Cryptophasa aggesta Meyrick, 1925
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| Cryptophasa aggesta, co-type. Photograph by Patrick Strutzenberger, ©BMNH. |
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| Cryptophasa aggesta, co-type. Photograph by Patrick Strutzenberger, ©BMNH. |
Cryptophasa aggesta Meyrick,
1925, Exotic Microlepidoptera. 3(5–7): 129–160,
161–192, 193–224 [147]. Syntype(s) BMNH 8♂,
Oetakwa River, Irian Jaya, Dampier Island, Goodenough Island, Papua New Guinea.
Cryptophasa aggesta Meyrick,
1925, Diakonoff, 1954, Microlepidoptera
of New Guinea. Results of the third Archbold Expedition (American-Netherlands
Indian Expedition 1938-1939. Part 4. Verhandelingen der Koninklijke
Akademie van Wetenschappen [Verh. Akad. Amsterdam] 2 ser. 50(1):
1-191 [118]
Cryptophasa eumorpha,
(Turner, 1898) [ = aggesta syn.n.] Common, in Nielsen,
Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of
Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv,
1-529 & CD-ROM [86].
Cryptophasa aggesta Meyrick,
1925. 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
15 April 2010]. [Synonymy not noted].
Cryptophasa eumorpha,
(Turner, 1898). 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 18 June 2010].
Original description, Meyrick 1925
Cryptophasa aggesta, n . sp.
♂. 39-48 mm. Head whitish-ochreous. Palpi pale ochreous, externally suffused fuscous except towards apex of joint. Antennae pectinated (3). Thorax white or ochreous-whitish somewhat sprinkled blackish, anterior third dark fuscous. Abdomen whitish-ochreous sometimes suffused fuscous, a reddish antemedian band, anal segment ochreous. Forewings suboblong, slightly dilated, termen slightly oblique; 8 to apex; whitish or pale greyish ochreous, more or less sprinkled blackish; an ill-defined costal band of dark fuscous suffusion, occupying about 1/3 of wing; discal stigmata dark fuscous or blackish, first small, sometimes obscured, second forming a narrow-transverse spot; a suffused fuscous terminal line, more or less indistinctly dotted dark fuscous: cilia whitish, suffused fuscous on outer half, more strongly round apex, an antemedian series of indistinct dark fuscous marks or dots. Hindwings grey tinged ochreous; cilia light greyish-ochreous.
DUTCH NEW GUINEA, Oetakwa R., 3000 feet; BRITISH NEW GUINEA, Dampier I., Goodenough I., 3000 feet (Meek); 8 ex.
Subsequent description, Diakonoff 1954
Cryptophasa aggesta MEYRICK, 1925
Cryptophasa aggesta MEYRICK, 1925, Exot. Microl., vol. 3, p. 147. Trans. Ent. Soc. Lond., vol. 87, p. 516, 1938.
Distribution: Netherlands New Guinea: Utakwa River, 3000 feet. British New Guinea: Dampier Island, 3000 feet; Papua, Mafulu, 4000 feet; Kokoda, 1200 feet.
♀ 55 mm (neallotype). Palpus darker greyish-fuscous. Abdomen with a broad orange-coppery band of fine bristles on the dorsum of the second segment. Fore wing broader, dilated, costa considerably curved towards the extremities, especially anteriorly, less curved in the middle, apex obtusely angular, termen little rounded above, more so beneath. Fuscouswhitish, costal half gradually suffused with fuscous, this suffusion broader and darker than in the male, transverse outwardly convex mark on the closing vein broader and more conspicuous: fuscous-blackish; the entire wing more distinctly speckled with fuscous-blackish. Hind wing darker, evenly fuscous, with faint bronze gloss, cilia somewhat paler, with a fine pale basal line. Otherwise as the male and, in my opinion, undoubtedly conspecific.
Rattan Camp, 1200 m, February 17 and 23, 1939. Two males. Araucaria Camp, 800 m, February 21, 1939: neallotype, female. Three specimens.
Other references
Xyloryctidae
Cryptophasa eumorpha Turner
Cryptophasa eumorpha Turner 1897, Ann. Queensland Mus. 4: 9.
Cryptophasa aggesta Meyrick, 1925, Exot. Microplep 3: 127.
GUADALCANAL: Honiara, 8-18.ix 1 ♂
DISTRIBUTION: Australia (Queensland), New Guinea (Papua), Rook I. and Dampier I.
(Bradley, 1961).
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Food plants:
Flight period:
Distribution: Queensland, Indonesia, Papua New Guinea. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks: On appearance alone there is good reason to suspect that Cryptophasa aggesta and C. eumorpha are not synonymous as suggested by Bradley and adopted by Common and subsequent authors. This species may not actually be present in Australia.