Moth Taxon Search
Observation_227385
Notes (optional)
Proposed ID: Luceria aurantilineata (Hampson, 1896)
References
1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46942751#page/578/mode/1up (original description of Chusaris aurantilineata by G. Hampson in the Fauna of British India vol.2; type locality Ceylon)
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3561679/
(A new species of Schrankia Hübner from China...; contains list of species based on geographical divisions)
3. Poole, 1989
Lepidopterorum catalogus (New Series) 118: Noctuidae Lepid. cat. (n.s.) 118: (contains the list where Poole has placed the species in Luceria instead of Schrankia, where most others, incuding Holloway (1977) had placed it before)
4. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/lepindex/detail/?taxonno=291547&&snoc=aurantilineata&search_type=starts&sort=snoc&indexed_from=1&page_no=1&page_size=30&path=search (Lepindex NHM card, missing details except species name)
Notes
The checklist in ref. 2 mentions only two species in the Ceylon region (or India), of which S. croceipicta is not a good match. I feel S. aurantilineata matches well. In the absence of an illustration, the original description remains the only reference we can consider for this species.
Interestingly, I find Schrankia bilineata Galworthy, 1997 to be an almost exact match in external appearance to this moth. Many observations of this species are on the web, all from Hong Kong.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=486913&locale=en
S. bilineata is mentioned as being restricted to locales of Hong Kong. Dr. Roger Kendrick was kind enough to send me a epdf containing the original description (the holotype of this species was collected by Dr. Kendrick), which I paste below as text. I asked Dr. Kendrick if it is possible that the species had a wider range and if this one could be the same. He said that it couldn't be ruled out, as these are small moths, but will of course need dissection and sequencing of specimens from both locations to confirm any similarity or differences.
There is at least one similar-looking observation from W. Bengal, so I feel it's not impossible that this species has a wider range.
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Description of S. bilineata Galworthy, 1997
Schrankia bilineata sp nov
Male (Plate 1,19): forewing 6.5 mm; forewing ground colour purple-brown, with a slightly curved creamy white antemedian line, bordered distally with black from the discal area to the hind margin; a further creamy white postmedian line, bordered basally for most of its length with black, running parallel to the outer margin from the hind margin to the costal edge of the discal area, then turning sharply towards the base for a short distance before curving to meet the costa; costa with a series of white spots from the postmedian to the apex; a marginal row of dark spots between the veins; fringes darker than the wing; hindwing light brown, almost unmarked.
Female: unknown.
________________________________
One possible point of contention in the original description of Chusaris aurantilineata is that the indistinct submarginal line is described as orange. It appears whitish in the observation. But many of the S. bilineata observations (assuming they are similar) show the line appearing orangish in close-up shots; yet the original description of bilineata itself doesn't describe any of the lines as orange, incl. the antemedial and the postmedial. They are described as 'creamy-white'. I think it's left to the perception of the observer, the light, and the freshness of the specimen in question.
At least the specific epithet aurantilineata (for the Ceylon moths) seems to be a direct reference to the golden colour of the major lines.
SS: Not completely convinced of genus/species level ID. The discrepancy of the orange/creamy-white coloration is obvious, as is the ground colour, which is almost black, compared to Schrankia bilineata. The other issue that I have is that all Luceria/Schrankia have extended palpi, which I do not see in any of these images. Could it be a different genus?
References
1. https://www.biodiversitylibrary.org/page/46942751#page/578/mode/1up (original description of Chusaris aurantilineata by G. Hampson in the Fauna of British India vol.2; type locality Ceylon)
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3561679/
(A new species of Schrankia Hübner from China...; contains list of species based on geographical divisions)
3. Poole, 1989
Lepidopterorum catalogus (New Series) 118: Noctuidae Lepid. cat. (n.s.) 118: (contains the list where Poole has placed the species in Luceria instead of Schrankia, where most others, incuding Holloway (1977) had placed it before)
4. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/our-science/data/lepindex/detail/?taxonno=291547&&snoc=aurantilineata&search_type=starts&sort=snoc&indexed_from=1&page_no=1&page_size=30&path=search (Lepindex NHM card, missing details except species name)
Notes
The checklist in ref. 2 mentions only two species in the Ceylon region (or India), of which S. croceipicta is not a good match. I feel S. aurantilineata matches well. In the absence of an illustration, the original description remains the only reference we can consider for this species.
Interestingly, I find Schrankia bilineata Galworthy, 1997 to be an almost exact match in external appearance to this moth. Many observations of this species are on the web, all from Hong Kong.
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?verifiable=true&taxon_id=486913&locale=en
S. bilineata is mentioned as being restricted to locales of Hong Kong. Dr. Roger Kendrick was kind enough to send me a epdf containing the original description (the holotype of this species was collected by Dr. Kendrick), which I paste below as text. I asked Dr. Kendrick if it is possible that the species had a wider range and if this one could be the same. He said that it couldn't be ruled out, as these are small moths, but will of course need dissection and sequencing of specimens from both locations to confirm any similarity or differences.
There is at least one similar-looking observation from W. Bengal, so I feel it's not impossible that this species has a wider range.
________________________________
Description of S. bilineata Galworthy, 1997
Schrankia bilineata sp nov
Male (Plate 1,19): forewing 6.5 mm; forewing ground colour purple-brown, with a slightly curved creamy white antemedian line, bordered distally with black from the discal area to the hind margin; a further creamy white postmedian line, bordered basally for most of its length with black, running parallel to the outer margin from the hind margin to the costal edge of the discal area, then turning sharply towards the base for a short distance before curving to meet the costa; costa with a series of white spots from the postmedian to the apex; a marginal row of dark spots between the veins; fringes darker than the wing; hindwing light brown, almost unmarked.
Female: unknown.
________________________________
One possible point of contention in the original description of Chusaris aurantilineata is that the indistinct submarginal line is described as orange. It appears whitish in the observation. But many of the S. bilineata observations (assuming they are similar) show the line appearing orangish in close-up shots; yet the original description of bilineata itself doesn't describe any of the lines as orange, incl. the antemedial and the postmedial. They are described as 'creamy-white'. I think it's left to the perception of the observer, the light, and the freshness of the specimen in question.
At least the specific epithet aurantilineata (for the Ceylon moths) seems to be a direct reference to the golden colour of the major lines.
SS: Not completely convinced of genus/species level ID. The discrepancy of the orange/creamy-white coloration is obvious, as is the ground colour, which is almost black, compared to Schrankia bilineata. The other issue that I have is that all Luceria/Schrankia have extended palpi, which I do not see in any of these images. Could it be a different genus?
Observation Reference