Pollanisus cupreus (Tarmann, 2004)

Mollet, Bernard & Tarmann, Gerhard M., 2023, Revision of the genus Pollanisus Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae: Procridinae), Zootaxa 5281 (1), pp. 1-72 : 58

publication ID	https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5281.1.1
publication LSID	lsid:zoobank.org:pub:6ABDFD26-7900-41EA-91AD-8CA3B8552F40
DOI	https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.7912163
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038BFF67-FFB8-FFBD-FF6F-58B1A80269CD
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pollanisus cupreus
status

Treatment

P. cupreus View in CoL View at ENA

Published data ( Tarmann 2004).

Material examined ( Table 14), all from Western Australia. 1 ♁ (1539) ( Figs 193, 194 View FIGURES 193–197 ), 7 ♁, N. E. Lancelin, 30°57′42.9″S, 115°25′02.0″E, 130 m, 9.IX.2010, S. & B. Mollet leg. ( BMC) GoogleMaps .

Discussion and differential diagnosis. In Western Australia, this is the largest species with the upper side forewing dark brown, covered with golden to coppery metallic scales, except to the margin. Pollanisus nielseni is slightly smaller, with an extremely bright golden to green metallic sheen extending almost to the apex of upper side forewing. Despite identical head ratios, Pollanisus cupreus and P. nielseni have a different habitus.

The habitus of P. cupreus and P. nielseni differ from those of P. amethystina and P. empyrea , which are smaller, have narrower forewings with less brilliant scales and the hindwings more translucent medially ( Tarmann 2004). Also the habitus of the larvae is slightly different.

Phenology and bionomics. Pollanisus cupreus ( Fig. 195 View FIGURES 193–197 ) is active only in sunny weather or when it is disturbed. The assumed larval host plant is Hibbertia hypericoides (Dilleniaceae) ( Tarmann 2004), the habitat is open forest with shrubs and bushes ( Fig. 198 View FIGURES 198–199 ).

From collected females ( Fig. 199 View FIGURES 198–199 ) rearing was possible on Hibbertia spicata and Hibbertia subvaginata . Eggs are white, the larvae in L1 and L2 were partly to totally stem and leaf mining on H. subvaginata , they live and feed within the leaf tissue until end of L2. This behavior was not observed on H. spicata , probably due to its thinner leaves. During rearing larvae could be moved easily from H. spicata to H. subvaginata and reciprocally. The larvae ( Fig. 200 View FIGURE 200 ) are of variable appearance at the last instar and cannot be distinguished from those of P. nielseni (B. Mollet observation).