DISTRIBUTION: Loepa megacore (wingspan: males: approx. 100m; females: approx. 120mm) flies in upper montane forest on Gunung Kinabalu and Gunung Mulu, but the only record for Brunei was in lowland forest in Ulu Temburong. Mount Kinabalu (Malay: Gunung Kinabalu) is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the east Malaysian state of Sabah. Gunung Mulu National Park is near Miri, Sarawak, on Malaysian Borneo. This species also flies in Peninsular (western) Malaysia: Cameron Highlands, Pahang (KP). I now believe the specimens on this page from Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia, are more likely Loepa lampei. I believe it also flies on Sumatra. Diagnosis. This species is larger than sikkima and is best distinguished from it and katinka Westwood by the absence of pink in the subbasal line of the forewing, or only a hint of it; the subbasal is also more heavily black and irregular in course, and, most importantly, it meets the inner margin distant from the body. Roger Kendrick writes, "Loepa megacore has large eyespots and f/w basal fascia are blackish-red, narrow and almost perpendicular to the dorsum." Image from Zabokrtsky on Insectnet.

Loepa megacore male, courtesy of Gary Saunders

FLIGHT TIMES AND PREFERRED FOOD PLANTS:

Teemu Klemetti offers the following regarding flight on peninsular Malaysia: This species flies for the "whole period from the 8th of March unitl the 26th of May. Moths fly all night but peak around 10-11 pm and 1-3 am. Females fly around 8 pm."

I have seen a picture from the Borneo Rain Forest Lodge, in Sabah, Borneo, taken August 1, 2006.

Lorenzo Comoglio confirms a 12th of March flight from Kinabalu Park, Borneo.

Most host records are from the Vitidaceae, but Dilleniaceae, Saxifragaceae and Rutaceae are also utilised.

Loepa megacore male, approx. 100mm, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia,
May 2003, courtesy/copyright Kelly Price,
probably L. lampei, described in 2012.

Loepa megacore female, approx. 120mm, Cameron Highlands, Pahang, Malaysia,
May 2003, courtesy/copyright Kelly Price, probably L. lampei, described in 2012.

ECLOSION, SCENTING AND MATING:

Adults emerge in the early evening and fly rather weekly at night.

Females have larger bodies, fractionally finer antennae, and much more rounded and larger wings than males.

Loepa megacore female, Malaysia,
probably L. vanschaycki, described in 2012.

EGGS, LARVAE, COCOONS AND PUPAE:

Loepa larvae are black or dark reddish with a series of lateral triangular patches of luminous green or pale yellow. Megacore larvae are typical of the genus but with the lateral triangular patches darker green than in other species, their anterior angles white.

Loepa megacore larva courtesy of Kirby Wolfe.

Larval Food Plants

It is hoped that this alphabetical listing followed by the common name of the foodplant will prove useful. The list is not exhaustive. Experimenting with closely related foodplants is worthwhile.

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