Ctenoplusia furcifera (Walker, 1858)

Scientific name

Ctenoplusia furcifera (Walker, 1858)

Synonymy

Plusia babooni Bethune-Baker, 1906

Phytometra polisha Strand, 1920

Type-locality

Punjab.

Distribution

West Bengal

Kerala

Tamil Nadu

Himachal Pradesh

Diagnosis

C. furcifera differs from its closely related species C.kosemponesis (Strand,1920) by its paler greyish-brown forewing with weakest metallic brilliance. Golden patch absent below the gamma mark. Valvae narrower and saccus v-shaped with respect to other species.

Description

Wingspan 28-32 mm. Head and thorax covered with grayish-black scales. Antennae filiform in both male and female.  Scape, pedicel and shaft furnished with  brown scales. Labial palpus upturned. Vertex and frons dark brown coloured. Thorax and collar irrorated  with brown scales. Forewing ground colour greyish-brown with black scales present in the basal area and scattered all over the surfaces. Gamma mark contrasts strongly at the end in the forwing median area. There is absence of golden suffusion on subcellular area. Basal line, median and post medial line is sinous. Yellow oval patch present on the terminal area of forewing and small yellow spots present on the costal margin. Hindwing  paler at the base. Abdomen with large anal tuft present .The marginal area suffused with dark grey colour. Male genitalia with uncus long and curved and tip hooked. Valvae broader with oval cucullus. Clavus longer and saccus broader. Vesica longer with one long and thick cornutus present. Female genitalia with oval and longer corpus bursae with. Ductus bursae of medium length. Ovipositor rather large, weakly sclerotised, papillae anales rounded shaped. 

Image Gallery