Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900
D. Hobern, ACT
ANIC
NMV
NMV
Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900. New Micro-lepidoptera — mostly from Queensland. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 24: 6–23 [7]. Holotype NMV ♀, Sydney, NSW.
Xylorycta terenopis Meyrick, 1915. Exotic Microlepidoptera. 1 (10–15): 289–320, 321–352, 353–384, 385–416, 417–448, 449–480 [374]. Holotype BMNH ♀, Melbourne, Vic.
Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [88].
Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900 = Xylorycta terenopis Meyrick, 1915, junior subjective synonym. Beccaloni, G. W., Scoble, M. J., Robinson, G. S. & Pitkin, B. (Editors). 2003. The Global Lepidoptera Names Index (LepIndex). World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/entomology/lepindex [accessed 5 May 2010].
Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900. Edwards, E. D. (2003), Xyloryctinae. Australian Faunal Directory. Australian Biological Resources Study, Canberra. http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/abrs/online-resources/fauna/afd/taxa/XYLORYCTINAE [accessed 19 June 2010].
Original description, Turner 1900
Xylorycta assimilis, n. sp.
Female, 26 mm. Head white, side tufts and face ochreous-tinged. Palpi whitish ochreous; second joint with a few dark-fuscous scales; terminal joint whitish. Antennae whitish-ochreous, annulated with dark-fuscous; base of first joint dark-fuscous on upper surface. Thorax white, anteriorly ochreous tinged. Abdomen whitish-ochreous. Legs ochreous; anterior pair infuscated. Forewings elongate-oblong, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, hind margin straight, oblique; snow-white; costal edge pale-ochreous throughout; a faint ochreous suffusion at anal angle; cilia wholly pale-ochreous. Hindwings whitish-ochreous; apical portion of disc greyish-tinged; cilia pale-ochreous.
This resembles and might be mistaken for Neodrepta (Xylorycta) luteotactella, Walk., but may be at once distinguished by the neuration, vein 8 of forewings running to costa, and not to hindmargin, as in that species. It also differs in the absence of orange coloration of face and palpi, and in the ochreous hind wings.
Sydney, New South Wales; one specimen taken in October by Mr. G. Lyell. The type is in his collection.
Synonymic description, Meyrick 1915
Xylorycta terenopis, n. sp.
♀. 28 mm. Head ochreous-whitish. Palpi ochreous-whitish, second joint with a broad fuscous band beneath apex, terminal joint dark fuscous anteriorly on apical half. Thorax whitish, anteriorly suffused with pale yellow-ochreous. Abdomen whitish. Forewings elongate, costa gently arched, apex obtuse, termen almost straight, rather oblique; 7 to termen, 8 to costa; ochreous-white; costa narrowly suffused with pale yellow-ochreous : cilia pale yellow-ochreous. Hindwings grey, towards dorsum broadly suffused with whitish-ochreous; cilia pale yellow-ochreous.
Victoria, Melbourne [Kershaw); one specimen. Closely allied to argentella and assimilis.
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Xylorycta assimilis,♂genitalia. IM08-2816, Imbil, Queensland.
Xylorycta assimilis, clasper. IM08-2816.
Xylorycta assimilis, uncus and gnathos. IM08-2816.
Xylorycta assimilis, anellus, saccus and juxta. IM08-2816.
Food plants:
Flight period: October.
Distribution: New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria. Endemic.
Remarks: Fragmentary DNA from the type specimen of Xylorycta placidella (Walker, 1864) (BMNH) matches part of a more complete sequence from X. assimilis. These species may yet prove to be identical.
Updated 19 September 2019.