''Maliattha signifera'' is a species of moth of the family

Noctuidae The Noctuidae, commonly known as owlet moths, cutworms or armyworms, are a family of moths. They are considered the most controversial family in the superfamily Noctuoidea because many of the clades are constantly changing, along with the other f ...

first described by Francis Walker in 1858. It is found in south-east Asia, including

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...

, India,

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

, Taiwan, Korea and Thailand as well as in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

( Queensland).

Description

The wingspan is 15–18 mm. Antennae of male minutely ciliated. In male, head, thorax and abdomen ochreous white. Abdomen has two dorsal black tufts. Forewings with ochreous white basal and costal areas, with a slight fuscous tinge. The outer area, which extends from the apex to center of inner margin, dark purplish fuscous and crossed by the irregularly-waved whitish postmedial line, which becomes pure white towards inner margin. A diffused dark somewhat dentate submarginal line and a marginal series of short dark strigae present. Hindwings are pale fuscous. Ventral side of forewings fuscous, with pinkish ochreous costal and outer areas. Ventral side of hindwings pinkish ochreous, with cell spot and curved postmedial line. In female, body more suffused with fuscous. Forewings with outer pinkish area in tone. There are two prominent white lunules present on postmedial line above inner margin. Hindwings dark fuscous, with ochreous outer margin and cilia.

Ecology

Spherical eggs are translucent white, which are laid in a regular hexagonal array.

References

Moths described in 1858 Eustrotiinae Moths of Asia Moths of Japan {{Eustrotiinae-stub