Oreta pingorum

Description

Oreta pingorum is a moth in the family Drepanidae. It was described by Jeremy Daniel Holloway in 1998. It is found on Borneo, Sulawesi, Buru and on New Guinea. This species is a member of the extensa Walker (N.E. Himalaya, W. & S. China, Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi) group of Watson (1967) where the facies is similar to that of yellow and red forms of species in the insignis Butler group of which three species are described immediately following. However, the red colour is brighter, and the forewing postmedial is simply pale, not edged darker red interiorly. The forewings are generally more falcate than in the insignis group. The species of the extensa group are most reliably distinguished by the male genitalia. All have a characteristically bifid uncus, a vestigial gnathus, and a reduced valve with two strong processes. It is the form of these latter that distinguishes species within the group. The new species is closest to extensa but has the processes much shorter and unequal, the upper one angled, dorsally serrate, apically acute, and the lower one shorter, a robust, basally slightly bulbous spine. There is a tongue-like setose process associated with the lower spine. The aedeagus is shorter, lacking a central bulge, and having a longer, narrower, laterally directed scobinate process at the apex.