Ischyja manlia (Cramer, 1766)
(one synonym : Potamophora amboinensis Felder, 1962)
CALPINAE,   EREBIDAE,   NOCTUOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley


(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford and Andrew Iles, Julatten, Queensland)

The Caterpillars of this species are greyish brown, with irregular pale markings. Underneath it is yellow.


(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford and Andrew Iles, Julatten, Queensland)

The segments are corrugated, with a narrow white band across the peak of the antipenultimate segment.


(Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford and Andrew Iles, Julatten, Queensland)

The caterpillars has been reported to feed on plants from a variety of familes, including:

  • Mango ( Mangifera indica, ANACARDIACEAE ),
  • Camphor Laurel ( Cinnamomum camphora, LAURACEAE ),
  • Chinese Privet ( Ligustrum sinense, OLEACEAE ),
  • Longan ( Dimocarpus longan, SAPINDACEAE ), and
  • Needle wood ( Schima wallichi, THEACEAE ).


    defensive posture
    (Photo: courtesy of Carol Iles, Julatten, Queensland)

    When threatened, the caterpillar is inclined to curl up, displaying some white knobs on the anterior segments, and with the head protected by the tail segments.


    pupa
    (Photo: courtesy of Carol Iles, Julatten, Queensland)

    The caterpillar grows to a length of about 7 cms. The caterpillar pupates between dead leaves joined with silk. The pupa has a length of about 3.5 cms.


    female
    (Photo: courtesy of Buck Richardson, Kuranda, Queensland)

    The adult moth has brown forewings, each with a a dark basal half, and a pale outer half. The hindwings are dark brown with a large central pale blue area. The moths attack fruit, piercing the skin to suck the juice. The females can have a wingspan up to 11 cms.


    male
    (Photo: courtesy of Dick Whitford and Andrew Iles, Julatten, Queensland)

    The males have paler brown wings, and are often smaller than the females, with a wingspan of about 8 cms.

    The species has been found across south-east Asia, including:

  • India,
  • Myanmar,
  • Taiwan,

    and also in Australia in:

  • Queensland.


    male
    drawing by Pieter Cramer, listed as Potamophora manlia,

    Uitlandsche Kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen,
    Amsterdam Baalde, vol. 1 (1776), Plate XCII, fig. A,
    Image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.


    Further reading :

    Pieter Cramer,
    Description de Papillons Exotiques,
    Uitlandsche kapellen voorkomende in de drie waereld-deelen,
    Amsterdam Baalde, Volume 1 (1776), p. 144, and also Plate 92, fig. A..

    Buck Richardson,
    Mothology,
    LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2008, p. 5.

    Buck Richardson,
    Tropical Queensland Wildlife from Dusk to Dawn Science and Art,
    LeapFrogOz, Kuranda, 2015, p. 144.


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    (updated 10 October 2011, 8 February 2019)