primorye), China (Sichuan, Yunnan), Taiwan, Korea, Japan (Honshu, Kyushu), India (Assam, Meghalaya, West Bengal), Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Laos, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, the Philippines (Negros), Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi.[4][5][6]

Sexual dimorphism

Spirama helicina female
Spirama helicina male

Speiredonia japonica

Although Speiredonia japonica is an accepted synonym of Spirama helicina,[7] the Speiredonia japonica exemplars in Plate CCXI of the Catalogue of the Noctuidae in the Collection of the British Museum illustrated by Sir George F. Hampson at the turn of the 20th century have a markedly different pattern.

Speiredonia japonica female. Illustrated by George Hampson (1903-1913)
Speiredonia japonica male. Illustrated by George Hampson

References

  1. ↑ taxapad.com
  2. ↑ Species Info
  3. ↑ Hampson G. F. (1892). "The Fauna Of British India Including Ceylon And Burma Moths Vol-ii". Digital Library of India. p. 558. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  4. ↑ nkis.info
  5. ↑ "Spirama helicina (Hubner) ハグルマトモエ,Cat.4245". Moths of Thailand. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  6. ↑ "ハグルマトモエ Spirama helicina (Hübner, [1831])". jpmoth. Retrieved 17 August 2016.
  7. ↑ Haruta Collection - Spirama helicina (Hubner) ハグルマトモエ,Cat.4245


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