Taxonomy

Ssp. raja; India, Khasis [Meghalaya]. Ssp. 1, unnamed; W. Malaysia, GTE. The holotype of Pachythyris raja Boisduval, 1874:492 from Bangladesh (Sylhet) is in the NHM (Mi7282).

Description

24-29mm. This is a bright orange and red-brown species (Plate 9, 2 images). The nominate ssp. is slightly smaller than most Dysodia species. There is often a distinctive grey-purple bloom on parts of the the FW. At least three sspp. occur. Two are unnamed: Ssp. raja; India (NE), Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand. The nominate ssp. has large HW fenestrae. Ssp. 1, unnamed, W. Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Sumatra, Java, has virtually no fenestration on the HW. Each fenestra is reduced to two small spots. Ssp. 2, unnamed, Hong Kong is similar to ssp. rajah. It has distinct fenestrae on the HW. Another, larger (37mm) morphotype is Dysodia sp. 9 (Plate 9, Fig. 287) which is probably D. raja.It has large fenestrae but the costal area is not dark red, unlike the nominate ssp.

Distribution & Habitat

Hong Kong, Sikkim, Assam, Meghalaya, Nepal, Bangladesh, Thailand, Sumatra, W. Malaysia, Singapore, Sabah, Sarawak, Brunei, Java. A variety of lowland forest biotopes including mangrove and open secondary vegetation.

Life History & Pest Status

The larvae feeds on Melastoma sanguineum (Melastomataceae), fox-tongued or red melastome and Fagraea crenulata (Loganiaceae).

Similar spp.

The patterning is generally similar to D. pennitarsis Hampson, 1906 but the red-brown band on the abdomen, which appears on most specimens and may be very broad, and the much smaller HW fenestrae, even in the nominate ssp., easily distinguish it. The line of the median fascia on the HW is completely different from D. laevis Warren, 1900.