Cryptophasa nephrosema

Cryptophasa nephrosema (Turner, 1898)

Cryptophasa nephrosema♀ - Qld, Bridge Creek, 19. Nov. 1992, P. Zborowski leg. (ANIC). [AMO].

Cryptophasa nephrosema♀ - Qld, 3 km NE of Mt Webb, Cooktown Lat. 15' 03'' S Long. 145' 09'' E, 31. May. 1973, E.D. Edwards M.S. Upton leg. (ANIC). [AMO].

Cryptophasa nephrosema♂ - Qld, 1 km N of Rounded Hill, Cooktown Lat. 15' 14'' S Long. 145' 13'' E, 8. Oct. 1980, E.D. Edwards leg. (ANIC). [AMO].

Cryptophasa nephrosema♂ - Qld, 3 km N Mt Webb, Cooktown Lat .11 13 S Long.142 23E, 3. Oct. 1960, E.D. Edwards leg. (ANIC). [AMO].

Cryptophaga nephrosema Turner, 1898. The Xyloryctidae of Queensland. Annals of the Queensland Museum 4: 1–32 [7]. Holotype QM ♂, Cairns, Qld.

Cryptophasa nephrosema (Turner, 1898). 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 nephrosema (Turner, 1898). 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 17 April 2010].

Cryptophasa nephrosema (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, Turner 1898

Cryptophaga nephrosema, n. sp. Male, 35 mm.; antennal pectinations 2; vein 2 of forewings from 3/5. (Head and face rubbed bare. Palpi broken.) Antennae whitish. Thorax white irrorated with grey scales. Abdomen whitish; second segment reddish-brown. Legs white; anterior and middle tibiae and tarsi annulated irrorated with fuscous. Forewings oblong, posteriorly somewhat dilated, costa nearly straight, apex rounded, hindmargin slightly rounded, somewhat oblique; white finely irrorated with pale grey; three conspicuous blotches in disc, pale-grey outlined with fuscous; first rather obscure near base; second before middle, irregularly constricted at and above fold; third beyond middle, reniform; three fuscous spots on costa, first at 2/5 nearly confluent with second blotch, second and third at 3/5 and 4/5; an ill-defined greyish suffusion between third blotch and hindmargin; a row of fuscous dots along hindmargin; cilia white with two interrupted grey lines. Hindwings fuscous; towards base and inner margin whitish; cilia whitish.

Cairns: one specimen taken by Mr. C. J. Wild in November (Coll. Brisbane Museum).

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Cryptophasa nephrosema, ♂head. K-0572, Bilwon Road, nr Biboohra, collected by David Rentz and Buck Richardson.

Thorax:

Cryptophasa nephrosema, ♂wing venation. K-0572, Bilwon Road, nr Biboohra, collected by David Rentz and Buck Richardson.

Abdomen:

Cryptophasa nephrosema, ♂genitalia. K-0572, Bilwon Road, nr Biboohra, collected by David Rentz and Buck Richardson.

Cryptophasa nephrosema, ♂aedeagus. K-0572, Bilwon Road, nr Biboohra, collected by David Rentz and Buck Richardson.

Food plants: Larva boring in stem. Larval foodplants: Melaleuca leucodendra, M. quinquenervia, M. armillaris, Melaleuca sp. (Myrtaceae). (Edwards, 2003).

Flight period: May, September, October, November.

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

Remarks: 

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