Pollanisus empyrea (Meyrick, 1888)

Mollet, Bernard & Tarmann, Gerhard M., 2023, Revision of the genus Pollanisus Walker, 1854 (Lepidoptera: Zygaenidae: Procridinae), Zootaxa 5281 (1), pp. 1-72 : 62-65

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.7912174
persistent identifier	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/038BFF67-FFBC-FFC4-FF6F-58B1AA0F6B38
treatment provided by	Plazi
scientific name	Pollanisus empyrea
status

Treatment

Pollanisus empyrea View in CoL View at ENA

Published data ( Mollet 2019).

Material examined ( Table 15), all from Western Australia. 1 ♁ (791) ( Figs 207, 208 View FIGURES 207–212 ), 4 ♁ Torndirrup N. P., 37 m, 35°06.168′S, 117°57.999′E, 12.II.2009, e. l. on Hibbertia cuneiformis , S. & B. Mollet leg. ( BMC); 1 ♁, N. Augusta, Jewel Cave Car Park , 63 m, 34°16.400′S, 115°05.910″E, 17.II.2009, S. & B. Mollet leg. ( BMC).

Distribution map ( Fig. 219 View FIGURE 219 )

Discussion and differential diagnosis. Pollanisus empyrea ( Fig. 212 View FIGURES 207–212 ) has uniformly brown narrow forewings covered with a few metallic coppery scales, more densely at the base of the forewing, while P. cupreus and P. nielseni are bigger, and their forewings are widely covered with coppery to golden metallic scales. The head ratio of P. empyrea is different from those of Pollanisus cupreus and P. nielseni . P. empyrea differs in habitus from P. amethystina , which has green metallic scales on the forewing upperside and on the upper side of the abdomen. Their head ratios are slightly different.

Phenology and bionomics. Pollanisus empyrea is active during the day, when disturbed and at night (1). P. empyrea is linked to its larval host-plant Hibbertia cuneiformis (Dilleniaceae) ( Figs 213, 214 View FIGURES 213–215 ), and it is assumed to feed also on H. commutata (Axel Kallies, pers. obs.). The larvae of P. empyrea ( Fig. 215 View FIGURES 213–215 ) and P. amethystina ( Fig. 218 View FIGURES 216–218 ) are similar in habitus and cannot be used for differentiation.