Poecilasthena pulchraria Doubleday, 1843

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

Poecilasthena pulchraria Doubleday (Figs 672–677)

(type species)

Oviposition

1♀ code nos.: G373

Oviposition date: 3 Sept.

Batch size: 30; (n = 1)

Realised fecundity: 30

Incubation time (days): 7

Batch configuration and attachment: Attached, singly.

Colour: Pale yellowish­green, glittering, becoming grey on maturity.

Size (mm) (n=10): L = 0.59 ± 0.01, W = 0.42 ± 0.00, T = 0.38 ± 0.01.

Width/length: 0.71

No. of females: 1

Aeropylar opening size (m) (n=4): L = 0.85 ± 0.07, W = 0.65 ± 0.09.

Relative aeropylar opening size: 1.6

Micropyles: Distinct (Figs 672 & 673)

No. of openings: 2

No. of cells in rosette: 5

No. of rows of cells in micropylar area: 3

Shape: Narrow, elongated, bluntly ovoid, anterior pole truncated, dorso­ventrally flattened.

Characteristics: Very soft chorion; egg marked on all surfaces by concave, hexagonal cells defined at junctions by broad rounded humps (Figs 672–676). Aeropyles small, unelevated, openings very small (Fig. 676), present around anterior pole only. Rosette cells slightly recessed; micropylar cell walls overlain by very narrow, shallow reticulum (Fig. 673). Chorion rough, shallowly wrinkled (Fig. 676 & 677).