Kunanyia stephaniae Byrne & Wei

Byrne, Catherine J. & Wei, Nasen, 2012, Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. & sp. nov. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae: Ennominae): an unusual and rare diurnal moth from the mountains of Tasmania, Zootaxa 3503, pp. 25-46 : 29-42

Kunanyia stephaniae Byrne & Wei , sp. nov.

Figs 2, 3 , 9, 10 , 20 , 21

Type material. Holotype. 3 labelled—“42.8905Sº 147.29362ºE TAS. Mt Wellington chalet 1050m 14 JAN 1992 11 am P. B. McQuillan dolerite scree in subalpine woodland [print]” “Databased 105258 PBMcQ” “F5426 Kunanyia stephaniae Det. C. Byrne 2012 Tasmanian Museum & Art Gallery” Holotype: Kunanyia stephaniae, Byrne and Wei in TMAG. Paratypes. AM. 2 3, “TAS. Mount Wellington 950m, 15th Jan 1991, P.B McQuillan” “Databased 105313,-4 PBMcQ” “K.308719, -20 AM ”. ANIC. 3 3, “ 42.55S 147.09E, Mt Wellington, 1000m, Tas., 13 Jan. 1991, E. S. Nielsen, E. D. Edwards, flying over boulder scree”. “ ANIC Database No. 31 0 38496, 0 38497, 038498”. “Barcode of Life DNA voucher specimen Sample ID: 11ANIC-00499 BOLD Proc.ID: ANICQ 499, 500, 501-11”. 1 3, “ 42.55S 147.09E, Mt Wellington, 1000m, Tas., 13 Jan. 1991, E. S. Nielsen, E. D. Edwards, flying over boulder scree”. 2 3, “M. Wellington, 25.1.27, S. A.”. 1 Ƥ, “Mt Wellington, Tas., 3500 feet, 30-1-46, L. E. Couchman”. BMNH. 2 3, “TAS. Mount Wellington 950m, 15th Jan 1991, P.B McQuillan” “Databased 105315,-6 PBMcQ”. SNSB. 2 3, “TAS. Mount Wellington 950m, 15th Jan 1991, P.B McQuillan” “Databased 105317,-8 PBMcQ”. MV. 2 3, “TAS. Mount Wellington 950m, 15th Jan 1991, P.B McQuillan” “Databased 105311,-12 PBMcQ”. TMAG. 3 3, “Mt Wellington 3000 feet, 9th Jan 1952, J R Cunningham” “F5390, 5480, 5481 TMAG ”. 12 3, “TAS. Mount Wellington 950m, 15th Jan 1991, P.B. McQuillan” “Databased 105319-29 PBMcQ” “F5431, F5447-457 TMAG ”. 8 3, “42.8905Sº 147.29362ºE TAS. Mt Wellington chalet 1050m 14 JAN 1992 11 am P. B. McQuillan dolerite scree in subalpine woodland” “Databased 105252-7, 10259-60 PBMcQ” “F5420-25, F5427-8 TMAG ”. 11 3, “ 42.54S 147.14E TAS. Mount Wellington 1000m 12 JAN 1995 P. B. McQuillan” “Databased 105300-4, 105306-10 PBMcQ” “F5391-401 TMAG ”. 5 3, “ 42º53.427’S 147º 14.231E Organ Pipes Track Mount Wellington 1022m 23 Jan. 2001 C. J. Young flying over dolerite boulder scree” “F5402, 5407, 5409, 5412, 5433 TMAG ”. 3 3, “42º 53.427S’ 147º14.231’E Organ Pipes Track Mount Wellington 1022m 2 Feb. 2001 C. J. Young flying over dolerite boulder scree” “F5404, 5416, 5417, TMAG ”. 5 3 2 Ƥ, “ 42º53.427’S 147º14.231’E Organ Pipes Track Mount Wellington 1022m 27 Jan. 2006 S. A. Young flying over dolerite boulder scree” “F5403, 5406, 5408, 5411, 5413, 5415, 5419 TMAG ” “microslides F5406.1, F5411.1, F5411.2, F5415.1, F5415.2, F5415.3”. 6 3, 2Ƥ, “ 42º53.427’S 147º14.231’E Organ Pipes Track Mount Wellington 1022m 30 Jan. 2010 C. J. Young flying over dolerite boulder scree” “F5405, 5410, 5414, 5434, 5436, 5438, 5478, 5479 TMAG ”. 1 3, 2 Ƥ, “ 42 º5’26.1”S 143º6’29.4”E 470m Mt Bishop and Clerk Maria Island Tas. 25 Jan. 2011 B. Muir flying over dolerite boulder scree” “F5418, F5432, F5437 TMAG ”. 2 3, “ 42º53.427’S, 147º14.231’E Organ Pipes Track Mount Wellington 1022m 15 Feb. 2011, C. J. Young flying over dolerite boulder scree” “F5429, 5430 TMAG ”. 1 3, “53.427’S, 147º14.231’E Organ Pipes Track Mount Wellington 1022m 24 Feb. 2012, B. Muir flying over dolerite boulder scree” “F5435 TMAG ”. 9 3, “ 42.54ºS 147.14ºE TAS. Mount Wellington 1000m P. B. McQuillan” “F5458-66 TMAG ”. TASAG. 13, “Mt Wellington 3000 feet 9th Jan 1952 J R Cunningham” “genitalia slide GL 5063 PBMcQ ii 89 ” “115715 Tas Agric”. Other material. TMAG. First instar larvae, head capsules, mature larvae. “ 42 º5’26.1”S 143º6’29.4”E 470m Mt Bishop and Clerk Maria Island Tas. 25 Jan. 2011 ” “Reared from eggs assoc. captive F5432,7, hatched 8 Feb. 2011 ” “F6068-80 TMAG ”.

Diagnosis. Dorsal surface of wings orange speckled dark brown, ventral surface bright orange with marginal black band extending from apex along termen. Eggs ovoid, chorionic sculpturing sparse, micropyle indistinct, aeropyles elevated with moderately large openings, smooth chorion. Larvae rather stout. Colour reddish brown, dark-brown mid-dorsal stripe, yellow lateral, ventral stripes. Prolegs on A6 and A10. Setae clubbed, short. First instar crochets arranged in transverse bands; in mature larvae crochets uniserial, biordinal, heteroideous mesoseries. Unisetose L seta on T1. The following features are diagnostic for this species among the Australian Geometridae : in the adults, the orange and dark-brown colour and pattern, the homogeneity of pattern in both fore- and hind-wings, and the brightly orange-coloured ventral wing surface; in the larva, the arrangement of first instar larvae crochets into transverse bands, and the unisetose, rather than bisetose L group, on T1.

Description. Adult ( Figs 2, 3 , 9, 10 , 20 , 21 ) Head: orange, with few dark brown scales, dark brown band connecting antennal bases; frons densely covered with orange and black scales, piliform and projecting basally; labial palpi orange and dark brown; antennae in male, shaft with dorsal scales alternating dark brown and orange giving banded appearance; rami black, scape clothed with black and orange scales. Thorax: dorsum, orange and dark brown; venter, hair-like, pale orange scales. Legs: pale orange and dark brown, tarsi annulated with dark brown. Forewing: dorsum, ground colour pale orange to orange speckled with numerous dark brown scales, arranged in broken, narrow, wavy, transverse lines marginally, sparser larger blotches medially; density of dark brown scales varies between specimens; venter, ground colour bright orange, marginal black band extending from apex, narrowing posteriorly along termen; costa with dark brown strigulae. Hindwing: similar to forewing, except ventral band narrower and not extending to apex, ventral postdiscal line of about seven black dots. Abdomen: dorsum, orange with dark brown bands on posterior half of each segment; venter, plain orange.

Distribution. Mt Wellington, near Hobart, Tasmania, Australia at around 1000 m; Mt Bishop and Clerk, Maria Island, Tasmania, Australia at 470 m. There is another possible unverified record of this species. An image of a very similar looking species was published in Daley (2007). The photograph of this species was taken at Little Swanport River, on the east coast of Tasmania, at an elevation of around 50 m in mid-summer (E. Daley pers. comm.). A search of this area for this species has to date proved fruitless. This record must be discounted until actual specimens are collected. Most adult activity takes place in mid-late summer (range 9 January–24 February).

Immature Stages. Egg ( Figs 22–27 ). The eggs of this species were described in Young (2006a) as follows: Oviposition (no. of females: 2) - egg loosely attached, very pale green, progressively becoming pale pinkish orange with orange flecks then pale yellowish brown flecked with orange ( Fig. 22 ). Size (mm): length 0.60±0.00; width 0.5±0.00; height 0.41±0.01 (n=12, from 2 females). Period of oviposition: 23 Jan.–1 Feb. Batch size: 13.0±3.7 range: 5–25 (n = 5). Realised fecundity: 4–60. Period of incubation was not accurately determined as eggs were stored under refrigerated condition for around one week to delay development for practical purposes. Egg broad, ovoid; polar profile circular; scarcely marked apart from sparsely distributed aeropyles only present on anterior pole (micropylar end of egg), hexagonal cells barely discernible on all surfaces of egg ( Figs 23 & 24 ). Cell walls narrow, unelevated, floors flat; micropylar cells slightly recessed, micropyle indistinct, 4 openings, 9 rosette cells, 2 rows of cells. Aeropyles elevated, domed, openings moderately large, opening size (µm) ( Fig. 25 ): length 2.15±0.14; width 1.68±0.09, relative opening size 3.7 (n=7), present only on anterior pole. Chorion generally smooth, but appearing sparsely granular at high magnification ( Figs 26 & 27 ).

First instar larva ( Figs 28–32 ). Head: hypognathous, rounded, average width 0.28±0.01 (SE) mm (n=7), ground colour off-white, with greyish brown, moderately wide, stripes; 6 stemmata, dark brown. Mouthparts off-white, tinged pink. Setae medium length, blunt. Body: ground colour pale salmon pink, with moderately wide reddish brown stripes; mid-dorsal stripe relatively wider, thickening markedly at junction of segments; lateral stripes broken mid-segment. Legs translucent. Prolegs on A6, A10; A6 prolegs white, unmarked; A10 prolegs, same ground colour as body with very small pink blotches, anal claspers white, tinged pink. No extra prolegs present. Setae short, clubbed ( Fig. 30 ), cream, medium length; pinacula very small, light brown. Crochets uniserial, uniordinal transverse bands; number of crochets on A6 prolegs 6, A10 8 ( Fig. 31 ). Chaetotaxy illustrated in Fig. 32 . Unisetose L seta on T1. SV group unisetose on A1–A5, bisetose on A6.

Second instar larva. Same as first instar except: Head: average width 0.48±0.01 (SE) mm (n=5), ground colour pale brown with dark brown blotches, paler near stemmata, arranged in longitudinal bands, pale blotches dorsad of vertex; dark brown stemmata. Mouth parts reddish brown; epidermis with tiny glistening spicules; spinneret short, antenna short. Body: ground colour, reddish brown; narrow dark brown, mid-dorsal stripe; dorsal border of pale yellow lateral band on D2 setal line, ventral border L2 setal line; mid-lateral stripes wavy, narrow, pale yellow; D setae enclose paler area on each abdominal segment. Mid-ventral stripe broken, pale yellow. Legs greyish brown. A6 prolegs same ground colour as body; A10 prolegs ground colour pale brown blotched reddish brown and pinkish brown. Anal triangle ground colour white, with dark brown spots, medially blotched pinkish brown, blunt, rounded posteriorly. No extra prolegs. Setae pale brown, longer on head and anal triangle; small reddish brown pinacula on small tubercles. Spiracles small, round; dark brown narrow peritreme, pale brown centre.

Third instar larva. Similar to second instar except: Head: average width 0.65±0.02 (SE) mm (n=8), labrum translucent, antenna reddish brown; epidermis papillose; stemma four positioned at a distance equal to its diameter from the antennal pit.

Body: epidermis papillose, glistening; mid-dorsal band dark brown becoming much narrower between D1, D2 setae, except on T segments, pale brown between D1 and D2 and bordered with a broad dark brown band. Prothoracic shield poorly developed. Anal triangle pale brown, with numerous dark brown spots, blunt, rounded posteriorly. Venter between A6 and A10 pale yellow. Legs grey, proximal segments and claw reddish brown. Hypoprocts, paraprocts, short.

Fourth instar larva. Similar to third instar except, generally darker: Head: average width 0.86±0.02 (SE) mm (n=6). Ground colour darker. Body: Venter dark brown, pale yellow between A6 and A10. L1 and L2 setae on yellowish tubercles. Prothoracic shield poorly developed, anterior margin thickened dorsally, off white, reddish brown band medially and narrower subdorsal band.

Fifth instar larva. Similar to fourth instar except: Head: average width 1.41±0.02 (SE) mm (n=4). Body length ranges from 18.5 to 19.8 mm (n=4). Crochets: uniserial, biordinal, heteroideous mesoseries; number on A6 prolegs 33, A10 prolegs 39. Chaetotaxy: illustrated in ( Figs 34 & 35 ); unisetose L seta on T1, SV seta on T1, T2, T3 respectively 2, 1, 1; L4 seta present on anterior abdominal segments; no secondary setae on lateral face of A6 proleg; D1 seta on A8 on moderately large tubercles; SV group bisetose on A1–A5, trisetose on A6; SV1, SV3, and V1 on A 1 in vertical alignment; L3, SV1, and V1 on A3 – A5 not in vertical alignment; V1 ventrad of SV1 on A1; anal shield with D group bisetose, with level of SD2 anterior to level of D1.

Biology of Immature Stages. Larvae were hatched from the eggs that were laid by two females, collected from Mt Wellington on 30 January 2010 and two females collected from Mt Bishop and Clerk, Maria Island on 25 January 2011. Most of the offspring of the Mt Wellington females did not survive beyond first instar after being offered plant material from a variety of species collected in the vicinity of the Mt Wellington site. However one out of five larvae that fed on Eucalyptus coccifera Hook. f. (Tasmanian snow gum) reached the third instar before dying. The 2011 cohort was also offered the same selection of foodplants, including E. coccifera . Around thirty larvae, again, began feeding on the leaves of E. coccifera , favouring the older, relatively necrotic leaves. From then on, leaves were allowed to dry out and die in the culture, with fresh leaves added once a week. Five larvae survived to maturity on these necrotic leaves; however none pupated. Leaf litter was collected from the Mt Wellington site in May and June 2011 and placed into Tullgren funnels in an attempt to confirm that leaf litter was a possible food source for Kunanyia . No larvae of the species were found in the samples. Eggs did not require moistening to initiate larval hatching. These eggs are not likely to be “rain-hatched eggs in the terminology of McFarland (1973), as the adults inhabit a relatively wet, cool and stable montane environment compared to the more arid, lower elevation environments inhabited by Australian nacophorines with these types of eggs. Larvae also did not display first instar dispersal behaviour and were slow and sluggish in movement. This behaviour is correlated, again, with the montane habitat of the species and the laying of small egg clutches ( McFarland 1988; Young 2008a). Larvae also tended to avoid light by resting on the lower sides of leaves on silk mats and exhibited the “drop and curl type of avoidance behaviour described by McFarland (1988). No silk hanging was observed, which is consistent with the adoption of a host plant that is close to the ground ( McFarland 1988; Young 2008a).

Etymology. Kunanyia is derived from the Tasmanian aboriginal name for Mt Wellington, Tasmania, Kunanyi, which is the type locality for the genus and species and one of two confirmed collection localities. The species is named after Stephanie, the daughter of the primary author, who collected many specimens, including two females, of the species.

CO1 sequences. A search of BOLD for most closely related species on sequence similarity using the CO1 barcode sequence fragment of Kunanyia stephaniae sp. nov. proved equivocal. The ten most closely related species, based on percentage sequence divergence, include the Noctuidae and Sterrhinae , and three different ennomine tribes, the Nacophorini , Diptychini and the Lithinini . These are ranked in order of percentage similarity to Kunanyia stephaniae (paratype specimens, ANICQ499-11BOLD Proc.ID, ANICQ500-11 and BOLD Proc.ID: ANICQ501-11) as follows (iBOL2012): unidentified genus and species ( Sterrhinae ) (95.11%) (listed incorrectly in BOLD as Dasybela sp., Sterrhinae ); Amelora gonosemela ( Ennominae : Nacophorini ) (93.73%); Amelora gonosemela ( Ennominae : Nacophorini ) (93.71%); Callioratis abraxas grandis ( Ennominae : Diptychini) (93.70%); Idiodes oberthuri ( Ennominae : Lithinini ) (93.55%); Callioratis mayeri ( Ennominae : Diptychini) (93.43%); Callioratis abraxas abraxas ( Ennominae : Diptychini) (93.43 %); Callioratis abraxas grandis ( Ennominae : Diptychini) (93.42%); Metalectra indecidens Walker ( Noctuidae : Catocalinae ) (93.40%); Callioratis abraxas ( Ennominae : Diptychini) (93.40%).

Figures

FIGURE 20. Male of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. resting on dolerite boulder.

FIGURE 21. Habitus of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. Ventral view of pinned adult male.

FIGURE 28. First instar larva of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. (drawing).

FIGURE 29. Live first instar larva of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. on dead eucalypt leaf.

FIGURE 30. First instar larva of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp., clubbed seta; scale line 20 µm.

FIGURE 31. First instar larva of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp., crochets on A 6 proleg; scale line 20 µm.

FIGURE 32. Setal map of 1 st instar larva of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp.

FIGURE 34. Fifth instar larva of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. (drawing).

FIGURE 35. Setal map of 5 th instar larva of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp.

FIGURES 2 – 7. External structures of imago of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov., sp. nov. Fig. 2. Head, siblateral view, scales removed excepting palpus. Scale bar 400 µm. Fig. 3. Head, frontal view, scales removed excepting palpus. Scale bar 500 µm. Fig. 4. Whole male antenna. Scale bar 1 mm. Fig. 5. Dorsal view of male rami. Scale bar 100 µm. Fig. 6. Ventral view of male antennal rami. Scale bar 200 µm, Fig. 7. Apex of male antennal ramus. Scale bar 20 µm.

FIGURES 8 – 10. Fig. 8. Terminal male antennal segment. Scale bar 50 µm. Fig. 9. Imago of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. Dorsal view of pinned adult male. Fig. 10. Habitus of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. Dorsal view of pinned adult female.

FIGURE 22 – 27. Egg of Kunanyia stephaniae gen. nov. sp. nov. (Fig. 22) Fresh and mature eggs; scale bar 1 mm. (Fig. 23) Whole egg; scale bar 500 µm. (Fig. 24) anterior pole; scale bar 300 µm. (Fig. 25) micropylar area; scale bar 100 µm. (Fig. 26) lateral chorion; scale bar 45 µm. (Fig. 27) chorion; scale bar 25 µm.