Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Uraniidae | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Dysaethria | |
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Dysaethria quadricaudata is a species of moth of the family Uraniidae. It is found in the Indo-Australian tropics, from India, Sri Lanka to Myanmar, Taiwan and the Solomon Islands. The habitat consists of lowland forests and disturbed and cultivated areas.
Description
Wingspan of male is 24mm and female with 32mm. Adults are uniform pale brown with vinous frons, and slightly speckled brownish grey. The forewing postmedial line is blackened at the costa and at the dorsum. There is a narrow dark marginal zone to the forewing. Fore wings with evenly curved outer margin. A chocolate marginal band runs from apex o vein 3. Hind wings with slight tails at veins 4 and 7. Postmedial line evenly waved and a lunulate submarginal band found between the tails. Ventral side of hind wings whitish.
Larvae dark reddish chocolate and sub-cylindrical. Head heart-shaped. Setae black with white spots in front of the dorsolateral tubercles. Ventral surface green with red tinged laterals. Pupa is stoutly claviform.
The larvae feed on Adina, Anthocephalus and Cinchona species. They are gregarious and feed from within a webbing that is spun over the leaves. The feeding results in skeletonised leaves. Pupation takes place in a bark crevice or on the ground in a cocoon of loose rusty red silk.