Amelora Guest, 1887

Young, Catherine J., 2006, Descriptions of the eggs of some southern Australian Geometridae (Lepidoptera), Zootaxa 1287, pp. 1-294 : 1-294

Amelora Guest (Figs 36–71)

Amelora is a widespread genus ranging over a diverse range of habitats in southern Australia. Larvae are believed to be polyphagous and feed on a wide variety of lowgrowing dicotyledonous herbs (McQuillan 1996). Two species, A. acromegala McQuillan and A. nebulosa McQuillan are endemic to Tasmania. Six of the thirty­one species in this large genus are illustrated. All have globular to broadly ovoid eggs that are either laid freely or are attached to the substrate. The eggs are conspicuously sculptured with hexagonal flat to concave cells, narrow to moderately broad, elevated walls, domed aeropyles and generally rough chorion. In belemnophora Turner , leucaniata Guenée , nebulosa McQuillan and zophopasta Turner cells are arranged regularly in longitudinal rows on the broad lateral sides. The eggs of leucaniata , nebulosa and zophopasta also greatly resemble the eggs of the Australian lithinine I. apicata Guenée (Figs 611–616). In all species apart from acromegala and belemnophora , aeropyles are present on all surfaces. Aeropylar openings are distinctively moderately large to very large apart from belemnophora that has small openings. The number of rows of cells surrounding the micropyles is low ranging from 2 to 3. McQuillan (1996) illustrated the egg of A. arotraea Meyrick with a scanning electron micrograph. The eggs of this species are very similar to those illustrated here. They are globular, laid loosely attached and are marked conspicuously with concave hexagonal cells with moderately broad elevated walls. The aeropyles are also conspicuous and domed with large openings. There are two rows of micropylar cells and the chorion is rough