Achaea janata (Linnaeus)

Swezey, O. H., 1946, Lepidoptera, Geometridae, Arctiidae, Agrotidae, and Pyralidae of Guam, Insects of Guam II, Honolulu, Hawaii: Bernice P. Bishop Museum Bulletin 189, pp. 163-185 : 171-172

20. Achaea janata (Linnaeus) .

Geometra janata Linnaeus, Syst. Nat., 10th ed., 527, 1758.

Ophiusa melicerte Hampson, Fauna Brit. India, Moths 2: 494, 1894.

Achaea janata, Collenette, B. P. Bishop Mus., Bull. 114: 206, 1935; Tams, Ins. Samoa 3 (4): 216, 1935.

Four specimens were obtained: Piti , May 3, Aug. 26, at light, Swezey; Talofofo plateau, June 17, pupa found in spun-together leaves on Eugenia tree, moth issued June 21, Swezey; Piti , reared from egg found on rose petal, Aug. 25, Swezey . The egg hatched Aug. 28, and the caterpillar was fed continuously on rose petals. It was 60 mm. when full grown, Sept. 20. Probably the rose is not its regular food plant. The cocoon was formed of debris spun together, and the moth issued Oct. 5. Two specimens in U. S. National Museum, Fullaway , 1911 .

This moth has a very wide distribution throughout India to Australia and New Zealand, the island groups from Formosa, Philippines, all through Polynesia to the Marquesas. Now recorded from Guam for the first time.