Asota caricae, the tropical tiger moth,[1] is a species of noctuoid moth in the family Erebidae. It is found from the Indo-Australian tropics of India and Sri Lanka to Queensland and Vanuatu.

Tropical tiger moth
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Lepidoptera
Superfamily: Noctuoidea
Family: Erebidae
Genus: Asota
Species:
A. caricae
Binomial name
Asota caricae
(Fabricius, 1775)
Synonyms
  • Noctua caricae Fabricius, 1775
  • Psephea alciphron Cramer, [1777]
  • Asota euroa Rothschild, 1897
  • Asota anawa Swinhoe, 1903

Description

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The wingspan is 51–58 mm. Palpi with black spots on 1st and 2nd joints. Forewings brownish fuscous. There is a basal orange patch with two subbasal black spots and a series of three spots on its outer edge, that matches the coloration of the scales of the thorax. The veins are streaked with white. There is a white spot at lower angle of the discal cell. Hindwings are orange yellow, with a black spot at the end of the discal cell, one beyond, one below vein 2 and a submarginal irregular series which sometimes becomes a nearly complete marginal band. The veins crossing the band are yellowish. Larva black above, with two dorsal white bands, a sub-dorsal black spot on each somite. A series of lateral black specks present with sparse black hairs. Ventral coloration brown, head capsule is reddish.[2]

Ecology

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The larvae have been recorded on Ficus, Broussonetia, Mesua, Tectona and Shorea species. Pupation is in a slight cocoon, fixed to a leaf. The species is found in forest and agricultural areas.[3][4]

 
Asota caricae caricae larva

Subspecies

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There are three described subspecies:

References

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  1. ^ "Occurrence record map of Asota caricae". The Atlas of Living Australia. Retrieved 4 July 2016.
  2. ^ Hampson, G. F. (1892). The Fauna of British India, Including Ceylon and Burma: Moths Volume I. Vol. Moths - Vol. I. Taylor and Francis – via Biodiversity Heritage Library.
  3. ^ "Asota caricae Fabricius". The Moths of Borneo. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Asota caricae Fabricius". ICAR-National Bureau of Agricultural Insect Resources. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Asota caricae caricae New Guinea". The Papua Insects Foundation.
  6. ^ "Asota caricae euroa". Barcode Of Life Database Systems.
  7. ^ a b "Subspecies of Asota caricae Fabricius". Insecta Pro.
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