4. Jaap Zwier
Asota eusemioides Felder, 1874, a new identity for an old moth “versicolor’, from New Guinea

Abstract: In 1794 Fabricius gave the name Noctua versicolor to a moth living in “Americae
Insulis” (= the islands of America), but subsequently the name has been applied rroneously to a moth in the genus Asota (Hübner) living in New Guinea and the surrounding islands. Donovan (1805) was probably the originator of the incorrect usage of this name in using his text, as well as in the legend to a picture in his book about the butterflies and moths of Australia and New Guinea. Subsequently almost all authors have followed Donovan’s error, though it was recognized as an error by Jordan (1897). The name versicolor should therefore not be applied to this New Guinea moth, but replaced by Asota eusemioides Felder, 1874.
Ikhtisar: Pada tahun 1794 Fabricius memberikan nama Asota versicolor terhadap ngengat yang ditemukan di Americae Insulis (Pulau-pulau dari Amerika), tetapi nama ngengat tersebut selanjutnya diikatkan pad a suatu ngengat dari genus Asota (Hübner) yang hadir di New Guinea dan pulau-pulau di sekitarnya. Barangkali Donovan (1805) menjadi sumber kekeliruan tersebut, waktu menulis nama spesies tersebut di dalam teks dan di bawah gambar pada bukunya tentang kupu-kupu dan ngengat dari Australia dan New Guinea. Selanjutnya hampir semua pengarang mengikuti kesalahan Donovan tersebut, walaupun diternukan sebagai kesalahan ol eh Jordan (1897). Maka, nama versicolor jangan diikatkan dengan ngengat dari New Guinea, melainkan diganti dengan nama Asota eusemioides Felder, 1874.

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