Cechenena sumatrensis Joicey & Kaye, 1917, Ann. Mag. nat. Hist. (Series 8) 20(118): 307. Type locality: [Indonesia, ] Sumatra, Langkat.
Synonym. Cechenena sumatrensis Joicey & Kaye, 1917.
Synonym. Theretra mercedes Eitschberger, 2002.
Note. Previously included within Theretra boisduvalii (Bugnion, 1839), but now regarded as being a good species. As this variable species is easily confused with a number of other species, particularly Theretra boisduvalii, care should be taken with identifications and distribution data.
To quote Joicey & Kaye (1917) - "Fore wing dull greyish brown, with an oblique black transverse line beyond the cell. A second line parallel from tip to inner margin, and two further less distinct lines ending in apex but radiating out towards tornus. A black mark at base. Beneath, black in basal half; reddish irrorated with small black spots in the distal area. Outer margin greyish brown terminated by an oblique blackish line as far as vein 4, where it is set back and continued thence to tornus. Hind wing above black, paler at the margins and with a yellow patch becoming pointed distally at anal angle. Below pale reddish finely irrorated with small black specks. Abdomen beneath pale fawn-colour." This is the 'normal' colour form, however, many individuals are melanic - f. mercedes Eitschberger, 2002.
China: 25.vii (Xishuangbanna).
OVUM: Unknown.
LARVA: Unknown.
PUPA: Unknown.
Larval hostplants. Unknown.
China: Yunnan (Gaoligong Shan; Xishuangbanna).
From western India eastwards across southern Yunnan (Jue Ming, iNaturalist 2023), southern China, and down to the Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia.
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