Kingdom Animalia Class Insecta Family Noctuidae Scientific name Macaldenia palumba | Phylum Arthropoda Order Lepidoptera Genus Macaldenia Rank Species | |
Similar Buzara onelia, Bastilla fulvotaenia, Butterflies and moths, Artena dotata, Grammodes geometrica | ||
Macaldenia palumba is a moth of the Noctuidae family. It is found from the Oriental Region of India, Sri Lanka to Japan (Okinawa) and Sundaland, east to New Guinea. It is also found on Guam in Micronesia.
Description
Wingspan is about 38-52mm. Brownish grey. Fore wings slightly suffused with purple and irrorated with black. Indistinct waved sub-basal and antemedial line present. There is a small fuscous obsolete reniform spot and postmedial line angled below costa. This postmedial line then indistinct and crenulate with a series of black specks on the nervules. A slightly sinuous indistinct or prominent brown sub-marginal line. An almost marginal minute speck series can be seen. Cilia and margin have some grey color. Hind wings with indistinct line and some fuscous postmedial suffusion and a series of small white lunules found with ferrous suffusion beyond them towards inner margin. Some grey on margin and cilia and fuscous marks can be seen towards anal angle.
Larva with first pair of abdominal prolegs aborted and two dorsal humps found on anal somite. Body brownish ochroeus above and olive beneath. Some dorsal and lateral black speckeled streaks present. A sub-lateral whitish line found with some pinkish spots above it.
The larvae feed on Atalantia and Paramignya. Larvae have been reared on Citrofortunella, but it is unknown if they feed on this plant in the wild.