Chadisra Walker, 1862

Singh, Navneet, Ahmad, Jalil & Raha, Angshuman, 2021, A new species in the genus Chadisra Walker (Notodontidae: Periergosinae) from the Great Nicobar Island, India, Zootaxa 5068 (2), pp. 277-286 : 278

Genus Chadisra Walker, 1862

Walker, 1862, (3) 1: 81.

= Metasomera Matsumura, 1925: 396.

= Stenoshachia Matsumura, 1925: 398 .

= Melagona Gaede, 1930: 635 .

= Prachadisra Gaede, 1930: 636.

= Sawia Kiriakoff, 1967a: 211 .

= Chadisrella Kiriakoff, 1967b: 57 .

= Timoraca Kiriakoff, 1968: 212 .

= Trincomala Kiriakoff, 1968: 213 .

= Calapana Kiriakoff, 1968: 214.

= Antithemerastis Kiriakoff, 1968: 216 .

Type species: Chadisra bipars Walker, 1862

Type Locality: Hindostan (= India)

Diagnosis. Within the Chadisra species , extreme variations in wing pattern are reported even from the same geographic region, and the sexual dimorphism is well expressed. The antennae, in males, have short pectination, while in females they are filiform. In general, the forewings are elongated (length: width = 2:1) having greenish-brown ground colour in males and yellowish-brown in females. In males, the baso-medial area is generally paler than the marginal area, whereas in females, the pattern is opposite. Polymorphism is common in males, usually showing less contrasting baso-medial and marginal areas of the forewings. Such polymorphism can be observed in females of a few species, where the baso-medial area is pale-brownish, similar to the marginal area. Additionally, a blackish-brown subapical patch at costa of the forewings and an anal black patch on the hindwings are present in both the sexes. 8 th sternite is sclerotized distally. The male genitalia display significant degree of modifications. Usually, uncus is robust and apically blunt, socii long and very stout, the basal process and spines of valva and juxta show variable sclerotization.

Larval characters and food plants. The larva of Chadisra is green or yellow with cylindrical body and dorsal reddish beaded line. While resting, it makes a U-shaped form by bending its head and thorax laterally backwards. Larvae are known to feed on Bombax sp. (Bombacaceae) , Xylia sp. (Ulmaceae) , Grewia sp. (Tiliaceae) , Sideroxylon sp. (Sapotaceae) , Sterculia sp. (Sterculiaceae) and Trema sp. (Leguminosae) ( Holloway 1983, Schintlmeister 2008).