Rehimena surusalis (Walker, 1859)
(one synonym : Botys semifascialis Snellen, 1880)
SPILOMELINAE,   CRAMBIDAE,   PYRALOIDEA
 
Don Herbison-Evans
(donherbisonevans@yahoo.com)
and
Stella Crossley

Rehimena surusalis
(Photo: courtesy of Donald Hobern)

The Caterpillar of this species has been found feeding on the buds and flowers of various species of Hibiscus ( MALVACEAE), including

  • Rose of Sharon ( Hibiscus syriacus ), and
  • Cottonwood ( Hibiscus tiliaceus ).

    Rehimena surusalis
    drawing by Pieter C. T. Snellen, listed as Botys semifascialis
    ,
    Lepidoptera van Celebes, Tijdschrift voor Entomologie,
    Volume 26 (1883), Plate 7, fig. 12,
    image courtesy of Biodiversity Heritage Library, digitized by Smithsonian Libraries.

    The adult moth has fawn forewings each with two or three patchy orange marks along the costa. The hindwings are pale brown shading to dark brown at the edges. The legs are white. The moth has a wingspan of about 2 cms.

    The species is found in Asia, including

  • Borneo,
  • Hong Kong,
  • Japan,
  • Taiwan,

    and in eastern Australia including:

  • Queensland, and
  • New South Wales.


    Further reading :

    Francis Walker,
    Catalogue of Lepidoptera Heterocera. Pyralides,
    List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum,
    Part 18 (1859), pp. 695-696.

    Pieter Cornelius Tobias Snellen,
    Nieuwe Pyraliden op Celebes gevonden,
    Tijdschrift voor Entomologie,
    Volume 23 (1880), pp. 214-215, No. 19, and also Plate 7, fig. 12


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    (updated 1 February 2013)