Euthrix laeta

Euthrix laeta is a moth of the family Lasiocampidae first described by Francis Walker in 1855.[1]

Euthrix laeta
Euthrix laeta
Scientific classification
Kingdom:
Animalia
Phylum:
Arthropoda
Class:
Insecta
Order:
Lepidoptera
Family:
Lasiocampidae
Genus:
Euthrix
Species:
E. laeta
Binomial name
Euthrix laeta
(Walker, 1855)
Synonyms
  • Amydona laeta Walker, 1855
  • Philudoria laeta Walker; Lajonquière, 1978
  • Cosmotriche purpurascensHampson, 1893

Distribution

It is found in South Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka,[2] Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh towards Russian Far East of China, Siberia, Japan, Korea to South East Asian Sundaland.[3]

Taxonomy

The systematics of the species has been considered taxonomically stable since a revision by Yves de Lajonquière (1977). However, by J. W. Tutt, 1902 it was accepted as a member of its own subgenus, Routlegdia, and then erroneously as the Orienthrix by Yuri A. Tschistjakov in 1998.[3]

Description

Forewings are leaf like with an oblique postmedial yellow patch on the dorsal surface sometimes with a violet saturation. The caterpillar is known to feed on Dalbergia species. Adults are found from rainforest and coastal associations.[4] Male has a wingspan of 33–55 mm and 50–70 mm in females. Female is much larger and more robust than the male. Antennae bipectinate (comb like on both sides) in both sexes, whereas the female has shorter rami. Body color is bright lilac reddish. Subspecies divisa in Sri Lanka is much darker. The characteristic feature is the pair of large white discal spots, one under the other in each forewing, whereas the lower spot is often covered with reddish scales and less prominent. Hindwings are lightly divided with darker zones.[3]

The female lays spherical eggs where the color ranges from rose to porcelain white with greenish spots. Body of the caterpillar is brown to ash gray. There are black and gray speckles dorsally. The white to yellow colored spots and streaks grouped to form a complete marble pattern. It is a typical tent caterpillar with lateral lappets with two types of setae. One setae is long, elastic, and sparsely haired all over the body. The other setae has small blackish cheta by giving characteristic appearance. Mesothorax bears a dorso-median line of black setae. The caterpillar is known to feed on Lespedeza and Dalbergia species. Pupation takes place in an elongated whitish papery cocoon attached to the host plant. In Siberia, it is noted that the pupal stage is about 20 days.[3]

Subspecies

Five subspecies are recognized, along with new subspecies.[3]

SubspeciesDistributionWingspanLarval food plants
Euthrix laeta arina Zolotuhin & Perekrasnov, 1894Taiwan45–55 mm in male and 60–64 mm in femaleBambusa and Phragmites possible
Euthrix laeta austrina de Lajonquière, 1978Sumatra, Borneo33–46 mm in male and 50–58 mm female
Euthrix laeta divisa Moore, 1879Sri Lanka, southern India45–50 mm in male and 52–65 mm in female
Euthrix laeta laeta Walker, 1855Northern India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh50–55 mm in male and 60–63 mm in femaleDalbergia latifolia and Dalbergia sissoo.[5]
Euthrix laeta sulphurea Aurivillius, 1894Russia, Korea, China, Japan (Tsushima), Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Vietnam50–53 mm in males and 67–70 mm in female[6]Lespedeza bicolor and Dalbergia
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References
  1. "Species Details: Euthrix laeta Walker, 1855". Catalogue of Life. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  2. Koçak, Ahmet Ömer; Kemal, Muhabbet (20 February 2012). "Preliminary list of the Lepidoptera of Sri Lanka". Cesa News (79): 1–57 – via Academia.
  3. "A review of the Euthrix laeta (Walker, 1855) complex with description of a new species and two new subspecies" (PDF). State pedagogical University of Ulyanovsk. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  4. "Euthrix laeta Walker". The Moths of Borneo. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  5. "HOSTS - a Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants". The Natural History Museum. Retrieved 2 March 2018.
  6. "タケヒメカレハ Euthrix laeta sulphurea (Aurivillius, 1895)". Digital Moths of Japan. Retrieved 2 March 2018.


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