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AN INITIAL MOTH LIST AUGUST 2001 FROM PULAU BUTON

Introduction

Moth specimens captured on Buton Island during the month of August 2001 were drawn to provide details of morphology and colour (scanned drawings attached). These diagrams were made as identification keys were not available and computer-scanning facilities were not functional also there was a risk that preserved specimens would have to stay in Indonesia for a protracted period delaying identification.

On return to the UK the diagrams we used to identify the specimens as far as possible using relevant texts and the facilities of the Natural History Museum, assistance in this process was give by David Carter at the Department of Entomology NHM. Jeremy Holloway (the NHM expert on the months of Borneo and surrounding regions) was also contacted and stated that he may be interested in looking at the data and specimens once they arrive in the UK.

The next step will be to prepare all of the specimens for display, scan then into the computer and use the available key from Jeremy Holloway’s book on The Moths of Borneo to confirm identifications and resolve uncertainties.

N.B. David Carter is the Collections Manager at the Department of Entomology NHM; he expressed great interest in the possible collection and identification of the larval forms of lepidoptera especially from moth families and commercial pest species. This may be an area that Operation Wallacea could look at in connection with the ethno botany projects.

Moth List Key

TYPE - numerical designation for each different moth form captured.

FAMILY - most probable family attribution.

GENUS - most probable genus attribution.

SPECIES - most probable species attribution.

FORE WING LENGTH- maximum length of wing from thorax to tip.

METHOD OF CAPTURE –

BT bait trap using over ripe banana and/or pineapple jam.

MN mist nets, used by bat teams.

N hand-net.

LIGHT attracted to electric building lights.

MALAISE malaise trap, either in the canopy or on the ground.

HT heath trap.

TIME ACTIVE – D day flying, N night flying.

LOCATION – K- Kakanauwe, Grid N (north) W (west) 1-10 100m transect intersects.

LBB- La Bundo bundo LAB- Laboratory.

BC- Base Camp D- transect designation alphabetic, 100m transect Intersects.

DATE – date of capture or collection from trap.

BLUE TEXT – indicates identifications with a high confidence.

RED TEXT – indicates unidentified types and low confidence identifications.

TYPE	FAMILY	GENUS	SPECIES	FORE WING LENGTH	METHOD OF CAPTURE	TIME ACTIVE	LOCATION	DATE
001	0	0	0	46mm	BT	N	K. N5W2	6/08/01
002	Sphingidae	Sphingidae	Acherontia lachesis	60mm	MN	N	K	3/08/01
003	0	0	0	33mm	BT	N	K N5W8	6/08/01
004	Noctuidae	Catocalinae	Erebus sp.	50mm+	BT	N	K N5W8 BC D600 BC D600 BC D600	6/08/01 14/08/01 15/08/01 15/08/01
005	Noctuidae	Catocalinae	Erebus sp.	54mm	BT	N	K N5W8 K N5W1 K N5W7	6/08/01 13/08/01 20/08/01
006	Noctuidae	Ophiderinae	Ischyji sp.	40mm	BT	N	K N5W1	7/08/01
007	Sphingidae	Sphingidae	Macroglossum (corythus?)	27mm	LIGHT MALAISE	N	LBB LAB K N6W8	31/07/01 07-8/01
008	Geometroidae Zypgaenidae	0	Dysphania Psaphis	35mm	N	D	K N8W6 K N6	7/08/01 13/08/01
009	0	0	0	30mm	N	D	K	/08/01
010	Arctiidae	Arctiinae	Spilosoma sp.	28mm	N	N	LBB LAB	7/08/01
011	Geometroidae	Uraniidae	Strophidia Micronia Pseudomicronia Ourapteryx	21mm	HT	N	LBB	9/08/01
012	Noctuidae	0	0	28mm	HT	N	K N5W1 LBB LAB	8/08/01 21/08/01
013	Noctuidae	Ophiderinae	Ommatophora (luminosa?)	26mm	BT	N	N5W6 N5W6 N5W6 N5W6	6/08/01 10/08/01 10/08/01 14/08/01
014	Arctiidae	Aganainae	Asota Aethalida	20mm	N	D	K N6	13/08/01
015	Arctiidae	Aganainae	Asota Aethalida	20mm	N	D	K N6	13/08/01
016	Arctiidae	Arctiinae	Creatonotus transiens	20mm	N	N	LBB LAB	9/08/01
017	Geometroidae	Uraniidae	Strophidia Micronia Pseudomicronia Ourapteryx	27mm	N	D	K	13/08/01
018	Arctiidae	Aganainae	Asota Aethalida	20mm	N	D	K N6	13/08/01
019	Noctuidae	Catocalinae	Parullelia (flavotaenia?)	40mm+	BT	N	K N5W1	13/08/01
020	0	0	0	25mm+	BT	N	K N5W6	13/08/01
021	0	0	0	17mm	N	D	K N6W0	13/08/01
022	Geometroidae	0	0	32mm	LIGHT	N	LBB LAB	14/08/01

024		Arctiidae	Cyana sp.	15mm	HT	N	BC	14/08/01
025	Geometroidae	Bourmiini	Ambalychia (infoveata?)	35mm	LIGHT	N	BC	15/08/01
026	Noctuidae	Agaristinae	Sarbanissa sp.	11mm	HT	N	BC	15/08/01
027	Noctuidae	Catocalinae	Erebus sp.	45mm+	BT	N	BC	13/08/01
028	Noctuidae	Ophiderinae	Ischyji sp.	45mm+	LIGHT	N	BC	13/08/01
029	Noctuidae	Ophiderinae	Ischyji sp.	40mm+