Cryptophasa diplosema

Cryptophasa diplosema (Lower, 1903)

♂- NSW, Killara, 10. Feb. 1923, G.A. Waterhouse leg. (ANIC). [AMO].

♂- Qld, Northern Queensland, 6. Oct. 1899, F.P. Dodd leg. (ANIC). BRED [AMO].

Cryptophaga diplosema Lower, 1903. Descriptions of New Genera and Species of Australian Lepidoptera. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 27 183-201 [199]. Syntype(s) SAMA 2♂♀, Duaringa and Townsville, Qld.

Cryptophasa diplosema (Lower, 1903). 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 diplosema (Lower, 1903). 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, Lower 1903

Cryptophaga diplosema, n. sp .

Male and female, 40-50 mm. Head, thorax, and palpi fleshy white, thorax on posterior two-thirds reddish-ochreous. Antennae white, pectinations 4, ochreous. Legs fleshy red, hairs of posterior pair orange. Abdomen orange, beneath fleshy red. Forewings elongate, moderate, costa arched, rather strongly in female, termen obliquely rounded, 2 from three-fourths, 3, 4, and 5 closely approximated at base; 4 and 5 stalked in male; reddish-ochreous, much paler in male; costa moderately pale fleshy white, from base to two-thirds, broadest on basal portion; a deep red somewhat, quadrate patch on innermargin at, one-sixth, reaching half across wing; a similar patch at about middle; a thick, deep red streak from upper edge of first spot, longitudinally continued to beyond second spot; markings very obscure in female; cilia deep reddish. Hindwings and cilia orange.

This insect has stood in my collection for some years as phaethontia, Meyr., but, having received a male from Mr. Dodd, of Townsville, Queensland, I consider it distinct from that species. It differs by the orange abdomen and hindwings, besides the other details. It has considerable resemblance to rubescens, Lew., hut the strongly arched costa, rounded termen, and shorter antennal pectinations are sufficient to distinguish: it from that species.

Duaringa, female; Townsville, male (Dodd), Queensland; in November and December two specimens.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants:

Flight period: February, October.

Distribution: Queensland. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).

Remarks:

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