Xyloryctine Moths of Australia

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Xylorycta amphileuca

Xylorycta amphileuca Lower, 1902.

ANIC

Xylorycta amphileuca Lower, 1902. Descriptions of new genera and species of Australian Lepidoptera. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 26: 212–247 [238]. Holotype SAMA ♂, Derby, WA.

Xylorycta amphileuca Lower, 1902. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [88].

Xylorycta amphileuca Lower, 1902. 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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Lower 1902

Xylorycta amphileuca, n. sp.

Ma1e, 30 mm. Head, thorax, palpi, and antennae grey-whitish, terminal joint of palpi fuscous beneath, patagia shining snow-white, antennal ciliations nearly 1. Legs fuscous-whitish, posterior pair slightly ochreous tinged. Abdomen light fuscous, segmental margins dull silvery, two anterior segments dull orange. Forewings elongate, moderate. termen slightly rounded; 2 from three-fourths; 5 nearer 4 than to 6; shining snow-white; a fine fuscous streak along costa from base to middle, thence continued to apex as an obscure ochreous-fuscous streak; cilia shining snow-white. Hindwings with 6 and 7 connate, 3 and 4 very short stalked; greyish-fuscous; cilia snow-white, pale ochreous at base, with light fuscous subbasal line.

Nearest orectis, Meyr., but differs from that and the allied species by the absence of orange on head and fuscous hind-wings.

Derby, Western Australia; one specimen, in October.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants:

Flight period: October.

Distribution: Northern Territory, Western Australia. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).

Remarks:

Xylorycta apheles

Xylorycta apheles (Turner, 1898)

ANIC, holotype

Neodrepta apheles (Turner, 1898). The Xyloryctidae of Queensland. Annals of the Queensland Museum 4: 1–32 [24]. Holotype ANIC ♂, Mt Tamborine, Qld.

Xyloricta lychnobii T.P. Lucas, 1900, New Species of Queensland Lepidoptera. Proc. R. Soc. Qld. 15: 137-161 [158]. Holotype SAMA ♂, Brisbane, Qld.

Xylorycta apheles (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 [88].

Xylorycta apheles (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 5 May 2010].

Xylorycta apheles (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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Turner 1898

Neodrepta apheles, n. sp. Male, 22 mm. Antennal ciliations, 1. Head, face, and palpi snow-white. Antennae white at base, shading into fuscous towards apex. Thorax white, slaty-grey. Abdomen grey, tuft ochreous-grey. Legs white pair, except coxae, fuscous. Forewings dilated . gently arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin straight, oblique; whitish-grey, sparsely. irrorated with grey; fuscous at base, thence ochreous, whitish almost to apex; an ill-defined grey triangular blotch on centre of inner-margin, its oblique posterior edge very distinct; an ill-defined greyish line from costa at 3/4 to before anal angle, gently outwardly curved in disc; cilia pale fuscous. Hindwings , and cilia grey .

Mount Tambourine: one specimen at light in December. The type is somewhat worn.

Synonymic description, T.P. Lucas, 1900

Xyloricta lychnobii. sp. nov.

♂ 21 mm. Head, palpi, and antennae white. Legs white, tarsi annulated with fuscous bands, posterior tibiae densely hairy. Thorax white, suffused with very light lilac posteriorly. Abdomen metallic grey with a chandeliered design of ferrous dots, and spots posteriorly across the middle segments. Forewings moderately dilate, costa rounded, apex obtusely rounded, hindmargin obliquely rounded, white, suffused with a beautiful light lilac, and freely speckled with grey, the grey ceasing towards base, markings metallic drab. Forewings with a narrow costal line, creamy white, thinning out to apex, and finely bounded towards base by a black margin; a curved circular metallic drab line of dots, interrupted in fold, from beyond 2/3 costa to just before ¾ inner margin. thence anteriorly along inner margin, where it joins the angle of a triangular blotch and suffusion of the same colour, this triangle reaches to within 1/8 of base, separating from the inner margin towards centre of wing, where it forms a darker apex to before middle of wing, posteriorly the base of the triangle becomes lighter tinted with ochreous. Cilia metallic drab with a whitish band through the middle. Hindwings ashy-grey, tinted with ochreous, with the veins outlined with fuscous. Cilia ashy grey. The transverse circular line which runs to join the broken triangle of same colour on inner margin. specially characterises this species. Brisbane, bred.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants:

Flight period: December.

Distribution: New South Wales, Queensland. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).

Remarks:

Xylorycta argentella

Xylorycta argentella (Walker, 1864)

ANIC

Cryptolechia argentella Walker, 1864, Tineites. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Vol. 29. 562–835 pp. [750]. Holotype BMNH ♀, Sydney, NSW.

Xylorycta argentella Walk. Meyrick, 1890: Descriptions of Australian Lepidoptera. Part I. Xyloryctidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 13: 23–81 [60].

Xylorycta argentella Walk. Lower, 1896: A catalogue of Victorian Heterocera. Part xix. The Victorian Naturalist, 12: 149-152 [151].

Xylorycta argentella Walk. Turner, 1898. The Xyloryctidae of Queensland. Annals of the Queensland Museum 4: 1–32 [14].

Xylorycta argentella (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 [88].

Xylorycta argentella (Walker, 1864). 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 5 May 2010].

Xylorycta argentella (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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Walker 1864

Cryptolechia argentella.

Foem. Argenteo-alba; caput apud oculos ochraceum; palpi pedesque anteriores nigricantes; abdomen fasciis auratis; tibiae posticae fimbriate; alae posticae nigro-cinereae, fimbria flavo-alba.

Female. Silvery white, shining. Head ochraceous about the eyes. Palpi smooth, mostly blackish, much longer than the breadth of the head; third joint setiform, a little shorter than the second. Abdomen with gilded bands, hardly extending beyond the hind wings. Anterior legs mostly blackish; hind tibiae fringed. Fore wings slightly acute; exterior border, straight, moderately oblique; under side and hind wings blackish cinereous, the latter with yellowish white fringe. Length of the body 6 lines [12.7mm]; of the wings, 16 lines [33.9mm].

a. Sydney. From Mr. Diggles’ collection.

Subsequent description, Meyrick 1890

Xyl. argentella, Walk.

(Cryptolechia argentella, Walk., 750.)

Both sexes 18-30 mm. Head pale yellowish-ochreous, sides of face light fuscous. Palpi white, second joint fuscous except on lower half beneath. Antennae whitish. Thorax white, becoming whitish-ochreous anteriorly. Abdomen white, anal tuft ochreous-tinged. Legs dark fuscous, apex of joints whitish, posterior pair whitish-ochreous. Forewings elongate, moderate, costa gently arched, apex. round-pointed, hindmargin straight, oblique; shining white, faintly ochreous-tinged, more distinctly on costal edge; costal edge very slenderly black on basal fourth: cilia ochreous-white. Hindwings light grey, becoming ochreous-whitish towards inner margin; cilia ochreous-whitish.

Sydney, New South Wales; Melbourne, Victoria; Deloraine and Hobart, Tasmania; from October to March, rather common.

X. argentella, Walk. (Cryptolechia argentella. Walk., 750; Xylorycta argentella, Meyr., Tr. Roy. Soc. S.A., 60, 1889).

Melbourne. (Lower, 1896).

X. argentella, Walk. (Cryptolechia argentella,

Walk. 750; Xylorycta argentella, Meyrick, 60.) Antennal ciliations of male, 2. Brisbane: one specimen. (Turner, 1898).

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants:

Flight period: October, November, December, January, February, March.

Distribution: New South Wales. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).

Remarks:

Xylorycta argyrota

Xylorycta argyrota Lower, 1908

Xylorycta argyrota, syntype. South Australian Museum, Adelaide. © SAMA.

Xylorycta argyrota Lower, 1908. New Australian Lepidoptera. No. XXV. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 32: 110–120 [116]. Syntype(s) SAMA 15♂♀, Henley Beach, SA.

Xylorycta argyrota Lower, 1908. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [88].

Xylorycta argyrota Lower, 1908. 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 5 May 2010].

Xylorycta argyrota Lower, 1908. 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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Lower 1908

Xylorycta argyrota, n. sp.

♂, 16 mm.; ♀, 20 mm. Head, palpi, antennae, and thorax silvery-whitish, palpi internally whitish. Abdomen greyish ochreous, beneath broadly banded with fuscous. Legs silvery-whitish, posterior pair ochreous. Forewings elongate, moderate, costa gently arched, termen obliquely rounded; silvery- whitish, almost white in some specimens; a moderately clear white costal streak, from base to ¾, posteriorly attenuated; veins towards termen obscurely outlined with pale fuscous; cilia whitish, faintly ochreous tinged. Hindwings grey; cilia pale greyish-ochreous.

Henley Beach, South Australia. Fifteen specimens; in March and November. Bred from stems of Juncus sp. The larva form ball-shaped masses of grey flocculent down on the seed heads; sometimes there are three of these masses on one stem, in others they are formed at the base of the stem, and there become much larger.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants: Larva boring in stems. Larval foodplant: Juncus sp. (Juncaceae). (Edwards, 2003).

Flight period: March, November.

Distribution: South Australia. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).

Remarks: The larval habitus is reminiscent of Scieropepla spp., and barcode results confirm this assumption by placing X. argyrota in the assemblage of Scieropepla orthosema, q.v., and I conclude that these moths are probably synonymous. In my opinion this species is S. orthosema.

Xylorycta assimilis

Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900

D. Hobern, ACT

ANIC

NMV

Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900. New Micro-lepidoptera — mostly from Queensland. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 24: 6–23 [7]. Holotype NMV ♀, Sydney, NSW.

Xylorycta terenopis Meyrick, 1915. Exotic Microlepidoptera. 1 (10–15): 289–320, 321–352, 353–384, 385–416, 417–448, 449–480 [374]. Holotype BMNH ♀, Melbourne, Vic.

Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [88].

Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900 = Xylorycta terenopis Meyrick, 1915, junior subjective synonym. 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 5 May 2010].

Xylorycta assimilis Turner, 1900. 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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Turner 1900

Xylorycta assimilis, n. sp.

Female, 26 mm. Head white, side tufts and face ochreous-tinged. Palpi whitish ochreous; second joint with a few dark-fuscous scales; terminal joint whitish. Antennae whitish-ochreous, annulated with dark-fuscous; base of first joint dark-fuscous on upper surface. Thorax white, anteriorly ochreous tinged. Abdomen whitish-ochreous. Legs ochreous; anterior pair infuscated. Forewings elongate-oblong, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, hind margin straight, oblique; snow-white; costal edge pale-ochreous throughout; a faint ochreous suffusion at anal angle; cilia wholly pale-ochreous. Hindwings whitish-ochreous; apical portion of disc greyish-tinged; cilia pale-ochreous.

This resembles and might be mistaken for Neodrepta (Xylorycta) luteotactella, Walk., but may be at once distinguished by the neuration, vein 8 of forewings running to costa, and not to hindmargin, as in that species. It also differs in the absence of orange coloration of face and palpi, and in the ochreous hind wings.

Sydney, New South Wales; one specimen taken in October by Mr. G. Lyell. The type is in his collection.

Synonymic description, Meyrick 1915

Xylorycta terenopis, n. sp.

♀. 28 mm. Head ochreous-whitish. Palpi ochreous-whitish, second joint with a broad fuscous band beneath apex, terminal joint dark fuscous anteriorly on apical half. Thorax whitish, anteriorly suffused with pale yellow-ochreous. Abdomen whitish. Forewings elongate, costa gently arched, apex obtuse, termen almost straight, rather oblique; 7 to termen, 8 to costa; ochreous-white; costa narrowly suffused with pale yellow-ochreous : cilia pale yellow-ochreous. Hindwings grey, towards dorsum broadly suffused with whitish-ochreous; cilia pale yellow-ochreous.

Victoria, Melbourne [Kershaw); one specimen. Closely allied to argentella and assimilis.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Xylorycta assimilis,♂genitalia. IM08-2816, Imbil, Queensland.

Xylorycta assimilis, clasper. IM08-2816.

Xylorycta assimilis, uncus and gnathos. IM08-2816.

Xylorycta assimilis, anellus, saccus and juxta. IM08-2816.

Food plants:

Flight period: October.

Distribution: New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria. Endemic.

Remarks: Fragmentary DNA from the type specimen of Xylorycta placidella (Walker, 1864) (BMNH) matches part of a more complete sequence from X. assimilis. These species may yet prove to be identical.

Updated 19 September 2019.

Xylorycta austera

Xylorycta austera (T.P. Lucas, 1898)

Xylorycta austera, ♂ - NSW, Como West, 6. Jan. 1977, L.S. Willan V.J. Robinson leg. (LWC). [AMO].

Xylorycta austera, Don Herbison-Evans

Xyloricta austera T.P. Lucas, 1898, Descriptions of Queensland Lepidoptera. Arctiadae. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Queensland 13: 59–86 [85]. Holotype SAMA ♂, Brisbane, Qld.

Xyloricta austera, Lucas. Lucas, T.P., 1900: New Species of Queensland Lepidoptera. Proc. R. Soc. Qld. 15: 137-161 [159].

Xylorycta austera T.P. Lucas, 1898. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [89].

Xylorycta austera T.P. Lucas, 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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Lucas 1898

Xyloricta [sic] austera. sp. nov.

♂ mm 26. Head and thorax creamy white. Antennae, stalk creamy white, pectinations fuscous. Palpi, creamy fuscous. Abdomen creamy white, third segment ferrous fuscous on dorsum. Forewings elongate, costa gently rounded; hind margin oblique. almost straight, creamy white, with light fuscous lines and markings; fuscous line on costa, attenuated at base; a medium fuscous line from base of wing near costa to anal angle of hind margin, suffused toward inner margin; a broader band branches from this median line at one-sixth to one-third hind margin, and a second branch at one-half extends to apex, attenuated at origin, but diffused toward costa; fuscous lines on veins in hinder half of wings; an ochreous fuscous suffusion along inner margin. Cilia creamy white, with a fuscous basal line and a median fuscous band. Hindwings creamy straw colour. Cilia white, with a straw-colour band near base. One specimen at light, Brisbane.

Subsequent description, Lucas 1900

Xyloricta [sic] austera. Lucas.

(Tr. Roy. Soc. Dec. 11, 1898.)

♂♀ 24-35 mm. As I have this year obtained better specimens of this moth, I here append a fuller description. The thorax is creamy white, with three arrow triangles of ochreous fuscous; the dorsal one is narrow, the lateral ones broader at base and bordered outwardly with fine blackish chocolate line. The segments of abdomen are creamy, shaded with ochreous along base, and a broad blotch of coppery ochreous on second segment. The forewings are cream colour, with chocolate fuscous longitudinal bifurcating bands, 1st along costa, 2nd from centre of base of wing, bifurcating at 1/6, the inner branch to anal angle of hindmargin, the other toward costa; this again bifurcates beyond middle of wing, the one branch to costa before and along apex, the other to hindmargin before middle; 3rd, a border band from near base along inner margin, thinning out to anal angle; a discoidal spot at 2/3 and touching band to hindmargin; a row of fine lines beyond and below this to hindmargin. May Orchard, Brisbane, at light, and bred.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Xylorycta austera, ♂head, gvc6451 collected by Graeme Cocks.

Xylorycta austera, ♂ antennal ciliation, K-0817, Kuranda

Antennae in the female filiform, in the male ciliated in fan-shaped fascicles borne ventrally on very short bases, less than ½ .

Thorax:

Xylorycta austera, ♂ wing venation, K-0817, Kuranda, collected by David Rentz

Abdomen:

Xylorycta austera, ♂ genitalia, gvc6451 Townsville, collected by Graeme Cocks.

Xylorycta austera, ♂ uncus and gnathos, K-0817, collected by David Rentz, Kuranda

Xylorycta austera, aedeagus. K-0817, collected by David Rentz, Kuranda

Food plants:

Flight period: January.

Distribution: New South Wales, Queensland. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).

Remarks: The male genitalia have an unusual bifurcate uncus and closely resemble those of Cryptophasa flavolineata. This bifurcate uncus occurs in the Indian genus Amorbaea Meyrick 1908, and elsewhere in Xylorycta, for example in X. assimilis, but is most unusual for Cryptophasa.

These two species could be placed together in a genus of their own. There are several closely related unnamed species which could also be placed here.

Barcode results show the two species to be extremely closely related. The main physiological difference is in the wing coloration and shape, X. austera having narrower wings.

Amorbaea subtusvena, Diakonoff 1967, ♂ genitalia

Amorbaea subtusvena, Diakonoff 1967, ♂ aedeagus

Xylorycta bipunctella

Xylorycta bipunctella (Walker, 1864)

Xylorycta bipunctella, ♂, holotype. Photograph by Patrick Strutzenberger, ©BMNH.

Cryptolechia bipunctella Walker, 1864, Tineites. List of the Specimens of Lepidopterous Insects in the Collection of the British Museum. Vol. 29. 562–835 pp. [749]. Holotype BMNH ♂, Australia.

Telecrates bipunctella, Walk. Meyrick, 1890, Descriptions of Australian Lepidoptera. Part I. Xyloryctidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 13: 23–81 [63].

Xylorycta bipunctella (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 [89].

Telecrates bipunctella, Walker 1864. 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 5 May 2010].

Xylorycta bipunctella (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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Walker 1864

Cryptolechia bipunctella.

Mas. Nivea; palpi articulo 2o nigro; antennae subpubescentes: alae anticae punctis duobus discalibus nigricantibus, costa basi nigra; posticae pallide cinereae.

Male. Pure white. Palpi smooth, nearly twice longer than the breadth of the head; second joint mostly black; third setiform, shorter than the second. Antennae very minutely pubescent. Fore wings slightly rounded at the tips; two blackish points in the disk at two-thirds of the length, one behind the other; costa black towards the base; exterior border straight, moderately oblique; under side blackish. Hind wings pale cinereous. Length of the body 6 lines [12.7mm]; of the wings 14 lines [29.6mm].

a. Australia. Presented by Major-Gen. Hardwicke.

Subsequent description, Meyrick 1890

Tel. bipunctella, Walk.

(Cryptolechia bipunctella, Walk. 749.)

Male 24-25 mm. Head, thorax, and abdomen ochreous-white, sides of face fuscous. Palpi white, upper half of second joint dark fuscous. Antennae whitish-fuscous. Legs dark fuscous, apex of joints whitish, posterior pair whitish. Forewings elongate-oblong, costa moderately arched, apex round-pointed, hindmargin faintly sinuate, oblique; ochreous-white, costa more ochreous-tinged; costal edge dark fuscous towards base; two moderate roundish dark-grey dots transversely placed in disc at 2/3: cilia white. Hindwings with veins 6 and 7 from a point or short-stalked; ochreous-whitish, slightly greyish-tinged; cilia white.

Launceston, Tasmania; in December and January, three specimens.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants:

Flight period: December, January.

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

Remarks:

Xylorycta calligramma

Xylorycta calligramma (Meyrick, 1890)

ANIC

Telecrates calligramma Meyrick, 1890, Descriptions of Australian Lepidoptera. Part I. Xyloryctidae. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 13: 23–81 [64]. Syntype(s) BMNH 4♂♀, Blackheath, NSW.

Xylorycta calligramma Meyr. Turner, 1939. A second revision of the Lepidoptera of Tasmania. Papers and Proceedings of The Royal Society of Tasmania, 1938: 57–115 [84].

Xylorycta calligramma (Meyrick, 1890). Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD

Telecrates calligramma Meyrick, 1890. 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 5 May 2010].

Xylorycta calligramma (Meyrick, 1890). 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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Meyrick 1890

Tel. calligramma, n. sp.

Both sexes 22-23 mm. Head fuscous, lower part of face and a mark above eyes white. Palpi dark fuscous, suffused with white above, and towards base of second joint on sides. Antennae fuscous. Thorax fuscous, with a slender white stripe on each side of back. Abdomen fuscous-whitish. Legs dark fuscous, posterior pair fuscous-whitish. Forewings elongate, costa moderately arched, apex roundpointed, hindmargin nearly straight, oblique; shining white; all veins marked with rather thick bronzy-fuscous streaks: cilia fuscous-whitish, base bronzy-fuscous. Hindwings light grey, veins darker, apex suffused with whitish-ochreous; cilia ochreous-whitish, with a faint fuscous basal line.

Blackheath (3,500 feet), New South Wales; four specimens in November.

Other references

[Xylorycta polysticha] Nearest, X. calligramma Meyr. (Turner, 1939).

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants:

Flight period: November.

Distribution: New South Wales. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).

Remarks:

Xylorycta candescens

Xylorycta candescens Lower, 1896

♀ - Qld, Townsville, 15. Oct. 1901, F.P. Dodd leg. (ANIC). [AMO].

Xylorycta candescens Lower, 1896. New Australian Lepidoptera. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 20: 152–170 [163]. Holotype SAMA ♀, Brisbane, Qld.

Lichenaula dissimilis Turner, 1898. The Xyloryctidae of Queensland. Annals of the Queensland Museum 4: 1–32 [18]. Syntype(s) ANIC 2♂, Charters Towers, Qld.

Lichenaula candescens Turner, 1902: New Australian Lepidoptera, Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 26, 175-207 [196].

Xylorycta candescens Lower, 1896. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [89].

Xylorycta candescens Lower, 1896. 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 5 May 2010].

Xylorycta dissimilis (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 5 May 2010]. [Synonymy not noted].

Xylorycta candescens Lower, 1896. 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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Lower 1896

Xylorycta candescens, n. sp.

Female, 26 mm. Head, palpi, and thorax shining snow-white, second joint of palpi internally fuscous. Thorax with an irregular fuscous quadrate blotch in middle. Antennae whitish. Legs whitish, anterior tibiae and tarsi fuscous. Abdomen whitish, segmental margins ochreous. Forewings elongate, moderate, hardly dilated, costa nearly straight, apex somewhat pointed; hindmargin oblique; shining snow-white; extreme costal edge ochreous, becoming indistinct at and around apex, fuscous at base; a broad light fuscous longitudinal streak along inner margin, from near base to anal angle, and continued right through cilia, somewhat attenuated anteriorly; cilia shining snow-white, except at anal angle, which is fuscous through continuation of longitudinal streak. Hindwings pale-grey; cilia shining snow-white.

Brisbane, Queensland. One specimen in December. Remarkably distinct, the continuance of the fuscous longitudinal streak through the cilia is a curious and noticeable character.

Synonymic description, Turner 1898

Lichenaula dissimilis n. sp. Male, 21 mm. Antennal ciliations, 2. Female, 35 mm. Forewings with vein 7 to hindmargin. Head and face white. Palpi fuscous; .base of second joint whitish. Antennae whitish. Thorax fuscous, anterior margin narrowly, lateral margins broadly, snow-white. Abdomen ochreous-whitish. Legs ochreous-whitish, anterior pair infuscated. Forewings narrow-elongate, costa scarcely arched, apex rounded, hindmargin almost straight, moderately oblique; shining snow-white; costal edge narrowly ochreous; a broad fuscous streak along inner margin from near base to hindmargin; cilia at apex snow-white, along hindmargin and at anal angle ochreous-fuscous. Hindwings pale grey; cilia becoming greyish towards anal angle.

This species is a striking example of the deceptiveness of superficial characters. It so closely resembles Chalarotona craspedota, Meyr., that I at first mistook it for that species, and had no doubt that it was closely allied, until examination of the structural characters showed that the two were widely separated. Charters Towers: two specimens from Mr. Dodd, who says that the larvae spin together the leaves of a species of Grevillea (?).

Other references

Xylorycta candescens, Lower. Trans. Roy. Soc. S.A. 1896, 163. I do not know this species. It is described by Lower from a specimen taken in Brisbane in December. (Turner, 1898).

Lichenaula candescens, Low.

(Xylorycta candescens, Lower. Tr. R.S. S.A., 1896, p. 163; Lichenaula dissimilis, Turner. Annals Queensland Mus., 1897, iv., p. 18.)

Charters Towers, Townsville, and Brisbane, Queensland. (Turner, 1902).

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants: Larva tying leaves or seed pods with silk. Larval foodplant: Grevillea mimosoides, Grevillea sp. (Proteaceae). (Edwards, 2003).

Flight period: December.

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

Remarks:

Xylorycta castanea

Xylorycta castanea (Turner, 1902).

NMV

Lichenaula castanea Turner, 1902, New Australian Lepidoptera. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 26: 175–207 [197]. Holotype NMV ♀, Birchip, Vic.

Xylorycta castanea (Turner, 1902). Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [89].

Xylorycta castanea (Turner, 1902). 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 19 June 2010].

Original description, Turner 1902

Lichenaula castanea, n. sp.

Female, 17 mm. Head white. Palpi long, terminal joint as long as second; whitish, apical portion of terminal joint fuscous. Antennae fuscous, basal joint white. Thorax whitish (rubbed). Abdomen reddish-ochreous-fuscous, apices of segments and tuft whitish-grey; beneath dark fuscous, irrorated with whitish. Legs whitish. Forewings elongate-oblong, costa moderately arched, apex rounded, hindmargin but little oblique, rounded beneath; whitish irrorated with reddish-brown and purple-brown scales forming very confused markings; the purple-brown scales predominate along inner margin, the reddish-brown tend to form four suffused nearly equi-distant transverse fasciae. Of these, the last, which is hindmarginal, is the best marked; cilia white, mixed with bright reddish-brown. Hindwings grey; cilia ochreous-whitish, with a fuscous line at one-third, towards anal angle grey.

Not very near any other species.

Birchup, Victoria; one specimen in November.

Type in CoIl. Lyell.

Diagnosis:

Description:

Head:

Thorax:

Abdomen:

Food plants:

Flight period: November.

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

Remarks: