Cryptophasa immaculata Scott, 1864
Cryptophasa immaculata Scott, 1864, Australian Lepidoptera and their transformations, drawn from the life by Harriet and Helena Scott. 1. London : John van Voorst [ii]+36 pp., pls 1–9 [9]. Syntype(s) whereabouts unknown number unknown ♂♀, Sydney or Ash Island, NSW.
Cryptophasa immaculata Scott. Walker, 1866. Supplement 5. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Vol. 35. 1534-2040 (1981).
Cryptophasa immaculata Scott, 1864. 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 immaculata Scott, 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 18 June 2010].
Original description, Scott 1864
Plate III: Scott, 1864
Cryptophasa immaculata (Plate III)
The habits and metamorphoses of this chaste little species, and of the two succeeding ones, the C. bi-punctata and the C. spilonota, are very similar to those just described of the C. albacosta, and, therefore, it will only be incumbent upon us to notice such characteristics as to render the specific distinctions apparent.
The larvae of C. immaculata are very abundant, and readily met with on the Banksiae at all seasons of the year. In length less than an inch, they are of a creamy-white colour, with four dorsal black macular marks on each segment, with the exception of the first three, the anterior one of which is squamose, encircled by a ring of black dots; the two others contain triangular black patches. Head shining brown.
The Chrysalis (fig 1) is light-brown, elongated, sharp and pointed towards the head, which is destitute of spines, and in length rather more than ½ inch.
Our perfect insects were produced at the latter end of October, the male measuring from tip to tip of wings nearly 1 inch, the female 1/16 larger.
The Antennae ... male (fig. 2,) with tufts of ciliations beneath, the female setaceous.
The Labial palpi ... (fig 3) terminal joint thin and pointed, 2nd stout, and about equal in length, basal small; the whole curving upward to about the top of the head and covered in scales.
The Legs ... anterior pairs (fig 4) small, 2nd pairs larger, with 2 apical spurs on tibiae; posterior pairs (fig. 5) long and stout, tibiae hairy, with 4 spurs.
The whole insect, above and below, is of a glossy silvery-white; the costae and antennae only having a yellowish tinge.
The female moth is seen in the drawing, with a sprig of the Banksia integrifolia cut open in order to exhibit the caterpillar; the screen-like covering is above, at the entrance to the cavity.
Other references
Fam. GELECHIDAE, C. L. H. xxviii. 549.
Gcnus CRYPTOPHASA, C. L. H. xxiI. 70S.
Cryptophasa immaculata.
immaculata, Scott, Austral. Lep. 9, pl. 3.
Sydney. (Walker, 1866)
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Food plants: Larva boring in stem and tying cut leaves at entrance to bore. Larval foodplant: Banksia integrifolia (Proteaceae). (Edwards, 2003).
Flight period:
Distribution: New South Wales. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks: probably a Xylorycta sp., as the ciliate antennae would immediately suggest.