Callindra equitalis (Kollar, [1844])

Kollar, V. [1844]. Lepidoptera. In: Hügel, C. von, Kaschmir und das Reich der
Siek, vol. 4, part 2: p. 465-466, pl. XX fig. 3 (as Euprepia equitalis).
Translated from the Latin and German original.

Fore wings dark olive-brown, spotted with white; hind wings white, with brown
veins and spots; thorax and abdomen dark olive-brown, the former brassy, with
white stripes, the latter red at the base and at the tip. -- Expanse of wings
2", 10'". Habitat in the Himalaya, Massuri.

Belongs likewise in the neighbourhood of Euprep. Hera and Dominula. The fore
wings are brownish olive-green with little metallic lustre, spotted in a
similar manner as in Eupr. principalis, only the spots are fewer, about
18-20, and their colour is white. -- The hind wings are likewise white,
traversed by black longitudinal veins, which by running together form a few
black spots. -- The head is dark green with two red transverse stripes; the
palpi ringed green and red; the thorax above olive-green with white stripes;
abdomen dark green, red at the base and at the tip, and the margins of the
individual segments appear coloured the same. -- The antennae thin, filiform.

Likewise received from Massuri in the Himalaya through Freiherr v. Hügel, but
only two specimens.

The species it is compared with, Euprepia principalis Kollar, is described
by Kollar immediately before (p. 465, pl. XX fig. 2):

Fore wings dark brassy-green, most copiously spotted with yellow; hind wings
yellow, with black rays; head and abdomen cinnabar-red, the latter spotted
with green; thorax brassy-green, striped with yellow. -- Expanse of wings 3",
3'". Habitat in the Himalaya, Massuri.

According to its habitus this moth belongs in the neighbourhood of our Eupr.
Hera and Dominula, but is considerably larger than either of these two
species.

The fore wings are dark olive-green, with metallic lustre, each covered with
24 yellow or yellowish-white spots, of which 12 lie distributed from the base
along the length of the wing in three rows, 6 form an interrupted transverse
band, and finally 6 smaller ones stand in two rows before the apex of the
wing. The hind wings are ochre-yellow, traversed by irregular narrower and
broader black rays, which here and there run together and form larger spots.
-- The head is red with a dark green spot on the frons; the palpi ringed
green and red; the thorax above of the colour of the fore wings and striped
with yellow. -- The abdomen red, spotted with black on the back. -- The
antennae thin and simply filiform.

Only two specimens brought by Freiherr v. Hügel from Massuri in the Himalaya.


Hampson, G. F. (1894). The Fauna of British India, including Ceylon and
Burma. Moths, vol. 2: p. 36, no. 1252 (as Callimorpha equitalis).

1252. Callimorpha equitalis, Koll. Hugel's Kaschmir, iv, p. 465, pl. 20,
fig. 3; C. & S. no. 799.

Differs from principalis in the head and abdomen being paler crimson, the
latter with dorsal black bands; thorax with the ground-colour very pale
yellow. Fore wing fuscous, with hardly a tinge of green; the spots large and
white, the basal and costal spots slightly yellow; the postmedial spots
large, obliquely placed and joined to the submarginal spot between veins 3
and 4. Hind wing pure white; the veins fuscous: a submarginal series of
spots which are obsolescent except towards anal angle; cilia fuscous except
at middle.

Hab. Himalayas from Simla to Sikhim; Khasis; Burma. Exp., male 70, female
80 millim.

The species it is compared with, Callimorpha principalis, is described by
Hampson on p. 35, no. 1249:

1249. Callimorpha principalis, Koll. Hugel's Kaschmir, iv, p. 465, pl. 20,
fig. 2; Butl. Ill. Het. vii, pl. 138, fig. 3 (larva); C. & S. no. 800.
Hypercompa flavicolor, Moore, P. Z. S. 1879, p. 397; C. & S. no. 800.

Head crimson; palpi with a black spot on each joint; a black spot on frons
and two at back of head; collar black, edged with crimson; thorax orange, the
tegulae and vertex striped with metallic green; abdomen crimson above, pale
yellow below, with dorsal and lateral series of spots; legs black, marked
with crimson and pale yellow. Fore wing metallic green, with numerous yellow
spots. Hind wing orange; the veins streaked with black; a submarginal series
of large black blotches; centre of outer margin black.

A variety from Sikhim has the streaks on the nervures of hind wing very
broad and occupying most of the wing.

Larva black, with three setiferous tubercles to each somite; a narrow orange
and yellow dorsal stripe whitish between the somites; a white subdorsal
stripe; a lateral band composed of white transverse striae; legs yellow.

Hab. Kashmir; N.W. Himalayas; Sikhim; Burma. Exp. 86 millim.


Seitz, A. (1910). Callimorpha. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of
the World, vol. 2, The Palaearctic Bombyces & Sphinges: p. 102, pl. 18 g.

C. equitalis Koll. (18 g). Body as in the preceding species, to which it is
closely allied, blood-red with black markings; but the forewing spotted with
white to a very variable degree, and the hindwing with white ground-colour,
bearing sometimes more, sometimes less numerous grey-brown spots. Kashmir;
distributed over a large part of the Himalayas, and especially in the
northern valleys, as far as Sikkim in India; not rare.

The preceding species is C. principalis, which Seitz describes thus (p. 102):

C. principalis Koll. (18 g). Forewing metallic blackish green, with dispersed
yellow or ivory-white spots; hindwing bright yellow, with black spots before
the margin and at the apex of the cell, and also as in menetriesi traversed
by broad black veins. In facies resembling the preceding forms, but at once
distinguished by the blood-red body being broadly marked with black dorsally.
In Kashmir, widely distributed in the Himalayas; the lighter and larger form
regalis Leech extends as far as China. In the smaller fedtschenkoi
Grum-Grsh., from Pamir, the spots on the forewing are paler, the hindwing
also light yellow, the veins black-brown without any dark shading.


Seitz, A. (1915). Callimorpha. In: Seitz, A. (ed.), The Macrolepidoptera of
the World, vol. 10, The Indo-Australian Bombyces & Sphinges: p. 205 (publ.
11. I. 1915); figure in vol. 2, pl. 18 g.

C. equitalis Koll. (Vol. II, t. 18 g). The white spots of the forewing are
similarly arranged as in similis, but large, from behind the middle of the
costa to the anal angle joined to a broad, white band traversed by the dark
veins. Hindwing all white, except the black, though thin veins and a large,
black spot only on the median veins. In the Himalaya nearly everywhere
common, from Simla to Sikkim and Burma, as well as in the Khasia Hills in
Assam.

The species it is compared with, C. similis, is described by Seitz
immediately before (p. 205), with reference in turn to C. principalis
(p. 204-205):

C. similis Moore is entirely like the preceding, but much smaller and
lighter, the spots on the forewing quite pale bone-coloured, sometimes quite
white except those at the base and costa. The ground-colour of the hindwing
is also white instead of yellow, the black reduced. Sikkim.

C. principalis Koll. (= flavicolor Moore). (Vol. II, t. 18 g). The Indian
form is larger and of a deeper colouring than the palearctic representatives
(fedtschenkoi, regalis). Body red, marked black; forewing dark greyish-brown,
with a metallic lustre, spotted in a white bone-colour, hindwing of a bright
yellow with black spots and black neuration. -- The larva on each ring shows
3 tubercles with bristly hair-tufts; it is blackish-brown and has an orange
and yellow dorsal stripe spotted white between the indentations and whitish
subdorsal lines. Legs yellow; above them a lateral band formed of white
striae; on low plants. This species is distributed in the Himalaya from
Cashmir, where it touches the palearctic region, as far as Burma; it seems
not to be rare in some parts and it varies very much, particularly
Sikkim-specimens are mentioned with more black on the hindwing.