Asota plana is a moth in the family Erebidae first described by Francis Walker in 1854. It is found from the Oriental tropics east to New Guinea.

Asota plana
From Japan
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Asota
Species:
A. plana
Binomial name
Asota plana
Walker, 1854
Synonyms
  • Hypsa persecta Butler, 1875
  • Aganais albifera Felder, 1874
  • Asota plana f. confluens Strand, 1915
  • Asota centralis Rothschild, 1897
  • Asota cincta Rothschild, 1897
  • Asota complana Walker, 1875
  • Asota commixta Rothschild, 1897
  • Asota fergussonis Rothschild, 1897
  • Asota intermedia Rothschild, 1897
  • Hypsa lacteata Butler, 1881
  • Asota ternatensis Rothschild, 1897
  • Asota transiens Rothschild, 1897
Female

Description

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The wingspan is about 56 mm. The forewings have a large white patch filling the lower half of the cell and the whole area below except inner margin and extending to near outer margin. Its upper edge has two dentitions, its outer edge is irregular and a large white spot at upper angle of cell. Hindwings with the narrow marginal band. There is an extra spot towards anal angle.[1] Larva have a large head with sparsely distributed hairs on its body with dark purplish-brown ground color. The thoracic somites are pale red and there is a narrow transverse yellow band on fourth to terminal somites.[2]

Ecology

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Caterpillars of Asota plana from Thiruvananthapuram, India

Larvae have been recorded on Ficus species, where they rest on the underside of the leaf.[3]

Subspecies

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Asota plana albifera
  • Asota plana albifera (India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Sikkim, Singapore, Taiwan)
  • Asota plana centralis (Andaman Islands, Indonesia, Philippines, Taiwan)
  • Asota plana cincta (Indonesia)
  • Asota plana commixta (Indonesia)
  • Asota plana fergussonis (Papua New Guinea)
  • Asota plana intermedia (Indonesia)
  • Asota plana lacteata (Taiwan)
  • Asota plana persecta (Indonesia)
  • Asota plana plana (China, East Timor, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Sikkim, Sri Lanka, Thailand, northern Vietnam)
  • Asota plana transiens (Enggano)

References

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  1. ^ Hampson, G. F. (1892). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  2. ^ "Asota plana caterpillars". natureloveyou.sg. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  3. ^ "Asota plana Walker". The Moths of Borneo. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
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