Perixestis Meyrick, 1917
Perixestis Meyrick, 1917, Exotic Microlepidoptera. 2(2–3): 33–64, 65–96 [56].Type species: Cryptophasa eucephala Turner, 1902 by original designation.
Perixestis Meyrick, 1917 [Cryptophasidae]. Fletcher, T. B., 1929, A list of generic names used for Microlepidoptera. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture of India, 11: 1-244 [169].
Perixestis Meyrick, 1917. Common, in Nielsen, Edwards, & Rangsi, 1996, Checklist of the Lepidoptera of Australia. Monographs on Australian Lepidoptera, 4: i-xiv, 1-529 & CD-ROM [88].
Perixestis Meyrick, 1917. 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 24 April 2010].
Perixestis Meyrick, 1917. 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 17 June 2010].
Original description, Meyrick 1917
PERIXESTIS, n. g.
Head loosely rough-haired on crown, face with appressed hairs; ocelli small, inferior; tongue absent. Antennae 2/3, in ♂ shortly bipectinated, pectinations ending in tufts of cilia, basal joint rather large, stout. Labial palpi very long, recurved, second joint exceeding base of antennae, with appressed scales, terminal joint rather shorter than second, slender, acute. Maxillary palpi rudimentary. Thorax not hairy beneath. Anterior tarsi longer than tibiae, posterior tibiae clothed with rough scales above. Forewings with 1b furcate, 2 from ¾, 3 from angle, 7 and 8 stalked, 7 to termen, 11 from middle. Hindwings slightly over 1, elongate-ovate, cilia 2/5; 3 and 4 connate or short-stalked, 5 parallel, 6 and 7 short-stalked.
Type eucephala Turn. I note here that the genera Plectophila Meyr. (type electella Walk.) and Telecrates Meyr. (type laetiorella Walk.) are good and tenable genera, not to be merged in Xylorycta.
Description:
Head:
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Abdomen:
Immature stages:
Distribution: New South Wales, Queensland. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks:
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Perixestis eucephala (Turner, 1902)
ANIC
Cryptophasa eucephala Turner, 1902, New Australian Lepidoptera. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 26: 175–207 [193]. Holotype BMNH ♂, Townsville, Qld.
Perixestis eucephala (Turner, 1902) {Cryptophasidae]. Fletcher, T. B., 1929, A list of generic names used for Microlepidoptera. Memoirs of the Department of Agriculture of India, 11: 1-244 [169].
Perixestis eucephala (Turner, 1902). Becker, 1982: Stenomine moths of the Neotropical genus Timocratica (Oecophoridae), Bulletin of the British Museum (Natural History) Entomology series, 45 (3 ) 211-306 [228].
Perixestis eucephala (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 [88].
Perixestis eucephala (Turner, 1902). 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 24 April 2010].
Perixestis eucephala (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 17 June 2010].
Original description, Turner, 1902
Cryptophasa eucephala, n. sp.
Male and female, 29-38 mm. Head ochreous-yellow; face white or whitish. Palpi white; basal two-thirds of second joint with an anterior ochreous line; distal third of second joint and terminal joint with an anterior dark fuscous line. Antennae white; in male shortly pectinate (1). Thorax snow white. Abdomen grey; first two segments mixed with reddish-ochreous; sides white; lower surface ochreous with a pair of blackish dots on each segment. Legs ochreous-yellow annulated with blackish. Forewings narrow-elongate, costa slightly arched, apex rounded, hindmargin slightly oblique, slightly rounded; snow white; costal edge ochreous, at extreme base blackish; cilia snow-white. Hindwings grey; towards inner-margin whitish; cilia snow-white.
Townsville, Queensland, in October; a series bred by Mr. F. P. Dodd from larvae which tunnel the smaller stems of Grevillea striata, and probably other proteaceous shrubs. On pupating the entrance is completely blocked by a white plug.
Type in Coll. Walsingham. (Turner, 1902).
In an attempt to trace relationships among the gelechioids I examined the larvae of four Australian Xyloryctinae in the BMNH: Cryptophasa hyalinopa Lower, C. balteata Meyrick, Echiomima mythica Meyrick and Perixestis eucephala (Turner). These species also have the adfrontal area not reaching the vertical angle of the head and the distance between setae P2 is almost the same as that between setae PI. Therefore it seems that the combination of both characters of the head, i.e., adfrontal area not reaching the vertical angle and the distance between setae P2 about the same as between setae PI, is a good diagnostic feature for distinguishing the larvae of Stenominae and Xyloryctinae from those of other Gelechioidea. (Becker, 1982).
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
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Food plants: Larva boring in stem. Larval foodplant: Grevillea striata (Proteaceae). (Edwards, 2003).
Flight period:
Distribution: New South Wales, Queensland. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks:
Perixestis rhizophaga (Turner, 1902)
ANIC
Xylorycta rhizophaga Turner, 1902, New Australian Lepidoptera. Transactions of the Royal Society of South Australia 26: 175–207 [194]. Holotype BMNH ♂, Townsville, Qld.
Perixestis rhizophaga (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 [88].
Xylorycta rhizophaga Turner, 1902. 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 24 April 2010].
Perixestis rhizophaga (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 17 June 2010].
Original description, Turner 1902
Xylorycta rhizophaga, n. sp.
Male and female, 25-33 mm. Head and thorax white. Palpi white, anteriorly suffused with fuscous. Antennae white, in male laminate, laminations two-thirds, ending in tufts of cilia. Abdomen grey-whitish; two basal segments irrorated with orange scales. Legs whitish; anterior and middle pairs fuscous anteriorly. Forewings narrow-oblong, costa gently arched, apex obtuse; hindmargin straight, rounded beneath, scarcely oblique; snow white; costal edge fuscous towards base; cilia, snow white. Hindwings 1 ½; hindmargin rounded; grey; towards base whitish; cilia. white.
Easily distinguished from X. homoleuca, Low., which has all the wings narrower, hindmargin of forewings oblique, hindwings whitish, and male antennae not laminate.
Townsville, Queensland, in November and December; a series bred by Mr. F. P. Dodd.
The larva feeds on Persoonia falcata. It forms a spout-like chamber of silk and fragments of bark just on or an inch or two above the surface of the ground, and tunnels the stem for from 6 to 10 inches, the tunnel being nearly wholly underground, and sometimes extending into a root. If the stem is accidentally broken it spins a chimney to the surface of the ground. When about to pupate it shuts off the upper part of the chamber, and forms a new short spout, through which it emerges. The pupa is placed at the bottom of the long tunnel, the moth leaves the pupal shell there, and creeps up the tunnel to the surface.
Type in Coll. Walsingham.
Diagnosis:
Description:
Head:
Thorax:
Abdomen:
Food plants: Larva boring in butt and root of foodplant. Larval foodplant: Persoonia falcata (Proteaceae). (Edwards, 2003).
Flight period: November, December.
Distribution: Queensland. Endemic. (Edwards, 2003).
Remarks: