''Cricula ceylonica'', the Sri Lankan cricula silkmoth, is a
moth of the family
Saturniidae. The species was first described by
Karl Jordan in 1909 and it is endemic to
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. The debate of this species with much broader range circular species - ''
Cricula trifenestrata
''Cricula trifenestrata'', the cricula silkmoth, is a species of wild silk moth of the family Saturniidae. It is found from India to the Philippines, Sulawesi, Java, and Sri Lanka.
Description
The wingspan is 65–100 mm. Adults are on ...
'' is not yet fully understood. However, Rougerie et al., in 2009 considered ''Cricula ceylonica'' a valid species, probably endemic to Sri Lanka.
Taxonomy
Very similar to ''C. trifenestrata'', therefore many texts and agricultural publications still classified the Sri Lankan population under ''C. trifenestrata'' as its subspecies, ''C. trifenestrata ceylonica''. The revision of the two species needs more clarifications and researches.
Description
The
wingspan is 60–100 mm. Adult male has clayish-ochraceous wings. The transparent spot on the forewing is lined by a broad black ring. Subapical lobe of clasper broad. Female has tawny-ochraceous wings. There are three transparent spots on the forewing lined by broad black rings. On the ventral side, the transparent spots of both wings more strongly edged with black. Larval host plants are ''
Cinnamomum zeylanicum'' and ''
Mangifera indica''.
References
External links
"''trifenestrata'' (Helfer 1837)" ''Saturniidae World''.
"Cricula Silkmoth (''C. trifenestrata'')" ''Lepidoptera Breeders Association''.
Saturniinae
Moths described in 1909
{{Saturniidae-stub