Leistarcha Meyrick, 1883 (Oecophoridae)
New genetic information strongly suggests Leistarcha belongs in the Oecophoridae.
Phylogeny and feeding trait evolution of the mega-diverse Gelechioidea (Lepidoptera: Obtectomera): new insight from 19 nuclear genes. Sohn et al, 2015
On page 14, they state: "The xyloryctid association of Leistarcha is disputed by genital features (McMillan, 2013), and our results strongly confirm its placement in Oecophoridae.".
On page 14, they state: "The xyloryctid association of Leistarcha is disputed by genital features (McMillan, 2013), and our results strongly confirm its placement in Oecophoridae.".
However, L. tenuistria belongs in Bathydoxa.
Tigava Walker, 1864. Tineites. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Vol. 29. 562–835 pp. [807] [junior homonym of Tigava Stål, 1858]. Type species: Tigava scitissimella Walker, 1864 by monotypy.
Leistarcha Meyrick, 1883, [Oecophoridae]. Descriptions of Australian Micro-lepidoptera. VIII. Oecophoridae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 1 7(4): 415–547 [422]. Type species: Leistarcha iobola Meyrick, 1883 by monotypy.
Leistarcha Meyrick, 1883 [Oecophoridae]. Fletcher, T. B., 1929, A list of generic names used for Microlepidoptera. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture of India, 11: 1-244 [123].
Leistarcha Meyrick, 1883. Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangsi, T.V. 1996. Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monogr. Aust. Lepid. 4: i–xiv, 1–529 & CD–ROM [87; 346: Note #130].
Leistarcha Meyrick, 1883. B. Pitkin and P. Jenkins, Butterflies and Moths of the World: Generic Names and their Type-species, 2004. World Wide Web electronic publication. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/research-curation/research/projects/butmoth/ [accessed 22 April 2010].
Leistarcha Meyrick, 1883. 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 17 June 2010].
Original description, Meyrick, 1883
Leistarcha Meyr.
Head with appressed hairs, sidetufts rather short, appressed. Antennae in ♂ moderate, strongly ciliated (1 ½), basal joint moderate, without pecten. Palpi long, second joint exceeding base of antennae, evenly thickened with dense appressed scales, terminal joint as long as second, moderately stout, strongly recurved. Thorax smooth. Forewings elongate, apex acute, hindmargin sinuate, very oblique. Hindwings as broad as forewings, elongate-ovate, hindmargin very faintly sinuate, cilia 1/3. Abdomen stout, very strongly margined. Middle tibiae thickened with rough hairs; posterior tibiae clothed with dense rough hairs, posterior tarsi with basal joint excessively elongate, rather stout. The singularly elongated basal joint of the posterior tarsi is unique, and I have had no opportunity of observing its object. Forewings with vein 7 to hindmargin, 2 from hardly before angle. Hindwings normal.
I am now satisfied that this genus is wrongly placed in this neighbourhood, and should be transferred to a position between Eochroa and Zonopetala. It is closely allied to Eochroa in most respects, but in the absence of the basal pecten of the antennae it approaches Zonopetala and the succeeding genera. The persistence of the rosy tinge in the cilia, especially beneath, is an interesting indication of affinity. The habits of the larva are known, and are also peculiar.
Synonymic description, Walker 1864
TIGAVA
Mas. Corpus robustum. Oculi extantes. Palpi laeves, arcuati, verticem longe superantes; articulus 3us setiformis, 2o vix brevior. Antennae glabrae, graciles, alis anticis valde breviores. Abdomen alas anticas longe superans. fasciculo apicali parvo, valvulis duabus lateralibus elongatis. Pedes longiusculi, sat validi; tibiae posticae late fimbriatae. Alae anticae longae, lanceolatae, apice subrotundatae, costa vix convexa.
Male. Body stout. Eyes prominent. Proboscis moderately long. Palpi smooth, ascending high above the vertex, twice as long as the breadth of the head; third joint setiform. almost as long as the second. Antennae smooth, slender, much shorter than the forewings. Abdomen slightly tufted along each side, extending far beyond the hindwings, with two lateral valves which extend beyond the small superior apical tuft. Legs smooth, rather long and stout; hind tibiae broadly fringed; spurs long. Wings long. Fore wings lanceolate, slightly rounded at the tips; costa hardly convex; exterior border very oblique.
Other references
130. Leistarcha Meyrick, 1883. First published by Meyrick (1883a: 422) in a key to genera, this name was nomenclaturally available, but without included nominal species, until the genus was formally described by Meyrick (1883d: 325). (Common, 1996, in Nielsen, E.S., Edwards, E.D. & Rangsi, T.V. 1996. Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monogr. Aust. Lepid. 4: i–xiv, 1–529 & CD–ROM [346: Note #130]).
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Leistarcha scitissimella, aedeagus. Black Mountain light trap, Canberra, ACT, 18 December 1954, collected by I.F.B. Common. ANIC slide no.G130, dissected by I.F.B. Common, 1956. Photomicrograph taken at ANIC, Canberra.
Immature stages:
Distribution: Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks: I doubt very much whether Leistarcha belongs in the Xyloryctidae.The male genitalia resemble those of some of the Lecithoceridae (cf Aeolanthes, Meyrick, which was also first described in the Xyloryctidae).
The fused, ringlike tegumen and vinculum is not typical of the Xyloryctines, where these elements are hinged. The shape of the uncus confirms this placement, as does the shape and structure of the aedeagus.
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Leistarcha amphigramma (Meyrick, 1915)
QM
ANIC
Cryptolechia amphigramma Meyrick, 1915, [Oecophoridae] Exotic Microlepidoptera. 1 (10–15): 289–320, 321–352, 353–384, 385–416, 417–448, 449–480 [305]. Holotype BMNH ♀, Gosford, NSW.
Leistarcha amphigramma (Meyrick, 1915) comb. n. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [87].
Cryptolechia amphigramma Meyrick, 1915 [Oecophoridae]. 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 22 April 2010].
Leistarcha amphigramma (Meyrick, 1915). 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 17 June 2010].
Original description, Meyrick 1915
Cryptolechia amphigramma, n, sp.
♀. 28 mm. Head dark fuscous, face and sides of crown mixed with whitish. Palpi very long, terminal joint as long as second, dark fuscous mixed with whitish. Thorax dark fuscous, with slender white lateral stripe. Abdomen grey. Forewings elongate, rather narrow, costa gently arched, apex pointed, termen nearly straight, rather strongly oblique; 7 to costa; fuscous mixed with darker; veins mostly outlined by pairs of very fine white lines, those of 6 and 9 and upper margin of cell obsolete, interspaces between veins marked with suffused blackish streaks; a white streak through middle of cell from base; costal edge finely white, dorsal edge blackish: cilia fuscous mixed with dark fuscous, with narrow white bars. Hindwings grey, darker posteriorly; cilia light grey, with darker subbasal shade.
New South Wales, Gosford, in November (Lyell); one specimen.
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Leistarcha amphigramma, wing venation
Food plants:
Flight period: November, December.
Distribution: Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003). Queensland.
Remarks:
Leistarcha scitissimella (Walker, 1864)
ANIC
Imbil, Qld., ♀, IM08-2891
Tigava scitissimella Walker, 1864, Tineites. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Vol. 29. 562–835 pp. [807]. Syntype(s) BMNH 2♂♀ (Walker mis-sexed one of his specimens and described a male and female), Moreton Bay, Qld.
Leistarcha iobola Meyrick, 1883 [Oecophoridae]. Descriptions of Australian Micro-lepidoptera. IX. Oecophoridae. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 1 8 (3): 320–383 [326]. Holotype BMNH ♂, Picton, NSW.
Leistarcha scitissimella Walk., syn. iobola Meyr., 1883 [Oecophoridae]. Lower, 1897, A catalogue of Victorian Heterocera. Part xxi. Victorian Naturalist 13: 65-68 [67].
Leistarcha scitissimella Walk. syn. iobola M. [Oecophoridae]. Fletcher, T. B., 1929, A list of generic names used for Microlepidoptera. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture of India, 11: 1-244 [123].
Leistarcha scitissimella (Walker, 1864). Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [87].
Tigava scitissimella Walker, 1864 [Oecophoridae]. 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 22 April 2010].
Tigava iobola Meyrick,1883 cf. scitissimella Walk. [Oecophoridae]. 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 22 April 2010]. [Synonymy not noted].
Leistarcha scitissimella (Walker, 1864). 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 17 June 2010].
Original description, Walker 1864
Tigava scitissimella.
Mas. Cana, fusco conspersa; palporum articulus 2us fusco vittatus; abdomen lutescens. basi canum; tibiae anteriores fuscae; alae anticae strigis atris fusco marginalis; postictae pallide aeneo-fuscae, fimbria albida fuscescente interlineata.
Male. Hoary, brown-speckled, whitish cinereous beneath. Palpi stout; second joint striped with brown on the outer side. Abdomen pale luteous, except the first and second segments. Anterior tibiae brown. Fore wings with several longitudnal deep black brown-bordered streaks. Hind wings pale aeneous-brown, paler at the base and along the interior border; fringe whitish, interlined with pale brown near the base. Length of the body 7 lines [14.8 mm]; of the wings 18 lines [38 mm].
a, b. Moreton Bay. From Mr Diggles’ collection.
Synonymic description, Meyrick 1883
Leist. iobola, n. sp.
Magna, alis ant. fuscis, creberrime albido-conspersis, venis albidis, vittis duabus anticis, tertia postica, quarta dorsi saturate fuscis; post. griseis; ciliis omnibus leviter roseo-suffusis.
31 mm. Head fuscous-grey, on sides ochreous-whitish. Palpi whitish, somewhat mixed with dark fuscous, with basal half of second joint externally dark fuscous. Antennae whitish. Thorax fuscous-grey. Abdomen grey, anal tuft ochreous-tinged. Anterior and middle legs dark fuscous, beneath white; posterior legs whitish, tarsi mixed with ochreous-grey. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex acute, hindmargin markedly sinuate, rather strongly oblique; dark fuscous, very closely strewn with very elongate whitish scales; all veins and extreme costal margin slenderly whitish; a clear dark fuscous streak above cell from base to before middle, thence obscurely continued between veins to costa before apex; a dark fuscous-streak beneath cell almost from base to middle; a sharply defined dark fuscous streak from middle of disc to hindmargin beneath apex; a slender dark fuscous streak along inner margin from near base to middle of hindmargin, broader on anal angle and attenuated thence, sharply interrupted by veins; cilia fuscous, becoming white towards tips, suffused with light rosy, especially above apex; on undersurface rosy tinge much stronger. Hindwings fuscous-grey, rather lighter towards base; cilia grey, towards apex with tips whitish and base pale rosy.
This fine species is coloured in admirable imitation of the fibrous bark of the Eucalyptus on which it lives.
Larva 16-legged, very elongate, cylindrical, slightly tapering towards both ends; whitish-grey, segmental divisions ochreous-tinged; dorsal very slender, greyish-fuscous, anteriorly lighter and more greenish; subdorsal rather broad, rather dark greyish-fuscous; spiracular slender, irregular, greyish-fuscous; spiracles grey-whitish, enclosed in a fuscous ring; spots minute, black; head very pale reddish-ochreous; irregularly marked with dark reddish-fuscous spots; second segment whitish-grey, thinly speckled with dark fuscous; anal segment speckled with dark fuscous, with subdorsal lines indicated. Feeds on Eucalyptus amygdalina (Myrtaceae) concealing itself beneath loose bark, to which it attaches with silk the leaves on which it is feeding.
I found a single larva near Picton, New South Wales, at about 1000 feet, in September, and bred the imago in December.
Other references
LEISTARCHA. Meyr.
L. scitissimella, Walk. (Eulechria scitissimella, Walk., B. M. Cat., 807; Leistarcha iobola, Meyr., Proc. Linn. Soc. N.S.W., 327, 1883).
Gisborne, Albert Park. (Lower, 1897).
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Leistarcha scitissimella, ♀ head IM08-2891
Thorax:
Leistarcha scitissimella, ♀ wing venation IM08-2891
Abdomen:
Food plants: Larva beneath loose bark attaching cut leaves to entrance. Larval foodplant: Eucalyptus amygdalina (Myrtaceae). (Edwards, 2003).
Flight period: December.
Distribution: Australian Capital Territory, New South Wales, Queensland. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks:
Leistarcha tenuistria (Turner, 1935)
QM, holotype
ANIC
Bathydoxa tenuistria Turner, 1935 [Oecophoridae], Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Oecophoridae. IV. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 60: 315–339 [330]. Holotype QM ♂, Toowoomba, Qld.
Leistarcha tenuistria (Turner, 1935), comb. n. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [87].
Bathydoxa tenuistria Turner, 1935 [Oecophoridae]. 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 22 April 2010].
Leistarcha tenuistria (Turner, 1935), 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 17 June 2010].
Original description, Turner 1935
Bathydoxa tenuistria, n. sp.
tenuistrius, finely streaked.
♂ 30 mm. Head and face fuscous with fine lateral white lines. Palpi rather densely sprinkled with whitish. Antennae fuscous; ciliations in male 1 ½. Thorax fuscous with fine central and lateral white lines. Abdomen ochreous-fuscous, apices of segments grey-whitish. Legs fuscous; inner surface whitish; posterior pair whitish. Forewings elongate, narrow, costa moderately arched, apex pointed, termen very oblique; fuscous, with numerous fine white longitudinal streaks; these are closely applied so as to form costal median and dorsal bundles; from end of cell these are replaced by two broad bundles, first to apex end of costa, second to lower two-thirds of termen; cilia grey traversed by extremities of the white streaks. Hindwings and cilia grey.
Queensland: Toowoomba, in November; one specimen received from Mr. W. B. Barnard, who has the type.
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Food plants:
Flight period: New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Distribution:
Remarks:
Leistarcha thaumastica (Turner, 1946)
ANIC
Machimia thaumastica Turner, 1946 [Oecophoridae]. Revision of Australian Lepidoptera. Oecophoridae. XIII. Proceedings of the Linnean Society of New South Wales, 70: 93–120 [106]. Holotype AM ♀, Mittagong, NSW.
Leistarcha thaumastica (Turner, 1946). Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [87].
Machimia thaumastica Turner, 1946 [Oecophoridae]. 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 22 April 2010].
Leistarcha thaumastica (Turner, 1946). 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 17 June 2010].
Original description, Turner 1946
Machimia thaumastica, n. sp.
(θαυμαστικος, surprising.)
♀. 38 mm. Head and thorax grey. Palpi with second joint exceeding base of antennae, terminal joint two-thirds; pale grey. Antennae whitish annulated with fuscous. (Abdomen missing.) Legs grey-whitish. Forewings elongate, costa gently arched, apex pointed, termen very obliquely rounded; 7 and 8 long-stalked, 7 to apex; grey-whitish lightly sprinkled with fuscous; a slender median fuscous line from two-fifths nearly to termen with a short parallel line on its costal side: three short streaks running to costa, one to apex. several to termen, and one to tornus; cilia grey; apices whitish. Hindwings with 5 nearly approximated to 4 at origin: ochreous-yellow; a pale fuscous suffusion around apex, termen and tornus: cilia pale ochreous, bases pale fuscous. Though superficially very distinct, this is a true Machimia suggesting some relationship to Epicharactis.
New South Wales: Mittagong in November (G. M. Goldfinch); one specimen. Type in Australian Museum.
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Food plants:
Flight period: November.
Distribution: New South Wales. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks: type not found.