| Red costate tiger moth | |
|---|---|
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| Side view | |
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| Top view | |
|  Scientific classification   | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota | 
| Kingdom: | Animalia | 
| Phylum: | Arthropoda | 
| Class: | Insecta | 
| Order: | Lepidoptera | 
| Superfamily: | Noctuoidea | 
| Family: | Erebidae | 
| Subfamily: | Arctiinae | 
| Genus: | Aloa | 
| Species: | A. lactinea  | 
| Binomial name | |
| Aloa lactinea | |
| Synonyms | |
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Aloa lactinea, the red costate tiger moth, is a moth of family Erebidae. The species was first described by Pieter Cramer in 1777. It is found in India, Japan, southern and western China, [1] [2] Taiwan, Java, Sumatra, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, [1] and the Philippines. [3]
 Its wingspan is about 40 mm long. [4] The abdomen is yellow. Antennae black with a scarlet basal joint. Palpi scarlet at sides, white below, the terminal joint black. Head white with a crimson line behind it. Thorax white. Wings primarily white. Forewings with a scarlet fascia along the costa. Red markings are with a deep crimson tone. The band on the head is broader. A black speck at each angle of cell present, but some absent. Hindwings with a black spot at end of cell and a sub-marginal series of four, the two towards anal angle sometimes absent. Larva black with lateral tufts of reddish-brown hair. A sub-dorsal series of scarlet spots present. Dorsal, sub-dorsal, and lateral series of black spots also present. Somites 1st, 3rd, 4th and 5th with sub-lateral spots. Two spots only on the 11th somite. [5] [6]
The species is found in primary and secondary habitats ranging from the lowlands to montane regions. [3] It is a minor pest. The caterpillar feeds on castor, coffee, jute, groundnut, teak, ragi, sunflower, maize, finger millet, [7] sweet potato, and beans. [8]