Docirava affinis

Image
MOI-pqa719
Life stage
Email (of contributor)
sanjay.sondhi1@gmail.com
Notes (optional)
Docirava affinis Warren, 1894
OD: Docirava affinis Warren, 1894; Novit. zool. 1 (2): 398; TL: C.China; Japan
Text at https://archive.org/stream/novitateszoologi01lond#page/398/mode/1up. Text mentions this may be a form of Docirava vastata from India.
Seitz Vol. 12, Pl. 34 d.
Lepindex mentions vastata as a junior synonym of pudicata, while affinis is a valid species.
Anaitis vastata Walker, 1866; List Spec. Lepid. Insects Colln Br. Mus. 35: 1700; TL: Darjeeling
https://archive.org/stream/listofspecimenso35brit#page/1700/mode/1up
MON Pl. 68/1.
Moths of Tale, Sondhi et al 2021. Image 425.
http://v3.boldsystems.org/index.php/Taxbrowser_Taxonpage?taxid=467926

UK: In Warren's description of D. affinis, it is mentioned that the species is similar to D. vasata, but the difference is more prominent in two aspects ; two pale lines across the forewings are more slender, the central fascia formed by these lines is not edged with the lines by a broadly darker shade.
https://archive.org/details/novitateszoologi01lond?view=theater#page/398/mode/1up
From the above information, this species is likely to be D. vasata. Warren mentions D. affinis might be merely a local variant of D. vasata. Following Lepindex, D. pudicata is the valid name of D. vasata indicates indicates that D. affinis is not a from of vasata since affinis is a valid species.

YS: Based on the description I would say it is more like affinis than pudicata, but the differences are minute and maybe go with a cf. affinis and mention it could be pudicata in the text. The central band does seem darker to me, but very slightly so it is hard to say for sure.

SS: The Forum Herbulot treats D. vasata as synonym of pudicata, while affines as a valid species, so I will go ahead and publish this with a provisional ID.
https://oumnh.ox.ac.uk/collections-online#/item/oum-catalogue-401748 shows pudicata and vast, where the lines are undulating and not straight, so I am inclined to view affines as a separate valid species. Publishing as provisional ID.
Name for copyright (do not include copyright symbol)
Sanjay Sondhi
HighLighted Contributions
No
Species Node
Overwrite img
MOI-pqa719
Organism
Butterfly
Moth Taxon search:
Month
August
Year
2019
Day
29