Mosopia Explained

Mosopia is a genus of moths of the family Erebidae. It is found in south-east Asia, including Thailand, Borneo and Malaysia.^[1] The genus was first described by Francis Walker in 1866 from a specimen in the British Museum. The specimen Walker describes was from Penang in Malaysia.^[2]

Walker gave Mosopia megaspila as a type species. This species has a wingspan of 39mm with a large distinctive black spot in the middle of each forewings (hence the name megaspila, which means "large spotted"). Three other species are also classified in the genus Mosopia.^[3]

Species

In alphabetical order:^[4]

• Mosopia eudoxusalis (Walker, [1859]) Sundaland, Thailand
• Mosopia kononenkoi Holloway, 2008 Borneo, Sumatra, Peninsular Malaysia, Thailand
• Mosopia magniplaga (Swinhoe, 1905) Meghalaya
• Mosopia megaspila Walker, [1866] Peninsular Malaysia, Borneo
• Mosopia pallidusalis Holloway, 2008 Borneo
• Mosopia sordidum (Butler, 1879) Japan, Korea

References

1. Web site: 80.ヤガ科(Noctuidae) クルマアツバ亜科(Herminiinae) 一覧 . ja:みんなで作る日本産蛾類図鑑 . An Identification Guide of Japanese Moths Compiled by Everyone . ja . February 8, 2020.
2. Book: Walker, Francis . List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Part XXXIV . 1866 . Edward Newman . 1187–1188 . 20 September 2011 . London.
3. Lödl . M. . 2002 . Notes on the genus Mosopia Walker, [1866] 1865 with redescription of the type-species M. megaspila Walker, [1866] 1865 (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae: Herminiinae) ]. Quadrifina . 5 . 21–26 . . 20 September 2011.
4. Web site: Savela . Markku . November 18, 2012 . Mosopia Walker, [1866] ]. Lepidoptera and Some Other Life Forms . February 8, 2020.