Hypena sanguinea, Gaede

Swezey, O. H., 1946, Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Arctiidae, Agrotidae, and Pyralidae of Guam, Insects of Guam II, Honolulu, Hawaii: Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 189, pp. 163-185 : 175

33. Hyblaea sanguinea Gaede ,

Deutsch. Ent. Zeitschr., 26, 1917; Tams, Ins. Samoa 3 (4): 237, 1935.

Eighteen specimens: Yona , May 12, Swezey; Umatac , May 14, Swezey; Tumon , May 30, Swezey; Machanao , June 30, Swezey; Sumay , July 15, Swezey; Orote Peninsula , July 18, Sept. 1, Swezey; Piti , July 13, Aug. 17, Sept. 12, at light, Swezey. One in Bishop Museum, Fullaway , 1911.

This beautiful moth was described from Fiji and is also known in Samoa. It was very common in Guam, where we record it for the first time. Its caterpillars were always to be found on the leaves of Premna gaudichaudii . The leaves are spun together for shelter or hiding place, and pupation takes place in the same situation. The full-grown caterpillar is 25 mm. long; black, with two narrow, white dorsal lines, an interrupted white line above the spiracles, and a white line below the spiracles; spiracles narrow oval, whitish; underside and legs pale; head entirely black; setae of abdomen white, of moderate length. Chrysalis 15 mm. long; light brown; wing sheaths exten.d to apical margin of fourth abdominal segment; cremaster black, produceq and hooked into silk. Most of our specimens were reared from Premna ; one was from an undetermined Philippine tree. The caterpillars were often observed, but rearing was not attempted.