Asota is a genus of moths in the family Erebidae first described by Jacob Hübner in 1819. Species are widely distributed throughout Africa, India, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, the Malayan region and tropical parts of the Australian region.
Description Palpi upturned, where the second joint reaching the vertex of the head and the third joint is slender in variable lengths. Antennae fasciculated (bundled) in males and ciliated (hairy) in females. Forewings with vein 5 from the lower angle of cell or just above it. Vein 6 from the upper angle or below it. Areole absent. Hindwings with vein 5 from just above lower angle of cell. Veins 6 and 7 from the upper angle.
Taxonomy The genus was formerly placed in the families Noctuidae and Arctiidae by some authors. Other authors placed them in the family Aganaidae or Hypsidae. Recent phylogenetic studies have shown that the Aganainae are most closely related to the Herminiinae (litter moths), and this pair of subfamilies is most closely related to the Arctiinae (tiger and lichen moths), all within the family Erebidae.
Species
Asota albiformis Swinhoe, 1892 Asota albivena Walker, 1864 Asota alienata Walker, 1864 Asota antennalis Rothschild, 1897 Asota australis Boisduval, 1832 Asota avacta Swinhoe, 1892 Asota borbonica Boisduval, 1833 Asota brunnescens Nieuwenhuis, 1948 Asota buruensis Zwier, 2010 Asota caledonica Holloway, 1979 Asota canaraica Moore, 1878 Asota caricae Fabricius, 1775 Asota carsina Swinhoe, 1906 Asota chionea Mabille, 1878 Asota circularis Reich, 1938 Asota clara Butler, 1875 Asota comorana Aurivillius, 1909 Asota concinnula Mabille, 1878 Asota concolora Swinhoe, 1903 Asota contorta Aurivillius, 1894 Asota darsania Druce, 1894 Asota diana Butler, 1887 Asota diastropha Prout, 1918 Asota dohertyi Rothschild, 1897 Asota egens (Walker, 1854) Asota eusemioides Felder, 1874 Asota fereunicolor Toulgoët, 1972 Asota ficus Fabricius, 1775 Asota fulvia Donovan, 1805 Asota heliconia (Linnaeus, 1758) Asota heliconioides Moore, 1878 Asota iodamia Herrich Schäffer, 1854 Asota isthmia Walker, 1856 Asota javana Cramer, Asota kageri Kobes, 1988 Asota kinabaluensis Rothschild, 1896 Asota orbona Vollenhoven, 1863 Asota paliura Swinhoe, 1893 Asota paphos (Fabricius, 1787) Asota plagiata Walker, 1854 Asota plaginota Butler, 1875 Asota plana Walker, 1854 Asota producta (Butler, 1875) Asota sericea Moore, 1878 Asota spadix Swinhoe, 1901 Asota speciosa Drury, 1773 Asota strigosa Boisduval, 1832 Asota sulamangoliensis Zwier, 2010 Asota subsimilis Walker, 1864 Asota suffusa Snellen, 1891 Asota sulawesiensis Zwier, 2007 Asota tigrina Butler, 1882 Asota tortuosa Moore, 1872 Asota trinacria Semper, 1899 Asota woodfordi Druce, 1888
References