1. Live pictures

1.1. Imago

1: Bhutan, Trongsa, Trongsa, im Ort, 2180 m, 22. April 2018, am Licht (det. & fot.: Oskar Jungklaus)Forum

2. Diagnosis

1-3: ♂, data see label (coll. & photos: Egbert Friedrich)

1-3: ♀, data see label (coll. & photos: Egbert Friedrich)

2.1. Original description

1: Linnaeus (1758: 527) [from copyright-free scan at www.biodiversitylibrary.org]

3. Biologie

3.1. Nahrung der Raupe

• [Euphorbiaceae:] Ricinus communis (Rizinus, castor bean)
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Codiaeum variegatum (Wunderstrauch)
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Croton setiger [= Croton setigerus]
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Croton tiglium
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Excoecaria cochinchinensis
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Excoecaria agallocha
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Euphorbia hirta
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Euphorbia hypericifolia [= Chamaesyce hypericifolia]
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Euphorbia heterophylla
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Euphorbia pulcherrima (Weihnachtsstern)
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Euphorbia milii (Christusdorn)
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Euphorbia atoto
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Euphorbia virosa (Namibische Gift-Wolfsmilch)
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Manihot esculenta (Maniok)
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Vernicia montana [= Aleurites montana]
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Jatropha curcas (Purgiernuss)
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Jatropha glandulifera
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Jatropha multifida
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Pedilanthus tithymaloides
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Triadica sebifera [= Sapium sebiferum (Chinesischer Talgbaum)
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Acalypha sp.
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Andrachne sp.
• [Euphorbiaceae:] Flueggea sp.
• [Phyllanthaceae:] Phyllanthus acidus (Stachelbeerbaum)
• [Phyllanthaceae:] Phyllanthus emblica (Amlabaum)
• [Phyllanthaceae:] Phyllanthus maderaspatensis
• [Phyllanthaceae:] Phyllanthus sp.
• [Phyllanthaceae:] Bischofia javanica
• [Fabaceae:] Dalbergia latifolia (Ostindischer Palisander, Indisches Rosenholz)
• [Fabaceae:] Vigna unguiculata (Augenbohne)
• [Fabaceae:] Vigna mungo (Urdbohne)
• [Fabaceae:] Phaseolus sp. (Bohne)
• [Fabaceae:] Vachellia farnesiana [= Acacia farnesiana] (Süße Akazie)
• [Fabaceae:] Vachellia nilotica [= Acacia nilotica] (Arabische Gummi-Akazie)
• [Fabaceae:] Acacia sp. ? (Akazie ?)
• [Fabaceae:] Glycine sp.
• [Fabaceae:] Albizia amara
• [Fabaceae:] Albizia sp.
• [Fabaceae:] Arachis hypogaea (Erdnuss)
• [Fabaceae:] Bauhinia vahlii
• [Fabaceae:] Bauhinia sp.
• [Fabaceae:] Desmanthus virgatus
• [Fabaceae:] Leucaena leucocephala (Weißkopfmimose)
• [Fabaceae:] Mimosa sp.
• [Fabaceae:] Paraserianthes falcataria
• [Fabaceae:] Prosopis chilensis
• [Fabaceae:] Prosopis sp.
• [Fabaceae:] Xylia xylocarpa (Burmesisches Eisenholz)
• [Lythraceae:] Punica granatum (Granatapfel)
• [Lythraceae:] Lagerstroemia parviflora (Königinblume)
• [Lythraceae:] Pemphis acidula
• [Sapindaceae:] Schleichera oleosa [= Schleichera trijuga]
• [Sapindaceae:] Litchi chinensis (Litschipflaume)
• [Sapindaceae:] Nephelium lappaceum (Rambutan)
• [Sapotaceae:] Madhuca longifolia [= Madhuca indica, Madhuca latifolia] (Indischer Butterbaum)
• [Sapotaceae:] Mimusops elengi (Bakul-Baum)
• [Sapotaceae:] Palaquium gutta (Guttaperchabaum)
• [Malvaceae:] Theobroma cacao (Kakaobaum)
• [Malvaceae:] Abutilon sp.
• [Malvaceae:] Gossypium sp. (Baumwolle)
• [Malvaceae:] Microcos paniculata [= Grewia paniculata]
• [Malvaceae:] Sterculia urens
• [Combretaceae:] Terminalia catappa (Katappenbaum)
• [Combretaceae:] Anogeissus latifolia
• [Brassicaceae:] Brassica oleracea (Kohl)
• [Brassicaceae:] Brassica rapa ssp. pekinensis (China-Kohl)
• [Brassicaceae:] Sinapis sp. (Senf)
• [Brassicaceae:] Raphanus sativus (Rettich)
• [Moraceae:] Ficus carica (Echte Feige)
• [Moraceae:] Ficus benghalensis (Banyan-Feige)
• [Moraceae:] Ficus racemosa [= Ficus glomerata]
• [Rosaceae:] Rosa x damascena (Damaszener-Rose)
• [Rosaceae:] Rosa x centifolia [= Rosa communis] (Garten-Rose, Zentifolie)
• [Rosaceae:] Rosa cymosa [= Rosa indica]
• [Rosaceae:] Rosa sp. (Rose)
• [Rosaceae:] Prunus africana
• [Solanaceae:] Capsicum annuum (Paprika)
• [Solanaceae:] Solanum lycopersicum (Tomate)
• [Convolvulaceae:] Ipomoea aquatica (Wasserspinat)
• [Cucurbitaceae:] Cucurbita sp. (Kürbis)
• [Cupressaceae:] Cupressus sp. (Zypresse)
• [Dipterocarpaceae:] Shorea robusta (Salbaum)
• [Dipterocarpaceae:] Shorea roxburghii
• [Myrtaceae:] Eucalyptus sp. (Eukalyptus)
• [Myrtaceae:] Eugenia sp.
• [Myrtaceae:] Psidium guajava (Echte Guave)
• [Rhamnaceae:] Ziziphus jujuba (Chinesische Jujube, Brustbeere)
• [Rhamnaceae:] Ziziphus mauritiana (Indische Jujube)
• [Theaceae:] Camellia sinensis (Tee)
• [Polygonaceae:] Emex spinosa (Stechampfer)
• [Lecythidaceae:] Planchonia careya
• [Zygophyllaceae:] Tribulus terrestris (Erd-Burzeldorn)
• [Loganiaceae:] Strychnos nux-vomica (Gewöhnliche Brechnuss)
• [Vitaceae:] Cissus quadrangularis
• [Rutaceae:] Citrus medica (Zitronatzitrone)
• [Arecaceae:] Cocos nucifera (Kokospalme)
• [Rubiaceae:] Coffea arabica (Arabischer Kaffee)
• [Musaceae:] Musa sp. (Banane)
• [Proteaceae:] Macadamia tetraphylla
• [Proteaceae:] Macadamia sp.
• [Poaceae:] Saccharum officinarum (Zuckerrohr)
• [Araucariaceae:] Araucaria sp.
• [Araucariaceae:] Agathis robusta (Queensland-Kaurifichte)
• [Polypodiaceae:] Polypodium

Die Raupe ist hochgradig polyphag, wobei eine starke Konzentration auf Wolfsmilchgewächse (Euphorbiaceae) auffällt. Die meisten angeführten Nahrungspflanzen sind Kulturpflanzen - das Spektrum genutzter Wildpflanzen und die relative Bedeutung der einzelnen Arten sind noch lange nicht bekannt.

Leong (2010) fand in Singapur eine Raupe an Excoecaria cochinchinensis (Euphorbiaceae) und nahm das zum Anlass, diverse Bilder der Raupe zu zeigen und bezüglich der Raupennahrung einen Vergleich mit Literaturangaben zu machen. Er kam zum Schluss: "In Singapore, the larva of Achaea janata had been previously reared from Excoecaria agallocha (Euphorbiaceae) in mangrove habitat (Murphy, 1990: 131–132, Pl. 11: Figs. A–D). [...] Based on extensive larval hostplant records for Achaea janata, it is undoubtedly a highly polyphagous species, having been documented to consume material from at least 76 plant genera, representing 35 families (Holloway, 2005; Kononenko & Pinratana, 2005; Robinson et al., 2010). It is also worthy of note that the list in Robinson et al. (2010) shows some preference for Euphorbiaceae, with 13 genera recorded."

Mau & Kessing (2007) formulierten: "This caterpillar feeds on many different species of plants. castor bean and croton are preferred hosts. Occasional hosts include banana, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, crown of thorns, Ficus, macadamia, mustard, poinsettia, rose, sugarcane and tomato as well as some legumes, teas, and other Brassica species. [...] Caterpillars feed on leaves of hosts. During population outbreaks, larvae consume most of the foliage leaving just the veins and petioles."

"Common (1990) and Robinson et al. (2001) have listed a diverse array of host plants from about thirty families, with the Euphorbiaceae (especially Ricinus; Common, 1990) and Leguminosae being particularly favoured: Araucariaceae (Agathis, Araucaria); Combretaceae (Anogeissus, Terminalia); Convolvulaceae (Ipomoea); Cruciferae (Brassica, Raphanus); Cucurbitaceae (Cucurbita); Cupressaceae (Cupressus); Dipterocarpaceae (Shorea); Euphorbiaceae (Acalypha, Aleurites, Andrachne, Bischofia, Chamaesyce, Codiaeum, Croton, Euphorbia, Excoecaria, Flueggea, Jatropha, Manihot, Pedilanthus, Phyllanthus, Ricinus, Sapium); Gramineae (Saccharum); Lecythidaceae (Planchonia); Leguminosae (Acacia, Albizia, Arachis, Bauhinia, Dalbergia, Desmanthus, Glycine, Leucaena, Mimosa, Paraserianthes, Phaseolus, Prosopis, Vigna, Zylia); Loganiaceae (Strychnos); Lythraceae (Lagerstroemia, Punica); Malvaceae (Abutilon, Gossypium); Moraceae (Ficus); Myrtaceae (Eucalyptus, Psidium); Palmae (Cocos); Polygonaceae (Emex); Polypodiaceae (Polypodium); Proteaceae (Macadamia); Rhamnaceae (Ziziphus); Rosaceae (Rosa); Sapindaceae (Litchi, Nephelium, Schleichera); Sapotaceae (Madhuca, Mimusops, Palaquium); Solanaceae (Capsicum); Sterculiaceae (Sterculia, Theobroma); Tiliaceae (Grewia); Zygophyllaceae (Tribulus)."

(Autor: Erwin Rennwald)

4. Further information

4.1. Other combinations

• Phalaena janata Linnaeus, 1758 [original combination]

4.2. Synonyms

• Phalaena melicerta Drury, [1773] [synonym according to funet.fi]
• Noctua tigrina Fabricius, 1775 [synonym according to funet.fi]
• Noctua cyathina Macleay, 1826 [synonym according to funet.fi]
• Catocala traversii Fereday, 1877 [synonym according to funet.fi]
• Ophiusa ekeikei Bethune-Baker, 1906 [synonym according to funet.fi]
• Achaea melicertoides Strand, 1914 [synonym according to funet.fi]
• Achaea melicertella Strand, 1914 [synonym according to funet.fi]
• Achaea melicertoides Gaede, 1938 [synonym according to funet.fi]
• Achaea melicertella Gaede, 1938 [synonym according to funet.fi]

4.3. Faunistics

There is one single record from Europe: Agassiz et al. (2013: 112) list the species among the "adventive species" and write to England: "One reared from pomegranate, Crawley, Sussex, 2010: (Clarke, 2011). Indo-Australian."

(Author: Erwin Rennwald)

Nach [Global Biodiversity Information Facility] kommt die Art in Australien, Indien, Taiwan, USA, Guam, Franz Polynesien, Japan, Neuseeland, Pakistan, Fidschi, Indonesien, Singapur, Thailand, Hongkong, Chile, China, Papua-Neuguinea, Sri Lanka, Bangladesch, Laos, Palau?, Benin?, Kokosinseln, Kuba?, Kenia?, Kambodscha, Korea?, Malaysia, Panama?, Philippinen, Puerto Rico?, Seychellen? und Tonga vor.

Locus typicus gemäß Erstbeschreibung: Indiis.

(Addition: Michel Kettner)

4.4. Literature

• Agassiz, D.J.L., Beavan, S.D. & R.J. Heckford (2013): Checklist of the Lepidoptera of the British Isles. - Royal Entomological Society. 206pp.
• Leong, T.M. (2010): Final instar caterpillar and metamorphosis of Achaea janata (Linnaeus, 1758) in Singapore (Lepidoptera: Erebidae: Erebinae). - Nature in Singapore, 3: 297–303. [PDF auf web.archive.org]
• Original description: Linnaeus, C. (1758): Systema naturae per regna tria naturae, secundum classes, ordines, genera, species, cum characteribus, differentiis, synonymis, locis. Tomus I. Editio decima, reformata. 1-824. Holmiae (Laurentius Salvius).
• Robinson, G.S., Ackery, P.R., Kitching, I.J., Beccaloni, G.W. & L.M. Hernández (2010): HOSTS ― A Database of the World’s Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London. [HOSTS]

4.5. Informations from other websites (external links)

• [BOLD]
• [Global Biodiversity Information Facility]
• [Moths of Borneo]
• [Australian Lepidoptera Butterflyhouse]
• [Moths of India]