The hitherto undescribed male of Calocalpe abraxidia ( Hampson , 1895 ) ( Lepidoptera : Geometridae : Larentiinae )

There are many Asian moths that are known from only a few specimens. Calocalpe abraxidia was described by Hampson (1895) in the genus Larentia Treitschke, based on a single female specimen in Coll. Knyvett from Sikkim. This specimen is currently in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London. Although the male was not known at the time, Hampson (1895) placed it, along with the species hypolopha Hampson, in the section b3 of the genus Larentia, distinguished by the presence of a thick tuft of hair on the underside of the hindwing above the middle of vein 1b in males. Prout (in Seitz 1915) included abraxidia in the genus Calocalpe Hübner, which is distinguished from the closely allied Triphosa Steph. by the dense tuft of hair on the underside of the hindwing above the middle of vein 1b in males. He noted that the species was known from a single specimen (unfortunately a female) and it probably occurred at great elevation in Sikkim. Following is the description of the male of this species, based on a single specimen recorded from the Kumaon Himalaya, west of Nepal. Calocalpe abraxidia (Hampson)

There are many Asian moths that are known from only a few specimens.Calocalpe abraxidia was described by Hampson (1895) in the genus Larentia Treitschke, based on a single female specimen in Coll.Knyvett from Sikkim.This specimen is currently in the collection of the Natural History Museum, London.Although the male was not known at the time, Hampson (1895) placed it, along with the species hypolopha Hampson, in the section b3 of the genus Larentia, distinguished by the presence of a thick tuft of hair on the underside of the hindwing above the middle of vein 1b in males.
Prout (in Seitz 1915) included abraxidia in the genus Calocalpe Hübner, which is distinguished from the closely allied Triphosa Steph.by the dense tuft of hair on the underside of the hindwing above the middle of vein 1b in males.He noted that the species was known from a single specimen (unfortunately a female) and it probably occurred at great elevation in Sikkim.
Following is the description of the male of this species, based on a single specimen recorded from the Kumaon Himalaya, west of Nepal.

Description
Head black, collar orange; antennae ciliate; thorax orange with paired dorsal black spots on prothorax and metathorax.Abdomen orange with paired dorsal and lateral black spots and a series of ventral black spots.Forewing recto fuscous with some orange suffusion at base; subbasal, double antemedial, double medial, double postmedial and double submarginal waved white lines, the medial pair obsolete below vein 2 and rather indistinct above it, the submarginal pair reduced to white specks above vein 4; marginal black line interrupted by white veins.Cilia chequered on lower half of wing margin.
Hindwing recto white slightly suffused with black on basal and inner part of wing; base suffused with orange; cellspot black; double grey submarginal waved bands; a marginal black line.Cilia chequered grey and white.
Forewing verso grey, the base suffused with orange.Cellspot black, a broad white postmedial band with waved edges, extending to margin between veins 3 and 4. A marginal black line.
Hindwing verso white, the base orange, costa grey, cellspot black, a thick tuft of black hair in the fold of the wing along vein 1b.Four dark marks along inner margin.Incomplete submarginal grey bands; marginal line black.

Remarks
The single specimen was attracted to mercury vapour lamp reflected off a whitewashed wall at around 2300hr.The flight was erratic and it kept to the edges of the wall furthest from the light.It settled on the ground after much fluttering about.
The specimen examined differs from the female holotype illustrated on plate 34c in Seitz (1915) in a few small points, which could be ascribed to individual variation rather than sexual dimorphism: these are, the white area on the forewing seems to be clearer in the female and rather more variegated in the specimen examined; on the hindwing recto, the submarginal bands are rather better developed in the male specimen examined.Although Prout (in Seitz 1915) observed, "probably from great elevation", the habitat is clearly not at great elevation, but at 2400m.The species seems to be a resident of broadleaf subtropical forests of Himalayan Oak (Quercus leucotrichophora and Q. floribunda) above 2000m.It has never been recorded during the past 35 years from Q. leucotrichophora forest at 1500m elevation.