Lepidoptera: Bombycoidea
Saturniidae
Saturniinae
Saturniini
Antheraea Hübner, [1819] 1816
Phalaena mylitta Drury, 1773
= Carmenta Weymer, 1906: 74 (TS. Antheraea cordifolia Weymer, 1906: 71, by original designation. Carmenta Weymer is a junior homonym of Carmenta Edwards, 1881 (Sesiidae). There is no objective replacement name, but A. cordifolia is congeneric with Phalaena mylitta, the type-species of Antheraea; the latter is thus available for use as a subjective replacement name (Fletcher & Nye 1982).
= Loepantheraea Toxopeus, 1940: 59 (TS. Loepantheraea rosieri Toxopeus, 1940: 59, by original designation)
Antheraea ,
Antheraea (Antheraea) paphia Linnaeus, 1758 (Phalaena (Bombyx))
The existing potential type of A. paphia is a male specimen without locality data. Peigler & Naumann (2016) opined to replace this specimen by a neotype with a defined locality in southeastern India, following Articles 75.5 and 75.6 of ICZN (1999).
= Phalaena mylitta Drury, 1773: 8
= ? kolisurra Sykes, 1834: 541 (Dekkan)
= Antheraea nebulosa Hutton, 1869: 16
= Antheraea salthi Stack, 1884: 11 (TL. Bhutan, Assam)
= ? kausalia Rondot, 1887: 560 (TL. NW Himalaya)
= Antheraea fraterna Moore, 1888: 402 (TL. Kangra)
= Antheraea fasciata Moore, 1892: 492 (TL. Satara Hill)
= Antheraea olivescens Moore, 1892: 449 (TL. Dekkan)
= Antheraea ochripicta Moore, 1892: 449 (TL. Satara Hills)
= Antheraea pulchra Moore, 1892: 448 (TL. Dekkan)
= Antheraea versicolor Moore, 1892: 450 (TL. Purulia, WB)
= ? distorta Sonthonnax, 1897
= ? duplexa Sonthonnax, 1897
= ? lobifera Sonthonnax, 1897
= ? modesta Sonthonnax, 1897
= Antheraea mylitta var. kolhapurensis Kavane & Sathe, 2009: 45 (TL. Hatkanangle, Maharashtra, India) (Infrasubspecific name)
= Antheraea mylitta indica Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Ajara (Ramthirth), Maharashtra, India)
= Antheraea mylitta jujubi Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Panhala, Maharashtra, India)
= Antheraea mylitta arjuni Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Hatkanangle, Maharashtra, India)
= Antheraea mylitta grayei Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Shindewadi, Maharashtra, India)
= Antheraea mylitta kolhapurensis Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Hatkanangle (Ramling), Maharashtra, India)
= Antheraea mylitta koynei Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Patan, Maharashtra, India)
= Antheraea mylitta sathei Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Hatkanangle, Maharashtra, India)
= Antheraea mylitta badami Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Palsambe (Ramling), Maharashtra, India)
= Antheraea mylitta sahyadricus Kavane & Sathe, 2011 (TL. Hatkanangle (Ramling), Maharashtra, India)
Antheraea paphia and Antheraea mylitta have been confused with each other for more than 200 years. Peigler & Naumann (2016) presented arguments and evidenced that both names are synonyms and A. paphia should be used. Peigler & Naumann (2016) also provided a detailed discussion on the taxonomic treatment of A. paphia, A. cingalesa Moore, [1883], and A. frithi Moore. Peigler & Naumann (2016) clarified the distributional ranges: ‘‘A. frithi Moore is a species occurring in the sub-Himalayan areas of mainland Asia in low to medium altitudes up to 2200 m. Records exist for northeastern India (e.g. Moore 1862; Watson 1911; Arora & Gupta 1979; Gurule & Nikam 2013), Nepal (Allen 1993, but cited as A. frithi frithi), Bhutan, northern and central Myanmar, China (Tibet and western Yunnan), and northern Thailand. In contrast to A. frithi Moore, A. paphia (L.) occurs in lower elevations all over the Indian subcontinent, plus in adjacent lowland areas of Nepal and Bangladesh. No records exist for that species (A. frithi) for the sub-Himalayan slopes or higher elevations in Northeast India to the border with Myanmar, or farther east.
Distribution
Throughout India
Gallery
