96. Stenoptilodes taprobanes (C. Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875) (Plate 6, Fig. 8)

Amblyptila taprobanes C. Felder & Rogenhofer, 1875; Reise der Österreichischen Fregatte Novara um die Erde in den Jahren 1857–1859. Zoology 2 (2), pl. 140, fig. 54.

Platyptilia brachymorpha Meyrick, 1888; Transactions of the Entomological Society of London, 1888: 240.

Platyptilia seeboldi Hofmann, 1898; Deutsche entomologische Zeitschrift Iris, 11: 33.

Platyptilia terlizzii Turati, 1926; Atti del Societa italiana di Scienze naturali, 65: 67.

Platyptilia monotrigona Diakonoff, 1952; Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen, Verhandelingen Afdeling Natuurkunde, 44 (2): 15.

Amblyptilia zavatterii Hartig, 1953; Bollettino della Società entomologica italiana, 83: 67.

Platyptilia legrandi Bigot, 1962; Bulletin de la Société entomologique de France, 67: 86.

Stenoptilodes vittata Service, 1966; Proceedings of the Royal Entomological Society of London, 35(B): 139.

TL: Sri Lanka.

Distribution: India (Bihar, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka), Australia, Bhutan, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canary Islands, Cape Verde Islands, Chad, China, Congo, Ivory Coast, Crete, Cyprus, Ethiopia, Finland, France, French Guiana, Greece, Hawaii Islands, Indonesia, Italy, Java, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Malta, Mauritius, Myanmar, Namibia, New Guinea, Nigeria, Paraguay, Portugal, Sao Tome, Seychelles, Sicily, Rep. South Africa, Reunion Island, Spain, Sri Lanka, Syria, Tanzania, Thailand, Turkey, U.S.A., Vietnam, Zimbabwe.

Host: Celsia coromacdeliana, Limnophila heterophylla, Pentstemon, Veronica anagallis (Fletcher 1931) . Larvae also feed on flowers of Barleria strigosa (Acanthaceae), Scutellaria discolor (Lamiaceae), leaves and flower buds of Sopubia sp., Striga hermonthica, Verbascum chinense (Scrophulariaceae), and Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) (Robinson et al. 2001). Other recorded host plants are Spergularia media (= S. marginata), S. maritima, S. salina (Caryophyllaceae), Antirrhinum majus, Mecardonia acuminata, Limnophila sessiliflora, Russelia equistiformis, Campylanthus salsoloides (Plantaginaceae), Plectranthus sp., Ocimum sp., Clinopodium vulgare (Lamiaceae), Vaccinium sp. ( Ericaceae), Centipeda minima (Asteraceae), Phyla lanceolate (Verbenaceae), Hypoestes betsiliensis (Acanthaceae), Samolus sp. ( Primulaceae), Striga asiatica, S. densiflora (Orobanchaceae), Sabatia sp. (Gentianiacaea), and Hydrolea sp. ( Hydroleaceae).

Parasitoids: Pristomerus hawaiiensis .

Illustrations: Male and female genitalia (Gielis 1996: figs 50, 187).