Moth Taxon Search
Drosophantis caeruleata
Notes (optional)
Proposed ID: Drosophantis caeruleata (Hampson, 1893)
family Crambidae, subfamily Musotiminae
References
1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/23339896#page/191/mode/1up (description of a female as Ambia caeruleata by Hampson in The Illustration of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the B. M. vol.9; type locality Ceylon)
2. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/23339896#page/229/mode/1up (illustration in the same volume in Pl. 174, Fig. 29).
I find this illustration to be poor. There is no blue colour and it is not easy to relate it to the description)
3. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2096874#page/254/mode/1up (description of a male as Ambia cyanealis by Hampson in the JBNHS vol. 15, 1903)
4. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2223087#page/647/mode/1up (note by Hampson in JBNHS vol. 18 synonymising caeruleata and cyanealis, and indicating that caeruleata has priority)
5. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/60386770#page/552/mode/1up (description of Drosophantis corusca by Meyrick in Exotic Microlepidoptera vol.4, 1935, type locality Formosa, and the erection of the genus Drosophantis, which he labels 'a curious form of doubtful affinity')
Only one species seems to be known so far.
GI: Besides the illustration in Hampson's in The Illustration of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the B. M. vol.9; type locality Ceylon, the description in JBNHS vol 15
(https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2096874#page/254/mode/1up (description of a male as Ambia cyanealis by Hampson in the JBNHS vol. 15, 1903)) of the moth is 'Black brown' in colour. Also not able to discern the characteristics given by him in the photo attached.
Po-po-pro: Thanks for reviewing this. As I had mentioned below reference no. 2, the illustration accompanying the description of Ambia caeruleata in vol.9 is poor. But that this is a problem with the illustration itself (rather than anything else) is made clear by referring to the description, which clearly mentions an antemedial line of metallic blue scales, more metallic blue scales around the white spot in the cell, and submarginal patches of metallic blue scales in both wings. These features have, unfortunately, not been captured in the illustration.
In the description of Ambia cyanealis in JBNHS15, the ground colour of the wings is referred to as black-brown, but again the description does contain mention of 'pale blue suffusion before the antemedial line', 'blue scales around the white spot in the cell', and also 'silvery blue suffusion beyond the postmedial line' (the postmedial line itself isn't clearly visible, but the continuation of the line in the HW is visible). Apart from this, other characters like the black terminal line and the white portions of the cilia below the apex, above tornus, and on the HW fringe are all visible in the photos attached.
Hampson has synonymised both his descriptions as caeruleata, and the specific epithets used in both cases derive from Latin and Greek words for a deep shade of blue, leaving no doubt as to the primary colour in the wings of this species.
It may be a matter of debate whether Meyrick's species from Formosa matches Hampson's, but this moth does go well with Hampson's description from near our region. This is a very small moth , ~9-10 mm wingspan with a dark metallic sheen, hence it is a bit difficult to capture all the elements and patterns on the wings with high clarity.
SS: I agree with the ID, but cannot really make out whether it is a male or female, based on the descriptions.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/243678-Drosophantis-caeruleata
family Crambidae, subfamily Musotiminae
References
1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/23339896#page/191/mode/1up (description of a female as Ambia caeruleata by Hampson in The Illustration of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the B. M. vol.9; type locality Ceylon)
2. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/23339896#page/229/mode/1up (illustration in the same volume in Pl. 174, Fig. 29).
I find this illustration to be poor. There is no blue colour and it is not easy to relate it to the description)
3. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2096874#page/254/mode/1up (description of a male as Ambia cyanealis by Hampson in the JBNHS vol. 15, 1903)
4. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2223087#page/647/mode/1up (note by Hampson in JBNHS vol. 18 synonymising caeruleata and cyanealis, and indicating that caeruleata has priority)
5. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/60386770#page/552/mode/1up (description of Drosophantis corusca by Meyrick in Exotic Microlepidoptera vol.4, 1935, type locality Formosa, and the erection of the genus Drosophantis, which he labels 'a curious form of doubtful affinity')
Only one species seems to be known so far.
GI: Besides the illustration in Hampson's in The Illustration of typical specimens of Lepidoptera Heterocera in the B. M. vol.9; type locality Ceylon, the description in JBNHS vol 15
(https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/2096874#page/254/mode/1up (description of a male as Ambia cyanealis by Hampson in the JBNHS vol. 15, 1903)) of the moth is 'Black brown' in colour. Also not able to discern the characteristics given by him in the photo attached.
Po-po-pro: Thanks for reviewing this. As I had mentioned below reference no. 2, the illustration accompanying the description of Ambia caeruleata in vol.9 is poor. But that this is a problem with the illustration itself (rather than anything else) is made clear by referring to the description, which clearly mentions an antemedial line of metallic blue scales, more metallic blue scales around the white spot in the cell, and submarginal patches of metallic blue scales in both wings. These features have, unfortunately, not been captured in the illustration.
In the description of Ambia cyanealis in JBNHS15, the ground colour of the wings is referred to as black-brown, but again the description does contain mention of 'pale blue suffusion before the antemedial line', 'blue scales around the white spot in the cell', and also 'silvery blue suffusion beyond the postmedial line' (the postmedial line itself isn't clearly visible, but the continuation of the line in the HW is visible). Apart from this, other characters like the black terminal line and the white portions of the cilia below the apex, above tornus, and on the HW fringe are all visible in the photos attached.
Hampson has synonymised both his descriptions as caeruleata, and the specific epithets used in both cases derive from Latin and Greek words for a deep shade of blue, leaving no doubt as to the primary colour in the wings of this species.
It may be a matter of debate whether Meyrick's species from Formosa matches Hampson's, but this moth does go well with Hampson's description from near our region. This is a very small moth , ~9-10 mm wingspan with a dark metallic sheen, hence it is a bit difficult to capture all the elements and patterns on the wings with high clarity.
SS: I agree with the ID, but cannot really make out whether it is a male or female, based on the descriptions.
https://www.inaturalist.org/taxa/243678-Drosophantis-caeruleata
Observation Reference