Lachlan: New Gnathothlibus and Theretra sphingid moths 
85 
Genus Theretra Hubner, [1819] 
Type species: Choerocampa indistincta Butler, 1877. 
Lectotype designation for Theretra indistincta 
papuensis Joicey & Talbot 
Figs 12, 13 
Joicey and Talbot (1921) described papuensis as a subspe¬ 
cies of Theretra clotho. Later, Jordan (1926) synonymized 
Theretra clotho papuensis placing it as a subspecies of 
Theretra indistincta. 
Theretra clotho papuensis was described from a series of 
six males and five females from “Wandammen Mountains, 
Dutch New Guinea, 3000-4000 ft., November, 1914, A., C. 
& F. Pratt, 6<3 3, 4 $ $; 6000 ft., 1 ? ”. Of these, five males 
and three females from 3000-4000 feet, and the female from 
6000 feet, have been located in the BMNH. The remaining 
pair has not been found and it is likely that they were 
exchanged by Joicey in the 1920s. Indeed, only four of the 
males and two of the females from 3000-4000 feet arrived 
at the BMNH by being presented by J.J. Joicey in 1931 
(BMNH accession number 1931-444); the remaining pair 
and the female from 6000 feet arrived later in 1941 as part of 
the Levick bequest (BMNH accession number 1941-83). 
Of the syntypes of Theretra clotho papuensis in the 
BMNH, two males and two females agree with the concept 
of Theretra indistincta papuensis as I here restrict it; the 
other three males and two females (including that from 6000 
feet) are Theretra tabubilensis n.sp. The syntype series is 
thus mixed, and so to stabilize the nomenclature, I hereby 
designate as lectotype the male in the BMNH, which agrees 
with the concept of Theretra indistincta papuensis (Figs 
12,13), with the following labels: “LECTO-/TYPE” (small, 
circular, printed, purple-bordered label); “Wandammen Mts./ 
3-4000 ft. D. N. Guinea./ Nov. 1914. A. C & F. Pratt” (rec¬ 
tangular [printed label); “Theretra/ clotho/ papuensis J. & 
T./TYPE. H. T.” (rectangular handwritten label); “Presented 
by/ J.J.M Joicey, Esq./ Brit. Mus. 1931-444.” (rectangular, 
printed label). 
Theretra tabubilensis n.sp. 
Figs 10, 11,20 
Type material. Holotype 3 , Papua New Guinea. Tabubil, 
Western Province, 5°15'S 141°13’E. Alt. 650 m. 22 Sept. 
1992, R.B. Lachlan AM K266034. Paratypes 33 3 same 
data as holotype except dated 28 Oct. 1992, 19 Nov. 1992, 
29 Nov. 1992; 13 SE slopes of Mt Akrik (Ian), 15 km NW 
of Tabubil, W.P., 5°10'S 141°09’E, Alt. 1625 m, 14 Apr. 
1994, R.B. Lachlan; 13 Kiunga, north Fly River, W.P. 6°08’S 
141°17'E, 15 Nov. 1992, R.B. Lachlan; 13 30kmEofTari, 
S. H. P. 5°58'S 143°07'E, Alt. 2300 m, 3 Oct. 1992, R.B. 
Lachlan; 11?$ same data as holotype except dated 15 Mar. 
1991,5 Nov. 1991,27 Mar. 1992,11 Oct. 1992,28 Oct. 1992, 
8 Nov. 1992,22 Mar. 1993,4 Oct. 1993,12 Nov. 1993,5 Apr. 
1994, 10 Jan. 2000; 1 $ Matkomrae (Matkomnai) Catholic 
Mission, 50kmNNWof Kiunga, W.P. 5°49’S 140°09'E, Alt. 
60 m, 6 Nov. 1993, R.B. Lachlan, all specimens in RBLC; 
2? ? Kiunga, north Fly River, W.P. 6°08’S 141°17’E, 15 Nov. 
1992, R.B. Lachlan AM K266035 and RBLC. 
Other material examined. 23 3, 3$ $, same data as 
holotype except dated 29 Mar. 1992 (2), 3 Nov. 1992, 11 
Nov. 1993 (2); 13 Se slopes of Mt Akrik (Ian), 15 km NW 
of Tabubil, W.P. 5°10’S 141°09’E, Alt. 1625 m, 26 Sept. 1993, 
R.B. Lachlan, all in BMNH. 
Other material. 1 $ “B.C. New Guinea, Mount Kebea, 
6,000 ft., March-April 1903, A.E. Pratt”, 13 “B.C. New 
Guinea, Mount Kebea, 3,600 ft., July 1903, A.E. Pratt”, 13 
“B. New Guinea, Mafalu, 6,000 ft., September 1903, A.E. 
Pratt”, 1 $ “N. Dutch New Guinea, Waigeu, Camp Nok, 
2,500 ft., v.1938, L.E. Cheesman” and 1$ “Dutch New 
Guinea, Central Arfak Mts., Ninay Valley, 3500 ft., Nov 
’08 to Jan. ’09”, all in BMNH. 
Diagnosis. Forewing with single, almost straight, olive- 
brown oblique line from apex to near centre of inner margin. 
Small, diffuse, dark patch distad of stigma near costa, not 
reaching oblique line. Anal area of hindwing light creamy- 
brown, remainder of wing dark brown with lighter creamy- 
brown patch at distal end of vein CuA 2 . Aedeagus, viewed 
laterally, with convex distal margin and a line of dense, short 
spines angled backwards from the dorsal surface of distal 
margin to lateral surface. Female almost identical to male, 
often slightly darker. 
Description. Male. Fig. 10. Antennae creamy-pink above, 
ventrally light brown; palpi olive-brown above, suffused 
with cream below; upper surface of head and thorax uniform 
olive-brown, slightly lighter on dorsal surface of abdomen 
with lightly scattered suffusion of black scales; small dark 
spot on prothorax; thin lateral creamy-olive brown stripe 
above palpi to base of tegulae above hindwings. Thorax, 
laterally, with dense darker olive-brown pilosity from head 
to base of forewings, small patch of orange-brown pilosity 
near base of forewings; creamy-brown along length of 
abdomen with diffuse, dark, lateral patch extending distally 
from near base of hindwing about 10 mm along abdomen; 
ventral abdominal segments light creamy-brown suffused 
with black scales. Fore-tibae creamy-olive brown, fore-tarsi 
without long hair scales. 
Forewing upperside as in Fig. 10. Forewing length 
32.5-38.7 mm, mean 35.9 mm (n = 10). Ground colour in 
shades of lighter and darker olive-brown, slightly variable; 
very small dark olive-brown stigma at distal end of discal 
cell; single prominent, almost straight, olive-brown line 
from apex, where it curves slightly distally, to just distad of 
halfway point of inner margin; this line unbroken at apex 
in almost all specimens examined; costa dark olive-brown, 
proximal side of oblique line slightly lighter than distal side 
of oblique line; small, diffuse, darkish patch just distad of 
stigma; proximal half of forewing very lightly speckled with 
dark scales, distal half more heavily speckled; single, faint, 
irregular, darkish subbasal line from costa to vein 1A+2A; 
small, rounded darkish patch at base on posterior half of 
forewings, continuing as flattened light then darkish wedge¬ 
like marking along inner margin, its point almost touching the 
dark oblique line. Fore wing underside with dark tan region 
basally extending past discal cell, medium tan on remainder 
of proximal half of wing, light tan on submarginal area from 
apex to tornus, whole underside, except dark basal region, 
