Metachrostis quinaria (Moore, 1881)

(Figs. 10, 40)

Leptosia quinaria Moore, 1881, Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1881: 371 (Type-locality: India, Uttar- Pradesh, Allahabad [Type (s): BMNH, London]).

Synonymy. quinaria ab. aperta Warren, 1913, form; quinaria ab. irrorata Warren, 1913, form; quinaria ab. nigrosignata Warren, 1913, form; quinaria ab. rufitincta Warren, 1913, form; quinaria ab. semipallens Warren, 1913, form.

Material examined. 2 ex., Khasis, Nat. Coll., prep. 0 0 42 Matov [coll. ZISP].

Diagnosis. Externally Metachrostis quinaria can be confused only with other darkly colored species of the genus ( M. dardouini, M. hoenei, M. sinevi, M. miasma). It differs from M. dardouini by the absence of violet tinting to the wings, and from M. sinevi and M. miasma by the absence of a dark shadow on the inner side of the medial line. From M. hoenei it differs by having a paler greyish wing color, darker basal and subbasal areas, a well expressed medial line, and a pale-grey fold between veins A2 and A3 on the hindwing.

Description. Adult (Fig. 10). Wingspan: 18 mm. Head and body brown; wings greyish-brown; basal and subbasal fields brown, darker than background; all crosslines dark-brown; antemedial and postmedial lines thin, bordered by grey line on inner side and outer side; submarginal line very thin with wide grey border on inner and thin grey border on outer side; orbicular brown; reniform brown with dark brown border; subterminal field between postmedial and submarginal lines with waved rufous-brown band. Male genitalia not examined. In female genitalia (Fig. 40) apophyses anteriores 1.5 times shorter than apophyses posteriores; antrum bocal-shaped, with parallel lateral walls; ductus bursae very thin, 1/3 of antrum. According to wing pattern and genitalia this species is close to the miasma -group.

Distribution. North Africa (Sudan), Middle East (Yemen), Pakistan, North India.