The Moths of Borneo, Part 1

A morphological key to macrolepidoptera families and some subfamilies is presented.

The families of the superfamily Cossoidea as recognised by Brock (1971) are treated in detail. The Cossidae (34 Bornean spp.) include a number of important shoot and wood boring pests, and the Metarbelidae (5 spp.) are bark borers. The Ratardidae (3 spp.) are a small Oriental family, rare in collections and possibly allied to the Metarbelidae. The Dudgeoneidae are even less diverse but geographically much more widespread; they have yet to be recorded from Borneo. The Epipyropidae have larvae that are predatory on Homoptera. They occur in Borneo but there is insufficient material to permit a detailed treatment.

The Limacodidae (95 spp.) are much more diverse and include a very large number of pest species, almost entirely affecting arboreal or bush crops such as coconut, oil palm, tea, cocoa and coffee. Their larvae, the notorious nettle-grubs or slug-caterpillars, are most striking in form and colour; details of these are given where possible. A tentative scheme of higher classification is presented, based on both adult and larval characters; this led to much revisional work and several generic reviews such as of Cania and Darna.

For each species a diagnosis and the geographical range are given and, where known, details of habitat preferences and biology. Summary lists are given of the new taxa described (11 genera, 46 species and 4 subspecies) as well as of numerous other taxonomic changes. A checklist of all Bornean taxa may be found at the end there.